Originally, "Lower East Side" referred to the area alongside the East River from about the Manhattan Bridge and Canal Street up to 14th Street, and roughly bounded on the west by Broadway. It included areas known today as East Village, Alphabet City, Chinatown, Bowery, Little Italy, and NoLIta.

Although the term today refers to the area bounded to the north by East Houston Street, parts of the East Village are still known as Loisaida, a Latino pronunciation of "Lower East Sider."

This point of land on the East River was also called Corlears Hook under British rule. It was an important landmark for navigators for 300 years. On older maps and documents it is usually spelled 'Corlaers' Hook, but since the early 19th Century the spelling has been anglicized to Corlears. It was named after Jacobus van Corlaer, who settled there prior to 1640. In the 19th century, Corlaer's Hook was notorious for streetwalkers, who were called hookers. The original location of Corlaers Hook is now obscured by shoreline landfill. It was near the east end of the present pedestrian bridge over the FDR Drive near Cherry Street.

Local Parks and Entertainment

East River Park Montgomery Street to 12^th Street {along the East River}

Sarah D. Roosevelt Park between Chrystie & Forsynth Street, from Canal to Houston Street

Hamilton Fish Park East Houston between Pitt and Sheriff Streets

Corlears Hook Park between Jackson and Cherry Street on FDR Drive

Seward Park between Jefferson and Canal Streets

Rutgers Park between Rutgers Street and Pike Slip, from Cherry Street

Lower East Side Tenement Museum 97 Orchard Street

Restaurants

Alias 76 Clinton Street and Rivington Street

Azul Bistro 152 Stanton Street and Suffolk Street

Bereket 187 East Houston Street and Orchard Street

Essex 120 Essex Street and Rivington Street

Falal 68 Clinton Street btw Rivington and Stanton Street

Katz’s Delicatassen 205 East Houston Streets and Ludlow Streets

Regate 108 Orchard Street btw Houston and Stanton Streets

Schiller’s 131 Rivington Street and Norfolk Street

Shopping

Doyle & Doyle 189 Orchard Street

Foley & Corinna 108 Stanton Street

David Owen’s Vintage Clothing 154 Orchard Street

Freeman’s Sporting Club 8 Rivington

Satellite Records 259 Bowery

DDC LAB 180 Orchard Street

Jueta Nuemann 158 Allen Street

Seven 180 Orchard Street

Schools

Elementary Schools

East Side Torah Center 313 Henry Street

IS 131 100 Hester Street

Harvey Milk School 210 Astor Place

JHS 056 Corlears School 220 Henry Street

Henry Street School – International Studies 220 Henry Street

PS 002 Meyer London School 122 Henry Street

PS 020 Anna Silver School 166 Essex Street

PS 110 Florence Nightingale 285 Delancey Street

PS 134 Henrietta Szold School 293 East Broadway

PS 140 Nathan Straus School 123 Ridge Street

PS 184M Shaung Wen School 293 East Broadway

PS 188 Island School 442 East Houston Street

High Schools

Bard High School 525 East Houston Street

Beth Jacob High School 142 Broome Street

Cascades High School 108 Forsyth Street 3^rd Floor

CMSP Marte Valley Secondary School 145 Stanton Street

Dual Language –Asian Studies High School 350 Grand Street

East Side Torah Center 312 Henry Street

Henry St.- International Studies 220 Henry Street

High School for History – Communication 350 Grand Street

Lower East Side Preparatory High School 145 Stanton Street

Mesivita Tifereth Jerusalem 145 East Broadway

New Design High School 350 Grand Street

New Explorations Science Tech Math 111 Columbia Street

Seward Park High School 350 Grand Street

St. Joseph School 1 Monroe Street

Transportation

Subway: B,F,D,V,J,M, or 6

Bus M9. M15, M103, M21

Police

7^th Precinct  19^th Pitt Street at Delancey Street (212.477.7311)

Local Post Offices

U.S.Post Office: 185 Clinton Street

                            128 East Broadway

                          244 east 3^rd street

Chinatown Post Office 6 Doyers Street

Prince Street Post Office 103 Prince Street

Canal Street Post Office 350 Canal Street

Peck Slip Post Office 1 Peck Slip

Local Hospitals

Beth Abraham Hospital 337 Broome street

Beth Israel Hospital 1^st avenue &16^th street

Cabrini Haven Plaza 1 Haven Plaza

Hospital for Joint Diseases 301 east 17th Street

Memorial Sloan-Kettering 55 5^th avenue #12

Local Heath Clubs

New York Sports Club 503-511 Broadway and Spring Street 232 Mercer Street