Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Tenements were the first homes for many immigrants to the United States through Ellis Island. They were large buildings that had multiple families living in apartments on one floor. Often times the families' apartments consisted of about four rooms, not much space for a large family. Families often shared one bathroom on each floor and had to worry about fires, crime, and living in an environment where possbily few people spoke their language.

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is an actual tenement building at 97 Orchard Street. The building was operational as a tenement from the 1860s to the 1950s, providing a home for over 7,000 families. The renovation began with the museum's founder, Ruth Abram, wanting to honor and preserve the memory of the nation's immigrantion population from the late 1800s and early 1900s. After several years of searching they found the tenement deteriorating behind an old store front. Reasearch began on this site and renovation began a few years later. The museum opened in 1992.
Over the course of its operation six apartments have been restored with a different family that actually lived in the apartment featured.

This museum is very unique because it is not set apart from other buildings around it. The building that you enter is a part of a very active Lower East Side street near 2nd Ave. You get the feeling walking into the narrow hallway, up narrow stairs and into small apartments what it felt like to have to be in this space for a long period of time. Small groups are taken on tours of their choosing by a museum guide who gives a talk related to the specific family and their experience. One of the most interesting things about the museum is that the researchers have actually found former residents of the tenement who gave their accounts of growing up there. They have also found pictures of the tenement from the early 20th century and have recovered artifacts buried at the site.

This is a small museum that does great things! I definitely recommend going and taking one of the tours of your choosing. There is a museum gift shop and also free talks and educational classes offered at the museum.

After going to the museum grab a classic deli sandwich at one of the oldest operating traditional deli restaurants, Katz's Delicatessen. www.katzdeli.com

Take the B or D to Grand Street, F to Delancey Street, J/M/Z to Essex Street walk two blocks away from the Williamsburg Bridge to Orchard Street, turn left and walk 1/2 block south.


Lower East Side Tenement Museum
108 Orchard Street
(212) 982-8420
www.tenement.org
http://tenement-museum.blogspot.com/
Follow on Twitter: @tenementtalks @tenementmuseum