B/D to Grand Street

Photographs: Roxana Marroquin

Emerging from the Grand Street subway station is a multisensory experience—bright colors, strong smells, loud sounds and a forceful crowd propel you up the stairs. This is true Chinatown: You’re likely to find more people chatting in Chinese than in English. Old men crowd around newsstands, and competing fish and meat markets hawk shrimp so fresh they’re still writhing. But this area is constantly changing, and the surrounding blocks are abuzz with boutiques, restaurants and a few intrepid art galleries.

We meander away from the throngs of people and head down Hester Street to the aptly named Sweet Life (63 Hester St at Ludlow St; 212-598-0092, sweetlifeny.com), where salesclerk Monica McMahon walks us through the 27-year-old shop’s selection of delectable goods, from dried California figs to its signature chocolate-dipped “softy pops,” featuring homemade marshmallows (70¢–$1.50). McMahon’s personal favorite is Chuao’s Spicy Maya dark chocolate bar ($6.99), which she says is “really fantastic with a good glass of red wine.”

All this sweetness has us contemplating a meal, so McMahon sends us next door to Brown Café (61 Hester St between Essex and Ludlow Sts; 212-477-2427, greenbrownorange.com). “They’re great people, and their shtick is local and organic—it’s very foodie-friendly,” she says. “They also serve really good coffee.” A tiny, upscale neighborhood joint with elegant wood paneling and a minimalist-chic aesthetic, the small space offers an extensive menu filled with seasonal, farm-fresh dishes. We tuck into a solid meal of baked eggs with Italian sausage, roasted peppers, leeks and mozzarella, served with greens and roasted potatoes ($13.50).

Setting out on Orchard Street to walk off brunch, we run into Roberto Ragone, who beckons us into the Lower East Side visitor center (54 Orchard St between Grand and Hester Sts; 212-226-9010, lowereastsideny.com). Ragone is a Bronx native who has served as the executive director of the Lower East Side Business Improvement District for the past three years, and is essentially a walking encyclopedia of LES knowledge. He enthusiastically loads us up with pamphlets about the neighborhood, pointing out different noteworthy establishments, including galleries, vintage stores and mom-and-pop shops. We decide to check out some of the area’s galleries, and with a trusty LES Gallery Map (available at the visitor center) in hand, head toward Hilary Harnischfeger’s exhibition at Rachel Uffner (47 Orchard St between Grand and Hester Sts; 212-274-0064, racheluffnergallery.com; through June 21), featuring a series of abstract plaster, glass sculptures and works on paper.

Ragone also recommended a hip shop-cum-watering-hole called the Dressing Room Bar and Boutique (75A Orchard St between Broome and Grand Sts; 212-966-7330, thedressingroomnyc.com), just up the block from the visitor center. The establishment is divded into three separate businesses: One, an upscale boutique, sells fashion-forward wares by 12 independent labels (including Alisha Trimble and Phillia Downs), while another features an old-fashioned saloon. But there are even more surprises in store. We descend a flight of stairs just past the bar and find a subterranean secondhand shop, offering affordable vintage clothing and accessories. As we purchase a $20 minidress, employee Anna Marcell tells us that the shop is the brainchild of Alexandra Adame and East Village fashion designer and stylist Nikki Fontanella. “It’s a great hangout,” she says. “We do lots of cultural events—art openings, DJ sets. Locals love us.”

Back on Broome Street, we encounter fashionable Angie Cha behind the counter of her boutique, Lael (254 Broome St between Ludlow and Orchard Sts; 212-673-6461, /laelshop.com), which stocks flirty frocks, skirts and jackets clocking in at less than $100 apiece—a bargain in this ’hood. Cha sends us to Barrio Chino (253 Broome St between Ludlow and Orchard Sts; 212-228-6710, barriochinonyc.com) to sample what she claims are “the best grapefruit margaritas.” The charming, rustic Mexican spot is bustling with hip locals unwinding over small plates of calamari tacos with avocado salsa ($8). And the restaurant’s name means “Chinese neighborhood,” which, given its location on the edge of Chinatown, goes to show that even as this area evolves, the old influences remain.

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