The Lower East Side is an under appreciated New York treasure. Tucked between Soho and Williamsburg, the area (with the except of Katz Delicatessen) is below the tourist radar.  At a glance it can almost be mistaken as just another street off Delancey, crammed with bodegas and cheap apartments. Lucky native New Yorkers, including myself, know this to be far from true. A potpourri of cool, the area brims with culture and can satisfy any explorer for days. Along any block one can find an array of boutiques, earthy cafes, grungy hole-in-wall shops, specialty eateries, and most importantly: plenty of people lounging on stoops (most likely smoking cigarettes). The Lower East Side does not have the somewhat prissy attitude of Soho, or the hipster vibe of Williamsburg. It’s a mix of the swanky and the rustic, and a meeting point between modern and vintage style. As a former resident of the dorms that once resided on Ludlow Street, I spent my first year in Manhattan exploring this neighborhood. The people are approachable. The variety is there. And I do not doubt that with a bit of digging, conflict will reveal itself. What’s great about the Lower East Side is that it doesn’t have a specific crowd. The urban spot ranges from the young and style-hungry, to resident corner dwellers who have drifted a few block from Avenue D. This range allows for an unbiased view of the neighborhood, as well as plenty of material to compare and contrast the crowds that collect.