Despite Exodus, 75 Percent of East Side’s Business is Jewish

In spite of the Jewish exodus from the East Side in the last few years, and in spite of the fact that there are 2,000 stores and many houses vacant in that section as a result of the exodus, the East Side is still a great centre of business and 75 per cent of that business is in Jewish hands, according to an investigation made by the East Side Chamber of Commerce.

The northern boundary of the territory covered by the survey is East 14th Street, New Chambers Street and the East River are the southern boundary, the Bowery and Third Avenue the western boundary and the East River the eastern boundary. The territory includes about 85 streets and avenues and about 500 blocks. There are over 12,000 stores in the section of which 2,000 are vacant. Considering the fact that a large number of stores were torn down on account of public improvements, one may well imagine how large the number of stores was before. It is pointed out however, that decrease in their number was not due to bad business, but to orders by the city.

Many of the stores are of a local character, catering to their immediate neighborhoods. Among them are 556 butcher shops, 444 restaurants and lunch rooms, 117 delicatessen stores, 516 candy and soda stores, 165 bakeries, 376 cafes, 150 drug stores, 253 laundries, 396 cleaning and dyeing stores, 329 shoemakers. 480 barber shops and numberless small business establishments.