The bustling Lower East Side corridor was recently named the “coolest” in America — and one of the coolest in the world – though locals say it’s been a trendy celeb hangout for decades.
The historic street earned the No. 9 spot – and the top slot among other US cities – in Time Out magazine’s annual ranking thanks to its timeless blend of old-school New York and youthful innovation across dive bars, tattoo shops, al fresco dining and even a new photobooth museum, the outlet wrote.
“It’s hip, happening, and historic—all at the same time,” Mark Miller, current director of the Lower East Side Partnership and a former gallery owner told The Post, alluding to the locale’s rich turn-of-the-century immigrant history.
“Nowhere else do the old and new coexist so naturally, giving the block a character you just can’t manufacture,” Miller, 57, said.
Orchard Street Tattoos changed its name “to tie the store back to the neighborhood,” co-owner Jaz Paulino said. Even the shop’s vintage font was chosen as a nod to its history when it opened in 2023.
“Orchard Street specifically is the center of the world of cool,” said Pamela Barsky, who peddles “New York is My Boyfriend” tote bags from her boutique.
“People have been coming here for generations for the clothes, for the pastrami, for the energy.”
The Time Out ranking crowned Rua do Senado in Rio de Janeiro as the No. 1 “coolest” street in the world. Other US spots, the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles and Roscoe Street in Chicago, took the No. 25 and 28 spots, respectively.
Orchard Street resident Levi recalling “lots of celebrity sightings lately” on the block, from Joe Jonas to Addison Rae.
One bouncer at Treasure Club recalled several NFL football players from the Philadelphia Eagles’, including Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott — while Page Six reports actor Glen Powell and influencer Olivia Jade Giannulli were spotted at the bar in September.
“The street transforms into … a cluster—k of hipsters, party people, outgoing individuals, [and] fashionistas,” Blue Moon Hotel receptionist Terron Thompson said, moments before calling the frenzy “refreshing.
“Seeing so many different people and being around that energy is very captivating.”
“I like the grunginess. It gives me back-block vibes,” said Brooklyn designer Horace Strait — though rents aren’t exactly matching back-block prices.
Median asking rents in the Lower East Side rose from $3,600 in 2019 to a whopping $4,748 in 2025, per StreetEasy data.
“There’s been this revitalization of the area: now, the Lower East Side is notorious for the young professionals and kids from middle to upper class families that are living here,” said 34-year-old Sha Malik, who has lived in the same rent controlled apartment on the street since he was born.
“I’m sure that’s helped [business] to a degree,” he said. “But then again, it’s also making it very difficult … to maintain an affordable living.”
Despite its changes, some longtime tenants — including fourth-generation optometrist Harvey Moscot, contend it’s still Orchard or bust.
“We were born on Orchard, and we’ll die on Orchard,” said Moscot, whose great-grandfather sold reading glasses from a push-cart on Orchard Street after emigrating from Eastern Europe.
The 110-year-old brand is now global and has 40 stores around the world.
“I would say it’s one of the only places that retains some of its authenticity,” Moscot said of the Lower East Side. “There is a certain feeling of coziness to it.”
