New York notebook: a guide to the Lower East Side

Including where to eat, sleep, drink, shop, and what to do.

When someone asks me what I love most about New York, or really, when someone asks me for my favourite spots and recommendations in New York, most of them naturally end up being in the Lower East Side. I think – keyword, think – that this is my favourite neighbourhood in the city. Yes, I love the blossom-lined streets of the West Village, the buzz of NoHo, the shopping in SoHo, and the coolness of TriBeCa, but it’s the vibe of the LES that I just can’t resist. In a five-block radius, they manage to have my favourite pizza slice, coffee shop, concept store, wine bar, dive bar, bagel shop, bookshop and in my opinion, the restaurant that makes the best matzo ball soup, ever. So here we go, no gatekeeping here: my guide to the Lower East Side.