Bowery
4
About
A century ago the Bowery's music halls, theaters and upscale joints drew folks from all over the city, but these days it's a bit of a skid row... though parts of the area seem on the upswing again.
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The area
Neighbourhood: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
How to get there
- 2nd Ave • 3 min walk
- Bowery • 4 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
46 reviews
Excellent
12
Very good
23
Average
10
Poor
1
Terrible
0
belltownvisitor
Seattle, WA41 contributions
Jul 2020
Lots of shops and restaurants. Super close to Little Italy and SOHO. You can spend days exploring al the different shops, exploring the parks and historic sites, and trying all the different restaurants. It was a lot of fun to just walk around and window shop and explore.
Written August 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas V
Oakland, CA17,757 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Many decades ago, this was a sketchy part of town, famous for soup kitchens, bums, and cheap hotels. No longer. You will find some good shopping and lots of classy places to eat and drink. Some interesting 19th century architecture. And it is in the middle of things on lower Manhattan.
Written September 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Five Road Trippers 🚙🎡🎢🧳
Long Island, NY16,135 contributions
Feb 2019 • Solo
A mecca for great discounts. There is a great number of restaurant supply businesses here. It used to be very sweet here about 20 years ago. It is somewhat cleaned up but needs a ways to go. My grandmother always talked about how seedy it was in the 1940s. Definitely an experience.
Written February 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Prantap K
Chennai (Madras), India112 contributions
Aug 2014
We landed here by a random mistake. But then as they say, some mistakes should always be made for your own good. We walked across the street for considerable distance at both ends just to absorb the experience of Bowery. Did i say that it was worth every step.
Written June 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Five Road Trippers 🚙🎡🎢🧳
Long Island, NY16,135 contributions
Jul 2018 • Friends
This used to be a very seedy place back in the day. At one time, I could not even count how many restaurant supply stores resided here. This main thoroughfare of Chinatown is very eclectic, each block has a different vibe of its own. Definitely cleaned up from the way it was years ago.
Written November 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oliver S
New York City, NY11,509 contributions
Oct 2014 • Solo
Ah, the Bowery in its “glory” days! Seedy, scandalous, dirty, exciting place. To get a feeling of those times, see “She done him Wrong” (1933) with Mae West and a very young Cary Grant. It’s a street in lower Manhattan stretching from Chatham Square to Cooper Square. The name comes from the old Dutch word “bowerij” meaning “farm”: the land was mostly owned by the Dutch Governor of New York, Peter Stuyvesant. As the City grew, the old Indian path expanded and became large street populated with oyster bars, taverns and minstrel show theaters. After the Civil War it gradually deteriorated and lost to Broadway its place as entertainment center. In the beginning of the Twentieth Century it was infamous: even the ladies of joy gravitated to other neighborhoods. Very little of those days is left, but the Mission from the movie is still there, still doing its mission. The Bowery Savings bank building is there in all its majestic glory, still doing its mission.
The eyesore at 190 Bowery, at the corner of Bowery and Spring Street in New York City, was originally constructed to be the third home of Germania Bank in 1898. The building has changed hands a few times since then, and has been the home and studio of photographer Jay Maisel since 1966. If it looks like this from the outside (see photo), I’d hate to find myself inside.
The monumental building on the corner of Bowery & Canal Street is the former Citizens Saving Bank — portal to Manhattan, gateway to Chinatown and impregnable fortress of thrift. It now houses the Chinatown branch of HSBC.
The area is of great historical interest to history/NYC buffs, but few tourists would enjoy it, in my opinion. Recent attempts to gentrify it resulted in some modern cafes, but the place is still not enjoyable and I would recommend against visiting even if your Tourist Guide tells you to go…Especially towards it end (where the Mission is)
The eyesore at 190 Bowery, at the corner of Bowery and Spring Street in New York City, was originally constructed to be the third home of Germania Bank in 1898. The building has changed hands a few times since then, and has been the home and studio of photographer Jay Maisel since 1966. If it looks like this from the outside (see photo), I’d hate to find myself inside.
The monumental building on the corner of Bowery & Canal Street is the former Citizens Saving Bank — portal to Manhattan, gateway to Chinatown and impregnable fortress of thrift. It now houses the Chinatown branch of HSBC.
The area is of great historical interest to history/NYC buffs, but few tourists would enjoy it, in my opinion. Recent attempts to gentrify it resulted in some modern cafes, but the place is still not enjoyable and I would recommend against visiting even if your Tourist Guide tells you to go…Especially towards it end (where the Mission is)
Written October 18, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vincent T
Westkapelle, The Netherlands72 contributions
Apr 2018 • Family
For fans of rock music: visit Joey Ramone place (near Bleecker St.) The spot itself is nothing spectacular but Joey is an icon for rockmusic.
Written August 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Belgo96
Brisbane, Australia3,446 contributions
Apr 2016 • Couples
The Bowery obviously has a lot of history but part of that history is very seedy and some of that feel remains today. Although there are parts of the Bowery that are being regenerated now and this is noticable further north. For those out there that may be Gen X and appreciate Indie Rock Culture, if you head down East 2nd St, just off the Bowery, there is a small garden half way down run by volunteers. If the gate is open, walk in an you'll see a brick wall - this is where the first ever Ramones album cover was taken back in 1976. There's no signage, just like there's no signage on the Zebra crossing near Abby Road Studios in London but if you appreciate music and bands that have significant influence on that culture, you'll see the significance of the little unassuming park.
Written May 4, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JP J
White Plains182 contributions
Jun 2013 • Couples
One will never forget the Bowery. It's part of New York's past and is part of it's future. It's an era of time that needs to be visited. Yes it is changing but the sense of how it once was is very evident. Again be careful, but visit the Bowery.
Written July 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JDB
Scottsdale, AZ5,017 contributions
May 2018 • Solo
Great little area here. Safe to walk around. Surprising little finds here and there. They have really cleaned up this neighborhood, and it will continue to get better and better.
Written May 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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