How come we never hear much about Chinatown? (Chicago, Lincoln: neighborhoods, taxi)

[jonnynonos]

Chinatown is in flux right now. The old school places down Wentworth aren't doing well at all. Everyone wants the "authentic" new stuff.

I wouldn't be surprised to see most of the old ones, or what's left of them, gone soon. Too bad. I love the kitsch factor and the history.

I don't know why more young people aren't interested in hanging out down there...one of my favorite things about the city.

[thefallensrvnge]

I love Chinatown. It's bigger than most think, and they have a pretty active community with good food and festivals. I enjoyed the summer fair this year, and I like how there is a stop around Chinatown on the water taxi.

One of my favorite places to be in the city.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

Chinatown is in flux right now. The old school places down Wentworth aren't doing well at all. Everyone wants the "authentic" new stuff.

I wouldn't be surprised to see most of the old ones, or what's left of them, gone soon. Too bad. I love the kitsch factor and the history.

I don't know why more young people aren't interested in hanging out down there...one of my favorite things about the city.

Lao Hunan is on Wentworth, and it's doing well. Da San Yuan (aka Triple Crown) moved into larger quarters and is doing okay. But your larger point is mostly correct - people are more drawn to the better, more diverse selections in the New Chinatown Square outdoor mall. That said, I think there are going to eventually be some rehabs along Wentworth that could help balance things back. In my mind there are four things the Chinatown business leaders could do to help bring back some vitality to Wentworth and to Cermak:

1) Recreate the Gate to be fancier. Right now, it's so minimalistic and non-traditional that it's not much of a draw. I looks old and dated. They should get one installed that looks better.

2) Streetscaping - put bump-outs at crosswalks with art or symbols at some intersections, reduce sidewalk clutter so walking is easier.

3) Have the city reduce the dominance of the median on Cermak. Keep the trees, but improve landscaping and cut back the vegetation in the median. Lower its height somewhat so that pedestrians can see the other side of the street. Put a narrow path between the trees with benches at the ends so that it's more like the median on New York's Broadway as it appears on the Upper West Side.

4) Clean the brick on the Pui Tak Center to brighten it up and replace the concrete sidewalk in front of it with something more artistic.

Bonus suggestion:

Remove the fencing around the small plaza next to the parking lot at Wentworth/Cermak.

Also, I noticed that there is finally something being constructed on the SE corner of Cermak and Princeton - that should help reduce the deadness of that intersection and maybe help draw people from New Chinatown Square into Cermak.

[jonnynonos]

Interesting ideas.

My information comes from one of the longtime restaurant owners at one I go into regularly.

I'm sure the Lao restaurant is doing OK... they all seem to, save for the new River North one.

Unfortunately, by and large, old restaurants just close. With few exceptions that's the way of the world. C'est la vie.

[TBideon]

I wonder if Argyle (Little Vietnam) has absorbed some Chinatown business. The redline construction couldn't have helped

[emathias]

Originally Posted by TBideon

I wonder if Argyle (Little Vietnam) has absorbed some Chinatown business. The redline construction couldn't have helped

Argyle and Chinatown really aren't comparable - Argyle is much more Vietnamese than Chinese. I think the fact that the Cermak/Chinatown Red Line station was reconstructed, with the Cermak entrance closed for a long time, hurt the Wentworth section, and then the total shutdown, too. Hopefully things will swing back a little toward Wentworth now that that's all complete.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

I don't know why more young people aren't interested in hanging out down there...one of my favorite things about the city.

Agreed, though some definitely do and there's good and cheap food there. I took that Chinatown survey that the plan commission (whatever they were called) and said they should market more that they have late night food options. If people knew that, I bet they'd go down there more even.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Agreed, though some definitely do and there's good and cheap food there. I took that Chinatown survey that the plan commission (whatever they were called) and said they should market more that they have late night food options. If people knew that, I bet they'd go down there more even.

They've got Seven Treasures for late night cheap eats. It got me through graduate school. What more do they need?

[thefallensrvnge]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

They've got Seven Treasures for late night cheap eats. It got me through graduate school. What more do they need?

And they have a late night karaoke bar.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

They've got Seven Treasures for late night cheap eats. It got me through graduate school. What more do they need?

There's actually a large handful of places that are open foodwise after midnight and people don't even know about it. If only people knew that after you're done partying "downtown", you could take the train 15 minutes south to Chinatown and get a $7 plate of decent or good chinese food at 3am or 4am at a few places, or 1am at others.

Some of these may be out of date but this is the info I have:
* Chi Cafe - 2am everyday but Friday and Saturday when it's 24 hours
* Yee Heung Seafood House - 4am M-Th and 5am on Friday/Saturday
* Three Happiness Original - 6am everyday
* Lawrence Fisheries - Open 24/7
* Sala Bua (Thai) - 2am on Friday/Saturday
* Ken Kee - 1am everyday
* My Place Chinese Cuisine - 2am everyday
* Crazy Pot - 2am everyday
* Golden Bull - 1am everyday
* Ahjoomah's Apron (Korean) - 2:30am on Fri/Sat
* Triple Crown - 2am everyday
* Kam Fung - 2am everyday
* Seven Treasures - 2am everyday
* Ming Hin - 2am everyday (They have late night dim sum here)
* Ricobene's (Italian) - 2am Fri/Sat
* Dragon Court - 2am everyday

Then there's other places in Chinatown that close at midnight if you consider that late night too (i.e. Lao Sze Chuan, Sing's Noodles,