The "Garden" of New York: Why the Lower East Side is Different

Lower East Side at Dusk. Photo: Jens Schott Knudsen. The Changing Face of the Lower East Side Manhattan's art scene is one that fluctuates and migrates. Watching it over time, it starts to look like a natural process, like herding patterns, or erosion: galleries pop up in neighborhoods where rents are relatively low; attracting more galleries and other businesses; rents rise and property values go up; stalwart, established galleries remain and smaller galleries start to move out, finding lower r...