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I am specifically reaching out to the Chinese Americans that are within the Tri-State to get their opinions on this, however anyone else is more than welcomed to reply as well.
Gentrification in Manhattan's Chinatown is nothing new and has been happening for at least 15 years now. In recent years say 3 years, the numbers of non Asians walking around in Chinatown has gone up so much that they are now making up 30%-40% of the people walking around in Manhattan's Chinatown, including it has gotten quieter, which I already mentioned in a previous post.
But this post I am making is more about Chinatown's East Broadway. Now East Broadway has been declining for a while in the last several years with lesser people on the street as part of the issue of gentrification in the area, but it was still sort of busy last year and two years ago.
However, it seems within the last year, it has quickly become even more quieter with even lesser people to the point where it is almost a ghost town now. Almost all of the Chinese food markets that used to exist are now closed with for signs put up for rent or for lease. Now only maybe two or three Chinese food markets are remaining and there are like two big supermarkets that are still there. A lot of empty store fronts now with for rent signs have been posted up on East Broadway. There are more white people walking around now.
Has anyone noticed this?
It seems like the western Cantonese portion of Chinatown is the only section that is still very commercially busy thanks to Chinese visitors from other places coming to shop and do errands including many tourists, though it also has become quieter as well. As for the Fuzhou eastern Chinatown, which includes East Broadway, it is almost a ghost town. Although the Cantonese Chinatown to the west always has been the main primary business commercial district for the Chinese community, eastern Chinatown still had some kind of busy business district during the 2000s. But now it seems like only western Chinatown is busy while eastern Chinatown is quiet and because of that, it seems like there are more Cantonese people walking around in Manhattan's Chinatown than the Fuzhou people and it looks like the Cantonese are slowly beginning to reclaim its dominant influence it once had during the 1990s and in earlier decades as the Cantonese population were the primary Chinese population before the Fuzhou population became large during the late 1990s and early 2000s. But this is not because the Cantonese population are growing, they have been declining for a long time, but because of their continued business commercial influence in the area and as well as many Cantonese speakers from other areas still come to Chinatown to shop and run errands and do business, although this is starting to dwindle as well.
I could be wrong, but I think this could be because now Brooklyn's Chinatown is the new largest most highly concentrated Fuzhou population as well as their new primary cultural center in NYC, they are going there for their shopping and running errands including businesses and can do all of this within walking distance in one day and maybe causing lesser Fuzhous from Brooklyn and/or from any areas to travel to Manhattan's Chinatown for this.
I think there are more Cantonese people than the Fuzhou people from Brooklyn that travel to Manhattan's Chinatown for all of these things, although there are also not as many Cantonese from Brooklyn traveling to Manhattan's Chinatown for shopping, errands, and doing businesses like there used to be as the Cantonese Chinese businesses are growing in various sections of Bensonhurst and in a section of Sheepshead Bay to cater to them, however because the Cantonese population and their Chinese businesses are more spread out in various sections of Bensonhurst and a section of Sheepshead Bay and their businesses are not as concentrated within walking distances, I think there are still many Cantonese from these Brooklyn areas that still travel to Manhattan's Cantonese Chinatown for errands and shopping and sometimes may have jobs and have business deals, which is much easier to do all in one day as the Chinese Cantonese businesses are within walking distance in Manhattan's Chinatown as they would not have as easy convenience to do all of this in Bensonhurst and Sheepshead Bay within a day and that could be why the Cantonese influence may be the main remaining influence in Manhattan's Chinatown.
If you think it is quiet now, wait until congestion pricing takes effect. Chinatown will be a big casualty of that as people that normally drive there to shop or dine stops going.
Thank you Leftist for killing yet another piece of NYC.
There is also noticeably more dog sh it on the sidewalks whereas before it was unheard of. Turns out the yuppies moving into Chinatown like to walk their dogs but don't pick up after them.
Think of it like the suburbs. You even mentioned brooklyn in your lines a couple of times. People come from out of state and rent out into houses and then start to discover other places, get-up and rent elsewhere. What we need is a large group of people renting. That being said I could see the stress on peoples faces in the Downtown brooklyn area. They thought it was a great idea but they are so depressed now. I know people renting out in Harlem in tiny spaces.
Quote:
Originally Posted by antinimby
There is also noticeably more dog sh it on the sidewalks whereas before it was unheard of. Turns out the yuppies moving into Chinatown like to walk their dogs but don't pick up after them.
absolutely correct.
You are absolutely correct. People want to live in NY state and they want to be primarily in Manhattan. A big part of it is because they shutdown that Pathmark which also featured Phramacy. So the only two Super Markets are the Latino and Chinese Super markets. The market are real nice but as an English speaker you can feel intimidated to enter or shop in one. It is like a Jewish Supermarkert. There is virtually no English only speaking Supermarkets in the area that is diverse. They also remodeled the medical center as well and the pool house has been closed down since forever. However the area is extremely safe and there are tons of undercover officers targeting the ex-convicts.
What they are doing is basically clearing out the place to target new Chinese renters which is discrimination. That being said many "outsider" ( people out of state, from another nation, or is oblivious to the area ) are not willing to pay the high $5000 median for an apartment there ( which could be low as $1000 a month ).
Here is the thing. The area is excellent for raising families because that is what it is meant for. The people in the area ( community board ) are also taken a stand ( unionized ) and take the problems they face very seriously. From race, rental, and reasonable safety measures
If you think it is quiet now, wait until congestion pricing takes effect. Chinatown will be a big casualty of that as people that normally drive there to shop or dine stops going.
Thank you Leftist for killing yet another piece of NYC.
But congestion parking hasn't started so what leftist policy is responsible for it being a ghost town now ?
There are multiple Chinatowns outside Manhattan that are rapidly expanding. More Chinese people live outside Manhattan, and in the past, they would travel to Manhattan Chinatown for businesses, groceries, schools, and everything else. The Fuzhou Chinatown near East Broadway is emptier, but I always perceive it to be empty compared to the packed Western Chinatown west of Allen Street.
The Fuzhou Chinatown is huge in Brooklyn, and it is here most people shop and live. It's easier when things are nearby compared to having to take the subway to go to Chinatown, especially with subway construction on the weekends. There's more walking room too. You pretty much answered your own question. It's a matter of convenience.
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