Tag Archives: Lower East Side

Learn About the Immigrant History of NY at the Tenement Museum

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Learn about the immigrant experience at the Tenement Museum

Learn about the immigrant experience at the Tenement Museum

A visit to the Tenement Museum is a unique experience which will bring the history of the Lower East Side and its surrounding environs to life.

There are three ways of visiting the museum:

•    Visitors can tour the building and explore the restored apartments and businesses of those who lived and worked here at the height of the immigrant experience.

•    Interpreters in costume take on the role of former residents who once inhabited 97 Orchard Street.

•    Get to know the neighborhood up close and personal as you take a walking tour and discover the real Lower East Side and the many ways that immigrants influenced the neighborhood, city and beyond.

A visit to the Tenement Museum will enlighten visitors to the importance and depth of the influence immigrants had on the development of the region and became the foundation of America as we know it today.

Frank’s Bike Shop Gets Reprieve from Citi Bikes

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Frank Arroyo of Frank's Bike Shop

Frank Arroyo of Frank’s Bike Shop

Soon after the New York Post ran its story on the danger Citi Banks poses to small business owner Frank Arroyo and his bike shop, the bike station was removed.

Arroyo has owned and operated Frank’s Bike Shop for over 37 years, on third of his income coming from bike rentals. The shop, located at 533 Grand Street on the Lower East Side, Citi Bikes suddenly installed a bike rental station a mere 150 feet from his store’s location. At $10 for a 24-hour pass with Citi Bikes, Arroyo believes he cannot compete successfully, charging $30 day for the rental of his bikes.

“My biggest question is how did they come about to choose the areas where they put these bikes. Did they study the areas? Did they look at the businesses around them?” asked a shocked Frank Arroyo.

Arroyo also fixes bikes and sells Schwinn-brand bikes, but he says one-third of his income comes from rental fees. He says that the city never asked him what he would think of having the Citi Bike station so close to his shop. Right before the bike kiosk was installed Arroyo was considering expanding his rental business.

“It has become more and more of a year-round business,” Arroyo said. “You got tourists that come, and Europeans especially are used to using bikes year-round. It’s a growing business.”

But now it is time to change gears.

“I’m going to have to concentrate on where I can make more income to make up for the potential loss,” he said.

One solution Arroyo sees is to join forces with Citi Bike rather than being in opposition.

“It would’ve been nice if [Citi Bike] would’ve had a program teaching young people how to fix bikes,” he added.

After the article in the Post was published on May 27 a petition drive was begun. Over 1,000 signatures were collected, all agreeing that the city should relocate the Citi Bike station. On the other hand, the were others who said that the location for the Citi Bike station was a good one, since there are no easily accessible bus or subway lines. Frank Arroyo himself said he is not so sure the bulk of his problem comes from the station at the intersection of Grand and Henry streets. He fears more the Citi Bike stations close to hotels, the source of most of his bike rental customers.

The Department of Transportation says that the Citi Bike station was removed to make way for some utility construction work, and not as a response to the petition. Eventually the station will be re-installed in the same location.

One Mile House Offers Beer and Great Traditional Pub Cuisine

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One Mile House

At number 10 Delancey Street on the Lower East Side a new watering hole whose heart is in the past has opened. The canteen is named “One Mile House,” after a famed 19th century bar located exactly one mile from City Hall; perfectly positioned so that city politicos who needed a little brewsky while on the job could walk on over and whet their whistles while still running the city.

Today’s “One Mile House” is a comfortable meeting place with a generously sized lounge and large, airy windows letting in just the right amount of light during the day, while at night the stop is lit with rounded orbs creating an intimate and warm atmosphere.

The décor does not quite reach back to the 1800s, but does give a nod and wink to the heyday of New York during the ‘roaring twenties’ and “depression thirties,” with antique subway tiles, tin ceilings and newspaper clippings from that era decorating the restrooms.

Along with an always changing beer list which will make the most avid beer aficionado smile is a menu serving classic pub-style food such as burgers, Hot Legs, (a version of buffalo wings), and some twists on pizza. Especially fun is the once-a-month event when breweries come into “One Mile House” and do a “Tap Takeover,” offering samples of their own special concoctions.

Whether you are a politician or just a beer lover, “One Mile House” is worth a visit. 10 Delancey Street // 646-559-0702