The NYC Landmarks & Preservation Committee designated two additional East Village buildings as official landmarks of New York City in September 2008. The buildings are north of the lower east side in Alphabet city in the east village. The buildings are the Wheatsworth Bakery and the Public National Bank. This brought to six the total number of Lower East Side buildings that were designated as landmarks during 2008. Located at 444 E. 10th St. between avenues C and D, the Wheatsworth Bakery, completed in 1928, served as a cracker and flour manufacturer. The Milk Bone dog biscuit was invented and produced there. The seven-story brick building was designed by J. Edwin Hopkins and closed in 1957. During the summer of 2008 , the building operated as a public storage warehouse. The Public National Bank is situated at 106 Avenue C, at 7th Street.

Did you know that the Broadway musical, "West Side Story" was originally set on the Lower East Side. Yes, it's true. The composers intended to write a musical based on the themes of Romeo and Juliet but featuring tensions in this New York City neighborhood between Catholics and Jews. It was to take place between Passover and Easter. The composers felt no inspiration from this setting and the project went nowhere. Arthur Laurents stepped in and suggested the setting change from religious to racial tension and a move to the upper west side and 'West Side Story' took shape.