While the Lower East Side is one of New York City’s most vibrant neighborhoods today, it was not always the location of a bustling urban metropolis. On the contrary, the site was once a lush wilderness inhabited by tribes of the Lenape Native Americans. The Lenape lived there for generations, frequently hunting in the region seasonally. But in the 17th century, the area—as well as the rest of Manhattan Island—was incorporated into the Dutch colony of New Netherland. Nevertheless, the place remained sparsely populated, with most of the European immigrants settling the southernmost tip of Manhattan. Indeed, the only Dutch to venture into the future site of the Lower East Side were isolated families of farmers, who created homesteads known colloquially as “bouwerji” (“boweries” in English). Among the earliest Dutch colonists to occupy the area was Jacobus van Corlaer, whose bouwerji was situated along the banks of the East River in a place known as “Corlears Hook.” Despite the association with his name, Corlear nonetheless sold the farm several years later to one of New Netherland’s founding families, the Beekmans.

After a fighting for control over the region during the Anglo-Dutch Wars, Manhattan became part of the English colony “New York” at the end of the century. In the years that followed, New Amsterdam (the Dutch community on Manhattan) became “New York City” and started absorbing the unincorporated sections of Manhattan into its domain. Still, the future Lower East Side remained farmland, with a significant portion belonging to wealthy colonist James Delancey. While Delancey grew a number of crops, the most notable were the fruits he cultivated in his orchards. But Delancey had great plans for a majority of his farm, which he wished to donate to New York City for an upscale neighborhood modeled after the West End of London. (Delancey even intended for the new neighborhood to be called “Delancey Square.”) Unfortunately for James Delancey, his dream never came to fruition. A prominent loyalist to the British Empire, Delancey’s entire estate was seized by local Patriots amid the American Revolution. Delancey himself eventually fled to England following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, where he tried to marshal support for the British cause in London.

New York City subsequently emerged as America’s leading city afterward, becoming the site for increasing numbers of factories and wharves. The copious job opportunities soon attracted thousands of new immigrants from around the world. New York City exploded in size, with new neighborhoods developing in just a matter of years. The Lower East Side came into existence within this environment, as open pasture was gradually replaced with countless high-rises. Driving the rise of the Lower East Side were Germans, who had settled the area en masse starting in the 1840s. Over time, they were joined by many other immigrants from Europe, including Italians, Hungarians, Romanians, Ukrainians, Poles, and the Irish. Jews from Eastern Europe were particularly drawn to the Lower East Side, who created one of the largest enclaves of Jewish culture throughout the entire United States. Most of the immigrants were incredibly destitute and were in need of inexpensive shelter. Many wound up living in structures known as “tenements”—modified apartment complexes notorious for their cramped conditions. Tenements subsequently became the predominant structure in the Lower East Side for many years thereafter, giving the area its present iconic appearance.

The Lower East Side remained a popular destination for immigrants throughout the 20th century, particularly for numerous families from Latin America and Asia. African Americans also relocated to the Lower East Side, too, encouraged by the prospects for good work. One specific area of the district—the East Village—became a bastion for American hippie culture during the 1960s, causing it to form its own separate identity that persists to this very day. But at the start of the 21st century, a few enterprising real estate developers and entrepreneurs began renovating sections of the Lower East Side that were abandoned. Not only did those enterprising individuals construct many new upscale storefronts and residences, but they also preserved numerous historical structures that encapsulated the area’s rich heritage. Today, the area remains a major terminus for immigrants the world over, although it has also emerged as one of New York’s most attractive vacation hotspots. Cultural heritage travelers particularly enjoy the many cultural attractions that reside throughout the Lower East Side, such as the Abrons Art Center, Katz’s Delicatessen, and the renowned Tenement Museum.

Historic Blue Moon Hotel possesses a unique architectural style that can best be described as “eclectic.” Dating to the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, historians today consider “eclecticism” to be part of a much larger movement that fused together a variety of historical designs. Earlier in the 1800s, architects—particularly those in Europe—decided to rely upon their own loose interpretations of historical architecture whenever they attempted to replicate it. Such a practice appeared within styles as Gothic Revival, Italianate, and Second Empire architecture. But at the height of the Gilded Age, those architects decided to use historic architecture more literally when developing a building. A few architects went a step further by combining certain historical styles together to achieve something uniquely beautiful. In some cases, those individuals felt inspired to add a new historical form onto a building that they were renovating—just like the structure that houses the Historic Blue Moon Inn today. Ultimately, the architects felt that joining architectural forms together would give them a new avenue of expression that they otherwise did not have at the time. They also believed that they had stayed true to the earlier forms, so long as their designs perfectly replicated whatever they were trying to mimic.

In Europe, this approach first appeared as a rehash of Gothic Revival-style known as “Collegiate Gothic.” The European architects then used such a mentality to influence the unfolding philosophies of both the Beaux-Arts school of design, as well as the emerging Renaissance Revival-style. Many architects in America followed suit, the most notable of which being Richard Morris Hunt and Charles Follen McKim. The American architects who embraced “eclecticism” were at first interested in the country’s colonial architecture. Much of the desire to return to the time period was born from the revived interest in American culture brought on by the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Pride in preserving the nation’s heritage inspired the architects to perfect the design principles of their colonial forefathers in new and intriguing ways. This interest gradually splintered into other revival styles, though, like Spanish Colonial and Tudor Revival. Some Americans even infused the approach with the popular Beaux-Arts aesthetics of France, including Hunt and McKim. Nevertheless, the birth of Modernism in the 1920s eventually ended worldwide interest with “eclecticism,” as architects throughout the West became more enchanted with the ideas of modernity, technology, and progress.

Richard Price, author known for his books, The Wanderers, Clockers, and Lush Life.

Lorraine Adams, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for investigative reporting.

Robert Plant, lead singer and lyricist for Led Zeppelin.

Hal Hartley, director known for such films Simple Men, Trust, and Amateur.

Dumebi Egbufor, actress known for such movies like Monsterland, April Again, and For Life.

Adam Brody, actor best known for his role on the show, The O.C.

Mark Valley, actor known for his roles on shows like Boston Legal, Fringe, and Human Target.

Brent Mayne, catcher for the New York Mets.

Roquan Smith, linebacker for the Chicago Bears.

Gregory Porter, Grammy Award winning vocalist known for his albums Liquid Spirit and Take Me to the Alley.

Rebecca Lepkoff, photographer known for her historic pictures of the Lower East Side.

Ned Rifle (2014)