What We Do
A Multifaceted Scope Of Work
Our digital engagement and design team’s scope of work is multifaceted, both featuring vibrant content that promotes the appeal and attraction of the Lower East Side along with working collaboratively with individual merchants to guide their brand and identity strategies.
We host programs and events that showcase our diverse local economy and provide community benefits to all.
PromotionsWe publish unique content across our social channels by visiting with local merchants by capturing photos and their business stories.
Looking to be featured in one of our promotions? Get in touch with us here.
creative servicesWe help businesses audit their public presence by consulting on creative assets, and providing promotional opportunities.
Committed to Clean
Since the beginning of our clean streets program in 1993, we’ve been dedicated to providing supplemental sanitation services to the Lower East Side.
We’ve grown from a one-person operation servicing a small section of Orchard Street, to a seven-person staff who remove nearly 400 tons of trash per year. Our expert team members are committed to keeping over 80 block faces clean.
graffiti removalOn the Lower East Side we love public art, but we work to combat unwanted graffiti on public structures and street furniture. Our team removes stickers, bills, and more to refresh our public spaces.
trash collectionIn addition to sanitation, we assist visitors with walking directions and file 311 requests for our merchants and property owners.
& MoreOur clean team assists the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) collecting trash in our district.
In FY21, we collected over 770,280lbs of trash— equivalent to the weight of 9 subway cars.
Beautifying the Block
We partner with city agencies to create and enhance the usability of public spaces throughout the neighborhood.
The Partnership currently maintains seven public plazas, three Street Seats, and the Open Streets and Restaurants program on the Lower East Side.
Management & maintenanceOur clean team manages and maintains our public plazas 7 days a week. We're frequently adapting these spaces to accommodate for changes in the public realm—from making space for outdoor dining to expanding a diverse landscape of planters and public seating.
horticultureOur streetscapes are designed with intention to reflect the vibrant nature of our community, and are used by residents and visitors year round.
designThe Partnership maintains planters in our service area and creates and maintains unique seasonal horticulture installations throughout the community.
Public art
The Partnership was the proud incubator of the 100 Gates Project. Established in 2014, The 100 Gates Project connected artists and merchants to create original murals on roll-down security gates, providing beautiful neighborhood art for visitors and residents to enjoy when retail spaces are closed.
The 100 Gates Project completed over 250 public art installations on the Lower East Side and expanded impacts to Harlem and the North Shore of Staten Island through the Neighborhood 360 program in partnership with the NYC Department of Small Business Services.
Currently, the 100 Gates program continues on the Lower East Side through a project-by-project approach when locations are identified. Interested artists, and merchants or property owners should email 100gates@les.nyc.
Essex Market has been a fixture of the Lower East Side neighborhood since it's first iteration as an outdoor, open-air market in 1818. Throughout its evolution—from street carts, to a historic brick and mortar complex, to its current home at Essex Crossing—the market has served the district's immigrant rich community with fresh food and public programming. Essex Market houses a family of unique, culturally diverse vendors selling groceries, wares, and delicious prepared foods who are always eager to share their experiences and knowledge, giving a true neighborhood feel to the historic facility.
Essex Market is the flagship of the Public Markets family. Since 1937, the Public Retail Markets of New York City have served as culinary gathering places for generations of New Yorkers. Originally comprised of a ten-market system, these markets were constructed by the City to provide its citizens with an affordable supply of fresh food. Today, six remaining markets serve as a thriving testament to the food history that enriches New York City.
Learn more at publicmarkets.nyc
about the partnership
Since 2014, the Partnership has worked closely with Essex Market vendors and NYC EDC to support the collective vendor family by developing programs and initiatives that promote the growth and support the Lower East Side community.
In partnership with NYC EDC and the Essex Street Market Vendor Association, we provide assistance and support to market merchants in a variety of areas including vendor stall design and signage, digital and print advertising, social media marketing, and facility enhancements and improvements. We recognize that maintaining a strong customer base - both longstanding and new customers - is key to the success of the market.
In addition to vendor support services, we work to engage and support low and moderate income residents through free programming at Essex Market. These initiatives have introduced the market to a broader shopping base and improved business conditions for the market's family of small merchants while ensuring essential access to fresh and nutritious produce goods at a diversity of price points.
programmingWe partner with local non-profits to provide free cooking and nutritional demonstrations to the community in Essex Kitchen.
Adult-level courses focus on affordability, teaching a range of skills from turning the market’s fresh produce into healthy meals to preparing special cultural dishes and desserts for families. Kids classes explore food through hands-on learning that tie into health, science, social studies, and more. Select demonstrations are translated into Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) and Spanish.
Our Partners: Chinese Planning Council (CPC), AHRC, Grand Street Settlement, University Settlement, NYC Public Schools.
vendor services