Ludlow Street (Manhattan)

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Ludlow Street runs between Houston and Canal Street on the Lower East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is a destination street for musicians and music-lovers, and is heavily populated with bars, restaurants, and clubs. Ludlow Street currently houses the performance venues The Living Room and Pianos, among its many other diversions.

As far back as the 1980s, Ludlow Street was well-known as a small nightlife strip featuring bars and venues with a distinct subculture flavor. Clustered along the single block between Stanton Street and East Houston were the Ludlow Street Bar & Grill, a basement restaurant and music venue, and the adjacent theatre performance space Todo con Nada (formerly Theater Club Funambules), both of which are now closed. Local institutions still present as of the summer of 2006 include the poetry cafe Pink Pony, the adjacent bar Max Fish, Katz's Deli, which is one of the city's most famous delicatessens, Ludlow Street Guitars, and the Sombrero restaurant, better known to a generation of musicians as "Hat."

In the mid- to late 1990s, the increasing popularity of the area among hipsters—driven out of Williamsburg and the East Village by a perceived invasion of yuppies—led to an upturn in activity along Ludlow Street, with several old establishments (such as corner delis) closing shop to make way for bars and venues for shows. Luna Lounge (which closed in 2005), well known for its live music and comedy shows and its cranky bartenders, was a central spot in the East Village/Lower East Side entertainment district.

From south to north, Ludlow starts from Canal Street, intersects Hester Street, Grand Street, Broome Street, Delancey Street, Rivington Street and Stanton Street, and ends at Houston Street.