Eldridge St, Bowery

Like its neighbors Orchard Street and Ludlow Street, Elridge Street is a "standard" Lower East Side Street - pleasant, if not beautiful, with remnants of the Lower East Side's historic tenement culture alongside a wealth of more contemporary cultural outfits: poetry readings, literary cafes, galleries, and bars. Lively but not overcrowded, this street is home to the Museum at Elridge Street, an insightful look into the Jewish history of the region, as well as to a number of Chinese restaurants - a spillover from nearby Chinatown. Visit Best Fuhzhou, Prosperity Dumpling, or Hing Shing Seafood store for a nice meal or take-away, or party the night away at Inhibit Karaoke Lounge. The blend of LES and Chinatown culture makes for a lively, if sometimes noisy, street culture. The north end of the street has less of a Chinese influence, and is home to the James Fuentes, Woodward, and Lmak Projects art galleries.

Eldridge Street is a little street in the Lower East Side. It was one of the first streets I ever walked down when I first moved to New York; and, I remember thinking that it is such a New York Street. It's pretty dark and dirty, in my opinion, and it can be a little sketchy at night. I definitely wouldn't want to live on this street. But, then again, I wouldn't really want to live on any of the Lower East Side Streets. They're all pretty gritty and Eldridge is no exception.
I'm not kidding when I say the street is pretty small. It's not Gay St small, but it's on the smaller side of streets in the neighborhood. That being said, there's definitely some punch packed into Eldridge. Eldridge was named after a captain in the 19th century who was scalped by Indians and that's macabre but kind of cool. There are two dark bars that used to be popular but are somewhat of fading stars on Eldridge: Milk and Honey and Eldridge. Milk and Honey is one of the first mixology places in the city and had some really innovative cocktails. I've never been a fan of the ultra mixology scene but it is a cool looking bar. Same goes for Eldridge: it's cool looking but the ambience is nothing to write home about.
The Eldridge Street Synagogue is a national landmark and really cool museum on the street. You can't miss it and it's definitely not just for people of the Jewish faith. They have architecture tours and Shirtwaist Factory Fire tributes, etc. It's a pretty cool building to take a peek into.
The architecture of the Synagogue is really cool; but, overall, the aesthetic of the street is very LES. The buildings are mostly crummy and old. They are dark and dingy and I can't imagine that the insides are all that delightful. Eldridge is a street that is trying to be cool but just falls short of the mark.

Eldridge Street is home to some interesting food stops and a number of great bars. Dumpling House is extremely popular with the local foodie crowd. It's great take out for those looking for a good Chinese dumpling. Milk & Honey is an attempt to recreate a true London Lounge.

Eldridge st is home to the ever popular Dumpling Inn...the cheapest and most delectable Dumplings one can find in Chinatown. Nearby is congee Village and many scrumptious Chinese dining restaurants and Marketplaces. The st is quite hectic with many people lining up to by food at the stalls that are out on the streets.