I am sure we could debate for hours as to what street is most famous in the frum world, but when it comes down to it there aren’t that many. I think my list will probably consist of less than ten because when it comes down to it, not everyone has heard of Devon Avenue, while almost everyone has heard of Pico.
Route 59: (Monsey)This street that runs through Monsey and Spring Valley is filled with frum stores, most notable is the Atrium where half of the Jewish world has gotten married. Getty on the Hill is a gas station which gives you cholent with a fill up on Thursday nights and the 7-11 across the street is filled with cholov yisroel and glatt kosher goodies, Chassidic rebels also like to hang out there and talk with the hatzoloh hockers who frequent there. The Purple Pear is known for its hot underage quasi-off the derech waitresses, but their food sucks.
Central Ave: (Five Towns Long Island)The street that makes Lawrence and Cederhurst into some sort of frum destination is home to a bunch of pizza stores and the only thing of interest is that little alleyway where all the off the derech kids go to get stoned.
13th Avenue: (Boro Park) There is nothing quite like trying to maneuver between triple parked cars on Friday afternoon, throw in multitudes of children, strollers and men scurrying about. 13th ave is a trip because between the heimishe food stores, shietle machers andyeshivish clothing emporiums lie check cashing stores, the occasional ghetto clothing store and that random lingerie store on 47th street or something like that.
Eastern Parkway: (Crown Heights) Take a stroll down Eastern Parkway and watch the neighborhoods gradually change, you start off in the fairly nice section by the museum and slowly degenerate into full blown ghetto, in the midst of this change you begin to see a lot of cute girls and scraggly bearded fellows walking around. At some point you may see a yellow flag or two, but you do notice that the street is wide and beautiful.
Meah Shearim: (Israel) Nothing like a good old shabbos desecration protest at kikar shabbat, unless you forgot to set aside your rocks before shabbos so you could pummel shabbos desecraters. I remember those yummy caramel sufganiyot around this time of year and the various businesses with separate lines or hours for men and women. Don’t forget the signs warning people to respect the neighborhood modesty rules.
Ocean Parkway: (Brooklyn) Ocean Parkway is the reason why there’s no eruv between Flatbush and Boro Park. It also home to some very obnoxious and expensive Syrian homes, I’m sure some ashkis also have these homes, but you can tell the Syrians by the Ferarri’s parked in front and the ashki’s have a lexus. I love watching the old Russians chilling on Ocean Parkway and I hear it’s a great place to pick up ladies on shabbos.
Yeshiva Lane: (Baltimore) Yeshiva Lane makes its way through Yeshivas Ner Yisroel and it’s kind of famous in the frum world.
Pico: (Los Angeles) Possibly one of the ugliest famous Jewish streets, Pico is the street and the hood where most of LA’s Jews live. The first time I was there I thought I was in the wrong place because every store had Arabic writing on it, I then found out it was Farsi and that there was a significant Persian population in LA.
Route 42: (Catskills) Famous because it goes from Monticello to Woodbourne going through South Fallsburg and passing by Kiamesha lanes on its way. Watch out for those deer, no it’s just a bunch of chassidim walking on a pitch black road wearing all black. In Woodbourne route 42 is the main street that people from miles around come to hang out, shop, gain weight and play Jewish geography.
Bathhurst Street: (Toronto) The street that goes from the frummer southern community to the less frum, but still pretty frum northern community in Toronto.
41st street: (Miami) I have no idea what’s on it, but it’s the place to be in Miami frum life.
Other not so famous frum streets:
Rechov Penis: I swear there’s a penis street in Jerusalem, I’m not sure if it’s frum, but it’s hella cool.
Beach 9th: Far Rockaway
Bennet Ave: The main street of the Washington Heights singles community.
Main Street: The frum street of Queens.
Ben Yehuda Street: It’s not frum, but it still is kind of frum…
Rofl @ Pico! It does look like you landed in Iran! But hey, restaurants here in LA are second to none!
We travel to LA with our frum kid regularly just to go to the restaurants on Pico. Pat’s, Delice, Shanghai Diamond, Jeff’s, Fish Grill. Then we load up the trunk at Glatt Mart before we head home.
Reisterstown Rd. (Baltimore) Tons of Jewish stores and kosher food, the alley between Tov’s and KosherBite, the only way to get to yeshiva lane. And the answer to the famous question: what’s the longest street in the world? Reisterstown – it goes from Israel to Africa?
Gotta have one for the Upper West Side. I’d go with 86th for the Jewish Center and entry to the Great Lawn, but I think there’s a good argument for 72nd, with its restaurants, shops, and bakery from the Seinfeld babka (are any of those still in business?).
Israel borders Egypt, which is in Africa. So, it’s a short road.
Great post! Definitely an inspiration for a post or two my site. Thanks!
the actual street in crown heights that famous is kingston avenue btw.
Famous to people who don’t nec. live in the New York area – ask any schmuck off the street about Kingston they will have no clue, but they’ve all heard of Eastern Parkway.
Not to People as close as Monsey. A friend and I were chilling on Kingston when this really lost guy stumbles over and goes “I need to find XXXXXXX, is it on this (squints) Kingston?” Of course, everything is on Kingston….SO fresh off the bus 🙂
No love for the main drags in New Square or Kiryas Joel?
Lakewood feels left out.
You can add Fleet-Van Horne in Montreal. Starts off in secular/modern orthodox neighbourhood, goes through hardcore Chabad enclave before passing through the heart of the ultra-orthodox quarter and finally ends in a hodge podge of different clusters of hasidim. And Heshy, you’d love this, all the hockers go to the pizza shop which is just off of Van Horne,
Lol great description of Montreal!
Alos, not just hockers go to Pizza Pitta the entire city can be found in pizza pitta. The true hockers of Montreal can be found Thursday night for chulent at oinegs in Outremont.
Balansen,
Van Horne passes through all the areas, but isn’t much of a Jewish street in itself, expect for a few Jewish stores here and there.
I’d say St Viateur, Bernard and Hutchison all have more of a Jewish feel than Van Horne. Drive down Van Horne from Victoria to Cavendish, you’d have no indication that it’s anything Jewish.
What about Rechov Sumsum
I don’t think it’s frum enough. (You ever see Moishe Oofnik with a yarmulke?)
Ocean Parkway trumps Ave. J? Interesting. When I think Flehtboosh/Meedvood, I def. think of Ave. J, where all the Pizza shops are, as is SubSational, Kosher Delight, and several others. You have Yeshiva of Flatbush and Touro College also. Motzei Shabbos in particular this scene is flying!
Also worth mentioning:
Cedar Lane in Teaneck. Now Teaneck has several streets with kosher eateries, but Cedar Lane is really the heart of the town. For those into trayf eateries, Teaneck offers an extremely diverse selection as well. But as far as kosher goes, you got Noah’s Ark, Jerusalem Pizza, Pizza Cave, Ma’Adan, Butterflake, Shalom Bombay, Sababa Grill, Imma’s, and I forget the rest (it’s been years). You also have your Judaica shops, sofrim, et al. Growing up in Bergen County, Cedar Lane was the place to be on Motzei Shabbos.
Oh, another thing. The famous street in Me’ah She’arim is “Malchei Yisroel”. That’s where you get all your marzipan, rugelach, Uri’s Pizza, and cholent.
Malchai Ysirael isn’t in Mea Sharim, it’s the main street in Geula. Malchaei Yisrael ends at Kikar Shabbat, on the other side of Kikar Shabbat the street is “Rechov Mea Sharim”.
If you’re talking about the caramel donuts, which Heshy did mention, they are from Uri’s which is on the Malchei Yisroel side. Same difference really, its all one road.
Heshy, it’s actually Rechov Pines. If you’re talking about the one in the middle of Jlem. Yes, spelled in Hebrew it looks just as bad, but still.
I stand corrected. I do remember Malchei Yisroel on Friday being like 13th ave. in Boro Park, only the street is thinner so no triple parking!
You mentioned devon? Were your referring to Chi town? Devon is now more arabic writing and less hebrew.
No love for Ave J?
Even the graffiti vandals know that it’s “Ave Jew”
grand street or orchard or delancy in the lower east side?
Ocean Parkway isn’t particularly frum. Not compared to Ave. J or Ocean Avenue. It does have those benches, though, where teenagers like to hang out on Shabbos afternoon.
What’s on Beach 9th? Isn’t that whole area residential? What makes Beach 9th frummer than Beach 10th?
For Baltimore I’d have suggested Upper Park Heights Avenue, with a large agglomerations of shuls (not all Orthodox) as well as other Jewish community institutions including a large JCC and similar. Park Heights Avenue runs parallel with, and a short walk from, Reisterstown Road aforementioned. But if you take your frum geography (cartography?) from a lapsed Catholic Baltimoron like me you get what you deserve ;-).
Lakewood was already mentioned. Seems someone has aversion to Jersey. How about Route 27 in Highland Park? That should be on the list.
I belive its rechov pines. Its just pronounced that way
Don’t forget:
108th Street= The “Bukharian Broadway” of Queens.
Avenue J aka “Avenue Jew” according to one graffiti vandal.
Lee Avenue= What Bedford is to hipsters, Lee is to Satmars.
“Lee Avenue= What Bedford is to hipsters, Lee is to Satmars.”
I approve of this comment.
Tehilla, The name may be spelled that way, but it’s pronounced exactly as Heshy said it is. Which means you also have Kfar Penis in Northern Israel as well. Thankfully the Rabbi who the street is named for (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shlomo_Pines) had the common sense to not spell it the other way.
Main Street not famous?! I grew up in the Five Towns, not far from Central Avenue, and everyone knew Main Street was where you went when you wanted to get serious.
I think that you forgot two important ones:
Rechov Rabbi Akiva in Bnei Brak (should be on the top of the list)
Arcola Avenue in Silver Spring MD
I’m surprised u didn’t add Shoprite plaza in Lakewood. That’s where all the yeshiva rebels hang out on Motzo Shabbat. Heshy, it would be great if u would do a show there!
theres nothing on beach 9th except houses and a a project or two. I went to YFR for high school, its not really a hang out. Spot on about central ave though.
Now where to pick up some nice frum girls! What are the top ten streets for that! hachaha. 59 in Monsey you say?