Chinatowns in your cities

[svs]

I'm not sure that a lot of claims on this thread are true. I do know that the Los Angeles Metro has the highest total of Asian inhabitants in the US. Almost 1.9 million. I am not sure of the exact breakdown of that total as LA has large Korean, Phillipino, Vietnamese, and Japanese populations as well. I do know the Chinese make up a good proportion of the total and that there are numerous "Chinatowns" in the metro. Off the top of my head I can think of Downtown(mostly for tourists but it does have at least two gates), and the real Chinatown which runs through the suburbs of Monterrey Park, San Gabriel, Las Tunas, and Alhambra, etc. It extends for miles along Valley, Atlantic, Garvey, Garfield Blvds. It is hard to say whether these constitute separate Chinatowns or one enormous China City. There are also sizable Chinese areas in Rowland Heights. Hacienda Heights (home of the biggest Chinese buddist temple in the US) and Diamond Bar.
Little Saigon (Vietnamese) straddles the Orange County towns of Garden Grove and Westminster, and many of the Vietnamese have Chinese roots. There is a huge Koreatown in mid city LA; Little Cambodia is in Long Beach; I know of three Japan towns (downtown, Sawtelle. and Gardena), Thai town is in East Hollywood; and there are concentrations of Filipino businesses west of downtown and in Eagle Rock). Of course the Asian community is really scattered all over the place.
I believe there are a dozen 99 Ranch markets in the LA area which are enormous Asian/Chinese supermarkets. The one in San Gabriel is footballfield sized. Other huge Chinese supermarkets include the Hong Kong chain and the delightfully named Shun Phat supermarket. I am not really familiar with the Asian neighborhoods in NY's outer buroughs and suburbs but the Chinese aggglomeration in Monterrey Park/San Gabriel/Alhambra is considerably bigger than lower Manhattan much less NY'S Chinatown, although less dense.
These neighborhoods are rarely noticed by the tourists who think the tacky "Chinatown" just north of downtown is LA's Chinese center. Too bad because the good restaurants are in the San Gabriel valley.

I am not much for taking photos, but maybe one of the LA members could post some pics illustrating what I am talking about.

[micro]

Hamburg used to have something like a small Chinatown about 100 years ago and Berlin will possibly get one in the future, but at present, there are no Chinatowns in Germany.

I've read several times that Toronto claims to have the largest Chinatown (by population) in North America.

Wikipedia has a list of the world's Chinatowns: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown (scroll down the page)

[bayviews]

Somebody should post pictures of Stockton Street in SF. That’s the busy commercial hub of the oldest Chinatown in North America. Along with NYC & Toronto still the biggest. Stockton is the place to get the best shopping bargains. Not Grant Street, that’s where the tourists go.

[diz]

Manila (Binondo) Chinatown

[diz]

Chinese Cemetery, Manila

[diz]

Portland, OR Chinatown

[krull]

Originally Posted by sukh

Yes, i am surprised it has not been mentioned yet. The third largest chinatown in North America.




























In Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver there are many chinese districts as well.

That looks like a cool Chinatown.

[superman987]

Originally Posted by micro

I've read several times that Toronto claims to have the largest Chinatown (by population) in North America.

Wikipedia has a list of the world's Chinatowns: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown (scroll down the page)

Wikipedia states that Toronto's is the largest in North America and Vancouver is 2. I find it really hard to believe there both bigger than SF's and New York's.


Does anyone know Toronto's, Vancouver's, SF and NY's chinese population numbers?

[mad_nick]

^ The population of Manhattan's Chinatown is hard pin down, the borders of the neighborhood are not clearly defined and are in constant flux, and there is a large undocumented population.
However according to the definition of a columbia university study, the census 2000 population of that area was 71,159, obviously excluding the large undocumented population.
http://www.arch.columbia.edu/Studio/...inalReport.pdf

BTW, this is what Wikipedia says about Manhattan's Chinatown:
"By the 1980s, it had surpassed San Francisco's Chinatown to become the largest enclave of Chinese immigrants in the Western hemisphere, but in the last few years it too has been outgrown by the lesser-known but larger New York City Chinatown community in nearby Flushing, Queens."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown%2C_Manhattan

[Paddington]

What's interesting is that you don't see too many "India Towns". Actually I don't think I've seen any, and there are comparable numbers of Indians and Chinese living in Western countries.

The most you'll ever see a shopping center with a couple of Indian restraunts and shops. That's about it.

[Monkey]

^ I don't agree with that. They may not have gates or Indian style architectural flourishes but there are certainly Indian districts in western cities. London has at least five - sometimes I feel like the only Anglo there - and I know Paris has one next to Gare de Nord. I would be surprised if there aren't comparable neighbourhoods in, say, Toronto or New York.

[Paddington]

Originally Posted by Monkey

^ I don't agree with that. They may not have gates or Indian style architectural flourishes but there are certainly Indian districts in western cities. London has at least five - sometimes I feel like the only Anglo there - and I know Paris has one next to Gare de Nord. I would be surprised if there aren't comparable neighbourhoods in, say, Toronto or New York.

I've lived in london buddy, and actually I'm going there on Friday to visit my cousin. The Indians in London are spread out all over the city, and there's no real Indian district, just parts where you'll find a higher concentration of Indians and some Indian interest shopping centers.

In New York, there's Indian shops in Flushing and Edison, NJ. But it's much different than what a "Chinatown" is in concept, a self segregated ethnic neighborhood.

[KGB]

Toronto also has huge numbers of south asians all over...but it definetely does have an "India Town"....Gerrard India Bazaar.





KGB

[spyguy]

Yeah, Chicago has Devon with shops and restaurants and still many recent immigrants, although a lot has spread to the suburbs and into stripmalls.

[AndySocks]

I live right outside Flushing, which I've heard is "America's largest Chinatown" from some sources, though I live in a Korean neighborhood. I don't think of Flushing as a "Chinatown" though, cause there's nothing touristy or kitschy about it, and it's more of a huge neighborhood with a high Asian population, both Chinese and Korean, and the Asian influence has definitely spread throughout all of Queens east of Flushing Meadows Park and north of Union Turnpike.

By the way, Korean barbeque is amazing.

[Justme]

Originally Posted by Paddington

I've lived in london buddy, and actually I'm going there on Friday to visit my cousin. The Indians in London are spread out all over the city, and there's no real Indian district, just parts where you'll find a higher concentration of Indians and some Indian interest shopping centers.

In New York, there's Indian shops in Flushing and Edison, NJ. But it's much different than what a "Chinatown" is in concept, a self segregated ethnic neighborhood.

When in London this Friday, try visiting Southall. I first noticed this was an "Little India" when I passed the train station from the airport and the sign was also in Hindi as well as English. At another time I visited it, and it certainly came across an an Little India. Monkey and I are not the only ones to think this:
link1
link2
link3
....






Even the pubs can have an Indian influence. This one, the Glassy Junction Pub even accepts Rupees


and the station sign

[sydney_lad]

New York, SF, Toronto and Vancouver's Chinatowns look bloody impressive.

Surprised there hasnt been any pics of Sydney's yet.

[alesmarv]

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[alesmarv]

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[Taller, Better]

If anyone is interested in historical Chinese artifacts, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto has an amazing collection. Here are some pix from the recent renovation: