The Bowery is one of the oldest thoroughfares on Manhattan Island, steeped in a rich history of intrigue, transformation, and chaos. The historic lane began as a winding road, leading to the upper part of Manhattan island and connecting farmlands & estates to what is now Wall Street and the Battery Park area. The Dutch who settled in the late 17th century named the road ‘Bouwerij Road’, with Bouwerij being an old Dutch word for ‘farm’.  

Fast forward to the end of the 18th century, and The Bowery had evolved into one of New York's most elegant streets, lined with grand theatres, bands, magnificent mansions & chic stores. After the Civil War, however, The Bowery gradually declined - as brothels, flop houses, & other less reputable establishments emerged. Turf wars exploded between Bowery immigrants & natives, centring on the crime-filled Five Points slum area of which the Bowery marked its eastern border – with years-long feuds between the Irish-American Dead Rabbits gang & the native Bowery Boys gang (known for their 'soap-lock' hair).

In 1878, the Third Avenue Elevated Train was built over the Bowery area, darkening the streets & adding to the depressive atmosphere. Delinquents and transients gathered under the railway, frequenting the run-down hotels & flop houses, with The Bowery gaining a reputation as the skid row of New York. Once described by Theodore Roosevelt as a highway seething with life, fun, work, and sordid and terrible tragedy, The Bowery's reputation persisted long after the Great Depression. While the demolition of the Elevated Train in 1955 marked a turning point, it wasn't until the late 20th century that the city made a concerted effort to breathe new life into the area.

Today, The Bowery is considered prime New York real estate - a melting pot of culture & diversity. Located at the centre of Little Italy, Nolita, Chinatown, SoHo, & the Lower East Side, The Bowery is now bustling with hotels, cafes, bars, beer gardens, museums, & high-rise apartments. Yet, despite its glamourous façade and clean-cut clientele, the legend of The Bowery lives on - deeply embedded within the history of Lower Manhattan - and within a cultured collection of quality men’s grooming products.