10. Ludlow Street

There are two songs titled “Ludlow Street” by two famous New York City-based songwriters, Julian Casablancas and Suzanne Vega.

Casablancas’s “Ludlow St.” is a carnivalesque hymn to drunken downtown nights with a surprisingly deep historical component. It mourns the passage of time, mentioning the Lenape Indians who originally lived here before anyone else, until they were forcibly expunged in the 1600s. He goes on to sing, “Faces are changing on Ludlow Street; yuppies invading on Ludlow Street.” Eventually, he muses, “The only thing to last will be my bones.” The whole song feels like a bit of a drunken rant at the end of the night, but then again, in a city where nights can feel endless, the striking despair upon the realization of one’s own mortality is to be expected.

Vega’s “Ludlow Street” is a folkier musing that follows a familiar trajectory: the city feels empty without the presence of a lover. The song feels like a dusty, hot city morning. Maybe there’s something about Ludlow Street that inspires heavy reflection.

If you’re seeking something more upbeat for your visit to Ludlow Street, “The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side” by the Magnetic Fields is a jumpy hymnal to unrequited love.