Who remembers- The Lower East Side?

amother

Dodgerblue

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 6:39 am

I remember Laibel Bistritzky's cheese store in the 1980s (before kosher cheese was easily available throughout the city). Everyone was a little scared of him and had stories about things he did (chased thieves away with a huge cheese knife). He was kind of like a yiddishe superhero.

The candy and nut store next to Gertel's was amazing. Loved to buy things there before holidays.

I remember going with my parents to H and M to order my brother's bar mitzvah yarmulkes in the 1970s before buying online and sending were a thing. They made him layn before closing the deal. Also, when my mother asked if she could pick them up on Thanksgiving and if they would be closed, the owner said "nisht kein yontiff!" That became a legend in our family.

Ratners was a relic of another era. It had an enormous menu, ancient and somewhat rude waiters, delicious food. My grandmother, who lived in Brooklyn, ate there in the 1920s (yes, you read that right). We loved to go there with her and listen to her reminisce. My father also ate there with his parents as a child. The onion rolls and potato soup were my favorites.

Although I never ate there, Shmulka Bernstein's was legendary.

amother

Dodgerblue

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 6:47 am

I also remember the Moishe's bakery on 2nd Avenue and 10th street (not quite the LES). The manager was a little blonde woman who was a riot. I used to go with a friend to buy rainbow cookies and challah on Friday mornings and she would do a little dance for us. She also offered to set me up with a "pharmacist from Canarsie." I thanked her but assured her that I was just there for the rainbow cookies.

relaxation

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 7:05 am

amother Ultramarine wrote:

I didn't grow up there but used to visit my grandparents there.

I liked eating in the communal sukkahs and that everyone seemed old but seemed to appreciate children being around. I don't know which store this was from but the best cheesecake I ever had was from lower east side store (Gertels?) As I recall East Broadway Bakery was actually on East Broadway not Grand Street.

(This was in the late 70s and early 80s)

I was never from the les but am interested to know more about it. Where were the sukkahs located ? What were the prices of food and essesntials back then. Were those the days were manhattan was affordable or it was for the rich folks ?

amother

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 7:51 am

Oh, the Jewish festival was wonderful!

I am not old enough to remember what was before Magens. I do remember Magens was so far for me to walk to when I was little and my feet would hurt.

I don't think I knew about Michael's crushed car, but remembering Michael is fun. I wonder if he's still alive.

My father also went to RJJ.

A typical block there has 2 big buildings with a park in between. Every park has a sukkah in it on Sukkos. MTJ and Bais Yaakov of the East Side are still there.

amother

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 7:55 am

relaxation wrote:

I forgot to answer your other questions. Food was always expensive in the kosher store, but there are non Jewish supermarkets. A lot of people shop in Brooklyn once every week or 2.

But apartments used to be rented out for very affordable prices. It only became expensive after they all went coop, and you had to buy an apartment in order to live there.

relaxation

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 8:21 am

amother OP wrote:

what would they do on shabbos ? or did they have an eruv ?

amother

Garnet

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 9:11 am

amother OP wrote:

Michael passed away a few years ago.

amother

Garnet

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 9:14 am

relaxation wrote:

what would they do on shabbos ? or did they have an eruv ?

There's generally an eiruv between each pair of buildings on the same block, but not outside. So you could carry out the back entrance to the sukkah. If you have a baby then you don't go very far on shabbos but the buildings are huge so there are usually a number of families you can visit without having to go out.

amother

Garnet

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 9:19 am

relaxation wrote:

"Back then" spans a large time on this thread. But I'd say generally prices compared close enough to anywhere else in general. Now things are more expensive.

Manhattan as a whole was never especially affordable but the LES was its own thing. UWS and UES were always fancy. LES shot up in price over the last decade or two, causing many people to move out and even more people to just not move in, so the community shrank precipitously.

Chayalle

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 10:25 am

relaxation wrote:

Did you merit to see R Dovid Feinstein often ? (or R moshe if you are older)

I had close relatives on the LES that I often visited. I remember seeing R' Dovid and/or his Rebbetzin in Finefair. Or in the lobby of the building. I remember at the Bris of a relative, DH couldn't get over the zchus of sitting near R' Dovid enjoying his bagel...he was so normal and approachable, you had to remember he was a Gadol HaDor. (not sure I'm explaining that right, but that's how it felt.)

As for Ratners, their Kasha Varnishkes were the best ever. Wish I had the recipe.

A little further up, La Bagel had the.best.bagels. Period.

amother

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 11:01 am

relaxation wrote:

Did you merit to see R Dovid Feinstein often ? (or R moshe if you are older)

Of course! I was 4 when R' Moshe was niftar, but I'm told he once held the door to the building open for us.

I was in R' Dovid's house many times. As a little kid, I once went there after school to play with their granddaughter and Rebetzin Malka made us hot cocoa. Then I went there a couple of times a week to help out with their triplet grandchildren. (The triplets are now married with kids of their own.) And of course, every Purim the community gathered in their apartment.

A few years ago, my son used to get off the school bus right near the grocery, and every Wednesday, R' Dovid would be in the grocery shopping at that time. So every Wednesday, I took my kids in there and got a bag of chips and a bracha from the gadol hador.

amother

Garnet

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 11:14 am

amother OP wrote:

Looked up the email to fact check, it was 2019. His daughter lived in my building (I didn't know she was his daughter until the shiva notice!) and said several bais yaakov graduates came to the shiva and the family was very touched. He really loved the bais yaakov girls like family. And mostly expressed it by trying to feed us, like a true old world Jew.

amother

Scarlet

Mon, Aug 07 2023, 3:48 pm

relaxation wrote:

So If I am understanding correctly the Les had sort of an oot town homey feeling ?

Correct. A small, tight knit, out of town community in the heart of Manhattan. There’s nothing quite like it.