Thru the Lens: Lower East Side Tenement Museum annual event gala

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum held its annual gala event celebrating the rich history and vibrant future of New York City and the Lower East Side. The sold-out event honored Taconic Investment Partners, L+M Development Partners, and BFC Partners, the developers of Essex Crossing, the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area. The gala was the most successful in the museum's 25-year history, raising nearly $1 million, a 35% increase over last year's event. Held in historic Essex Street Market buildings rarely seen by the general public over the last 60 years, the event featured some of New York City's iconic food and drink purveyors offering tasting plates, including Brooklyn Soda Works, Brooklyn Taco, Café Katja, Damilano, DiPalo's Fine Foods, Grey Lady, Katz's Delicatessen, Kossar's Bialy's, Momofuku, Murray's Cheese, Papaya King, Parm, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Schapiro's, Sixpoint Brewery, Sticky Rice, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, Vanessa's Dumplings, Whistlepig Whiskey and Whole Foods. Photo Credit: Steve Friedman The Tenement Museum explore the history of immigration to the United States through stories of immigrant families who lived in a National Landmark building at 97 Orchard Street. The Museum welcomes 200,000 visitors each year.