Submitted by Prof. Kim Creasap
On October 24, 2015, 16 students in SOC 305: Urban Sociology and I traveled to the Lower East Side of Manhattan to conduct mini-ethnographies of various places and spaces in the neighborhood. An important site of NYC history and contemporary urban change, the Lower East Side offered us an incredible range of locations and communities to illustrate course themes.
The trip began with a walking tour of the LES led by staff from the Tenement Museum (Image 1). The “Then and Now” tour, which focuses on the role of immigration in shaping the social and physical landscape of the neighborhood, took us to fifteen sites, including the Buddhist Guan Gong Temple; M’Finda Kalunga, a community garden planted by activists; the Essex Street Market, home to a wide variety of food vendors; and the Hotel on Rivington, built in 2000, one of the first indicators of gentrification in the area.
Image 1: Tenement Museum, 103 Orchard St., NY, NY (Photo by Kim Creasap).
After the tour, students set off on their own to conduct mini ethnographies of local businesses, institutions, and community centers. They prepared for their fieldwork with methodological exercises in Hamilton, class workshops, and by setting up meetings with appropriate contacts ahead of our trip. Using participant observation, informal interviewing, and photography as their methods, student research covered an impressive range of topics, including how Jewish delis market tradition and authenticity to appeal to new residents of the Lower East Side (Image 2) and how race and class structure interactions between hot dog vendors and their customers (Image 3).
Image 2: Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery (Photo by Renee Berger).
Image 3: Hot dog vendor on Grand & Clinton St. (photo by Angela Jang).
Other students conducted institutional ethnographies, examining how Bluestockings Bookstore is a safe space for LGBT communities (Image 4); exploring how social center ABC NO Rio uses art and music to promote social justice (Images 5 & 6); and learning about the Seward Park Library as a community and educational center for immigrant residents in the neighborhood (Image 7).
Image 4: Bluestockings Radical Bookstore & Activist Center (Photo by Kim Creasap).
Image 5: Waiting for a punk show to begin at ABC No Rio (Photo by Chandler Wood).
Image 6: “Fight Sexism” art for sale at ABC No Rio (Photo by Chandler Wood).
Our trip ended with dinner on Rivington St., the center of gentrification in the LES, which allowed us to reflect on neighborhood change, from the crowded tenements of the early 20th century that we learned about during our walking tour, to the chic, professional vibe of the restaurant where we dined (Image 8).
Image 8: Urban Sociology students after a long day of doing ethnography (Photo by Kim Creasap).
Kim,
Working on Bowery and Houston I can tell you that there is no better place to run any number of studies than the neighborhood that you chose! I’d love to read more about the trip and perhaps gather with you the next time you come down this way. I’m fascinated to hear some stories and learn more about the lower east side!