Stay tuned for announcements of new LESPI events, including live talks, webinars, and walking tours.

Past Events

For past Zoom webinars and meetings, see LESPI’s YouTube Channel and/or the list of videos below.

Past Live Events: Below is a sampling of our most recent events.

At our book talk May 21, 2024, author Tyler Anbinder presented his revelations, based on the latest research, on how mid-19th century NY Irish immigrants actually lived their lives — different from the usual stereotypes — from his newly released “Plentiful Country: The Great Potato Famine & the Making of Irish New York”. The event was held at the historic Church of St. Mary on Grand Street, and we were very happy that Councilmember Christopher Marte attended and spoke on current efforts to preserve this important LES house of worship.

On May 7, 2024, authors H. Arthur Bankoff and Amanda Sutphin presented the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission’s book, “Buried Beneath the City: An Archaeological History of New York,” that retells the history of New York from the deeper layers of the past to the topsoil of recent events. The audience engaged in a lively Q&A session followed by a reception — an excellent evening!

LESPI’s Photographers’ Talk on October 28, 2023 at The Loisaida Center was quite an event. Having braved a dumping of rain to join us, the crowd was treated to 8 professional photographers discussing the stories, inspirations, and techniques behind their work in LESPI’s “Lens on the Lower East Side” photo journal books. We wrapped up the evening chatting over light refreshments – fantastic!

LESPI sponsored a wonderful book talk on September 6 , 2023, “Spotlight on the East Village” featuring author Ada Calhoun, at P&T Knitwear Bookstore on Orchard Street.

On September 5, 2023 LESPI cosponsored the panel discussion “A Stitch in Time Saves Nine: A Conversation on the Future of Vulnerable Historic Buildings in New York City,” where various experts discussed how best to save historic buildings in danger of demolition.

Watch videos of these past LESPI webinar events at LESPI’s YouTube Channel, below is a sampling:

“To Fight for the Poor with My Pen: Zoe Anderson Norris, Queen of Bohemia” presented by Eve M. Kahn.
“Kleindeutschland: Little Germany on the Lower East Side” presented by Richard Haberstroh.
“Transformative Architecture: C.B.J. Snyder and NYC Public Schools” presented by Cynthia Skeffington LaValle (C.B.J. Snyder’s great granddaughter) and Michael Janoska.
“Celebrating and Saving our Neighborhood Culture” a panel discussion with NYC Councilmember Christopher Marte, Andrew Berman, Molly Garfinkel, Yin Kong, and Frampton Tolbert.
“The East Village’s Christodora Settlement House: Community, Relationships, and Social Change” presented by Joyce Milambiling.
“A Conversation with Michael Henry Adams”
“Before and Behind the Curtain: A History of 19th Century Theaters in the Lower East Side” presented by Ralph Lewis of of Peculiar Works Project.
“LGBT History of the Lower East Side” presented Ken Lustbader and Jay Shockley of NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project
“The Construction of Grace Church in New York: A History through Documents” presented by Karin Dauch and Andy Carrigan of Saving Grace.
“Greek Independence and the Lower East Side” presented by Marcia Haddad-Ikonomopoulos, Museum Director of Kehila Kedosha Janina.
“Jarmulowsky Bank Building: The Resurrection of a Lower East Side Landmark” presented by Architect Ron Castellano, Principal of Studio Castellano Architect, P.C., and Architectural Historian Kerri Culhane.
“A Celebration of the Life and Work of Corky Lee” featuring talks by photographers Karen Zhou, Edward Cheng and Jook Leung.