On Saturday I continued my Lower East Side project walking down Eldridge Street to Chinatown. As usual I used a 4×5 view camera, and snapped similar images with the digital camera. Some are quite close to the 4×5 frame, some not. All the pictures below were taken with my Ricoh GR.

Eldridge Street

Chrystie Street

I walked all the way down Eldridge to where it meets Division Street and runs into the massive structure of the Manhattan Bridge. Near the bridge is the newly restored Eldridge Street Synagogue dating back to 1886 when this part of the Lower East Side was largely Jewish. The immediate area is now predominately Chinese, and I am trying to get a photograph of the building that shows the present context. For now, here is a straight architectural view.

Eldridge Street Synagogue

The corner of Eldridge and Division is another spot I’ve been trying to do justice to. There’s a small hill where the synagogue stands, and then the space opens out in front of the Manhattan Bridge. There is a cocophany of architectural styles, signage, crowds, outdoor markets, and queues for catching the many cheap buses to Boston. On Saturday I climbed the walkway over the Manhattan Bridge and took several shots with the digital camera. Unfortunately, there is chainlink fencing along the railing making it impossible to get a view camera lens through an opening. Up the bridge there are other possibilities that incorporate the bridge elements themselves. I plan to return a bit earlier in the day. Here is a view of Eldridge and Division from the bridge.

Eldridge and Division Streets