History

Eldridge Eats Food Tour: A History of the Lower East Side

By

Museum at Eldridge Street

Start Date

October 8, 2026

|

10:30 am

Event Type

Tour

Location

12 Eldridge Street, New York, New York 10002

Visit historic Lower East Side sites and nosh on delicious rugelach, pickles, knishes, and dumplings!

Once one of the most densely populated districts in the world, the Lower East Side of Manhattan has witnessed numerous changes during the past hundred years. This walking tour is a resourceful glimpse of the past. The tour will focus on a few of the remaining vestiges and surviving buildings and structures of an era of mass Jewish immigration, when the streets were lined with stores and pushcarts, including Jewish delicatessens, bakeries, pickle stands, and cafeterias, to name a few.

Join us on Thursday, October 8th at 10:30am and see buildings and structures that still exist today as well as those that have been restored, repurposed, demolished, and abandoned. Your seasoned guide will speak about the neighborhood’s transformation and conclude with a discussion of several food establishments that still exist today. Along the way, we’ll stop at a couple of these to nibble on both Jewish and Chinese bites!

Highlights:

  • Explore synagogues of the Lower East Side that have been repurposed into art galleries, churches, and event spaces, as well as bathhouses, restaurants, movie theaters, and more
  • Sample traditional New York Jewish and Chinese foods
  • Learn about the history of the Lower East Side, once the most densely populated district in the world
  • Uncover the history of Jewish immigration in the area and hear what tenement life was like; find out where immigrants shopped, banked, and how they obtained their news
  • Stop by significant Lower East Side landmarks

Please let us know any and all dietary restrictions at least 5 business days before the tour by emailing mhazan@eldridgestreet.org.

Cost of food is included in ticket prices. Please note that the nosh offered will not constitute a full meal.

Ticket Price (Includes Museum Admission):
Adults $35
Seniors / Students $32
Children 17 and Under $30
Cool Culture Pass / SNAP Benefits $10

This Museum at Eldridge Street Walking Tour is only available to small groups (18 people max). This tour is available to both individual ticket holders and families.

Upcoming

September Events

Oct
20
6:30 pm
A Shadow Over the World: Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Rise of Fascism, and the Making of America’s World War II

Talk

Oct
02
1:30 pm
2026 Fitch Colloquium: Preserving Independence: Architecture and Heritage in Western Africa

Talk

Oct
18
2:00 pm
All-Abilities Discovery Afternoon (with VISIONS)

Tour