05/19/2026
Behold this view of the Bowery going south from Canal Street in lower Manhattan!
This 1927 photo captures various aspects of life on the Lower East Side at the turn of the 20th Century: the elevated train, the cramped tenement buildings, and in the distance the new skyscrapers rising from further downtown. While this view make look glamorous, life in these neighborhoods was not (or at least not yet).
The tenement buildings would have been filled with working class immigrants, largely from southern and Eastern Europe, as well as Chinese immigrants moving further southwest, who did not have the resources to seek out any nicer housing. Although they were constantly grinding to get by, these immigrant populations have left the neighborhood with a rich historical and cultural legacy, still evident in the buildings, landmarks, and even the food scene of the LES!
No longer standing today, the elevated train tracks caused a number of issues for the community: environmental and noise pollution, obstruction of light from the city streets, and reportedly as a space where criminality could thrive. Particularly in the mid-19th Century, the Bowery and nearby Five Points neighborhood were known as epicenters of gang activity. These networks conducted their criminal enterprises and feuds with each other with local impunity, as they also provided support and protection to the denizens of the neighborhood. The streets under the train were seen as some of the more dangerous areas to hang out, as the elevated tracks and loud noise shielded the activities below from view.
Want to learn more about the history of this area? Big Onion has TWO tours for you this weekend! Join us for Gangs of New York on Saturday, May 23, and/or the Multiethnic Eating tour on Sunday, May 24, both at 1pm! Tickets available on our website.
Image: “Manhattan: Bowery - Canal Street” (1927), Ewing Galloway c/o
