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Where?
OK.....Chinatown. Before I go any further. What would I consider
a New York City Cultural area? Well, if it doesn't smell,
taste or look like it then it ain't! A newspaper writer wrote
once about the exact dimensions of what and where Chinatown
is. There I am sitting wondering...'WHAT THE HECK IS HE TALKIN'
ABOUT? You'll come across this many times in many other places.
I've been through Chinatown hundreds of times and could never
tell you where exactly this restaurant or that shop is. I'll
come close half the time, but then most natives here would
get lost themselves trying to find the address.
Just remember some street names: Mott, Mulberry, Canal, Bowery,
Lafayette. There are plenty of train lines along the way to
get you back to where you want to go. Chinatown over the years
has gotten bigger and bigger. Further encroaching upon Little
Italy's space. Little Italy is adjacent to Chinatown....'actually,
I'd say it's swallowed up by Chinatown. It's within sortof....and
if you follow my train of thought, then it's about maybe 5
blocks long with side streets along the way. 'Because after
that the feeling is gone. No more Italian restaurants. You
can pretty much arrive there through virtually any subway
line. Little Italy is a treat in and of itself. Meals at the
local restaurants are relatively affordable (3 prix dinner
for under $18 at some restaurants and less at others).
What?
I've heard it described as a slum by some. Not sure about
what defines a slum exactly. Basically it's a collection of
restaurants, shops, vegetable and fish stands all huddled
together in this wonderfully cultured neighborhood at and
around the lower east side of Manhattan. You see the culture
in the shops you visit, the restaurants you eat at and also
by simply walking down any given side street. Here, you'll
find mobs on the weekends, and with the great rise in tourism,
these mobs have gotten only larger in the past decade. On
a hot summer afternoon it reeks of old food and fish...THAT
IS, if it hasn't rained in days and it's been consistently
hot. You'll find that most of the shops, if not all of them,
close at and around 6-7pm? Maybe a bit later?
The community is made of Chinese Immigrants who've come here
for quite some time. Some seeking a new life, perhaps a better
life in the land of opportunity?...as did the immigrants who
came during the early part of the 20th century. 'And many
still come today. For three decades they've come here. In
the late 1960's there were maybe 10,000 Chinese people dwelling
in a very small area. Today there are upwards of 100,000,
thus causing this district to spill into the surrounding areas.
Should you choose to visit Chinatown then by all means come
on down. Tourists and all are very well welcomed here. Eating
here's quite affordable. And be ready to do some shopping,
since it's hard to walk away from this NYC section without
having purchased something.
Feel free to visit also, the following pages on New Yorkled:
China Institute, Museum
of Chinese in the Americas
Getting there by Subway:
1, 9, A, C, E, N, R, 6, J, M, N, R, Z to Canal Street; B,
D, Q to Grand Street; F to East Broadway
Nearby is: City Hall, South
Street Seaport, Brooklyn
Bridge, World Trade Center, Museum
of the American Indian, Battery
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