Throwback Thursday: LES History

 The Lower East Side is rich in history. Let us take you back with these facts about our favorite neighborhood:

• It is the place where hundreds of thousands of immigrants have taken their first steps on the road to the American dream.
• Sam Schapiro began the Kosher wine industry on New York's Lower East side with their famous extra heavy original concord wine in 1899.
• In 1900, the Lower East Side was home to the most densely populated buildings on earth. The neighborhood's Tenth Ward had a population of 69,944, approximately 665 people per acre.
• 1940, the Essex Street Market opened with 475 stalls.
• In the 1960s and 1970s, Orchard Street was infamous for discount shopping, since the larger departments stores wern't in business uptown.
• Economy Candy located at 118 Rivington Street has been in business since 1937.