New York Public Library Debuts 'Lower East Side Oral History Project'

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — The New York Public Library recently launched a Lower East Side neighborhood exhibit that works to preserve, document and celebrate the neighborhood history. The Lower East Side Oral History Project collects oral histories of people who have lived or worked in the Lower East Side neighborhood.

The project calls on community volunteers, who are then trained to conduct the interviews. The interviews are preserved at The Milstein Division of US History, Local History and Genealogy and accessible at the New York Public Library website.

Listeners can hear interviews from Lower East Siders of all different walks of life, such as lifetime New Yorker Alex Venet, who grew up on the Lower East Side and reminisces on the characters in his neighborhood, how New York has changed and his past drug use habits and getting clean.

In another interview, Doris Ayala, who came from Puerto Rico in 1962, talks about her life at public high schools on the Lower East Side, the music theatres she went to and spending time in El Barrio.

The New York Public Library is celebrating the launch of the project from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Seward Park Library. Atteendees can: hear oral history highlights recorded so far; learn how to get involved; preview images from the LES Heritage Collection; watch the 1974 LES-based Yudie on 16mm film; enjoy music from longtime Lower East Side musician Oren Bloedow; and meet neighbors in the Lower East Side community.

You can RSVP for the launch party here. The library is also still searching for Lower East Siders to get involved with this project, so email NYPLOralHistory@nypl.org if interested.

Photo: Kumar McMillan/Flickr