New York real estate: Chinatown
Photo credit: RJ Mickelson | A symbol of Chinese New Year hangs along Market Street in the Chinatown District of Manhattan
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Steeped in tradition, Chinatown is one of the city's few neighborhoods to fend off gentrification, keeping its cultural fabric intact through a constant infusion of immigrants who keep the neighborhood true to its roots.
"Chinatown's history has always been an attraction," says John Wang, president of the Asian-American Business Development Center. "but it's no more insular than any other ethnic community. People who come here know that it's different: They come here for the food and the shopping because they cannot find these things elsewhere."
It's unlikely developers will descend on Chinatown's dense patchwork of commercial and residential buildings: The center's zoning restrictions prevent high-rise building, and old family-owned buildings have little turnover. But along the edges, projects such as the luxury lofts in the Jewish Forward building (173 E. Broadway) and the recent seven-story, 24-unit development at 123 Baxter St., are leveraging the neighborhood's quirky charms without being in Chinatown proper.
"People want to buy in Chinatown, but because there are no high-rise buildings, there aren't a lot of affordable apartments on the market," says Sherri Shang of Century 21 NY Metro, who has a large Chinese clientele. "A lot of the available buildings don't have amenities--just the apartment with the key They don't want luxury--they just want to be surrounded by cultural things and the way of life."
And that's not likely to change anytime soon. Says Wellington Chen, executive director of the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corp., "People have been looking for housing here, but they have had no success so far, for the simple reason, most of the traditional core of Chinatown is very, very stable." Chen estimates that about 200 rent-controlled buildings are owned by more than 60 associations. "Those are not going to be touched," he said.
Glenn E. Schiller, senior vice president at Corcoran's SoHo office, has handled a number of properties in and around Chinatown, and he says the neighborhood is best experienced from the outside looking in.
"It's the edges of Chinatown that sell. I think the most interesting part of Chinatown is around East Broadway," Schiller said. "It's very rare that you'll see development in the core. But you will see all of East Broadway being developed."
The best way to experience this vibrant neighborhood is to live as close as possible and consider Chinatown as your backyard. Amid the tangle of hair salons and wedding shops, herbalists and Qi Gong shops, some of the city's best eating and shopping can be found, and cultural offerings are gaining attention.
One sign of the times is the rebirth of the Museum of Chinese in America. A new 14,000-square-foot space designed by architect Maya Lin, will lift the museum from its tucked-away location on the second floor of an old school building to a new building on Centre Street and Grand. Scheduled for launch in fall of this year, the relocation represents not only a new positioning for the Chinese community, but also a fusion of all New York City immigrant history.
"Historically, this area is overlayed by the super-major Chinese-American community, but underneath that layer is the history of America herself," says Charles Lai, the museum's executive director. "This is our American history that can be told. I want to make sure all visitors get that opportunity to appreciate that, as well as the excitement of Chinese-American [history]."
The Museum at Eldridge Street recently completed a glorious restoration, and now features robust cultural programming, which in the past included an annual block party called Egg Creams and Egg Rolls -- a nod to the institution's foot in both Chinatown and the Lower East Side.
Smaller changes include a new cropping of modern noodle and dim sum shops, attracting crowds of bubbly teen-agers sipping on their bubble teas. And on the outskirts of the neighborhood, trendy restaurants and boutiques are edging in next to markets and hardware stores. Yet, this is a neighborhood that likely will never see a Whole Foods or even a Gristede's: the indigenous food markets are too much a way of life here. And Fresh Direct doesn't deliver to all areas of Chinatown's two zip codes. It's this continuity that keeps Chinatown from becoming just a facade.
"I find it intriguing that many people move into these cultural districts -- and once it becomes too monolithic, they move on. There's a sense of people wanting something diverse and not monolithic," Lai said.
FIND IT The boundaries are ever-expanding, but for now, Chinatown is bounded by Delancey street on the north, East Broadway and Worth Street to the south, Allen Street to the east and Broadway to the west.
THE BUZZ
Division Street east of the Manhattan Bridge shows signs of a hipster invasion. Though it's technically the Lower East Side, new businesses are popping up along side old-school Chinese storefronts and garages and Chinatown's ever-expanding borders make this area a de facto part of the neighborhood.
Two restaurants pioneered the area: Les Enfants Terrible (37 Canal St.), a North African bistro, and the Swedish-influenced Good World Bar and Grill (3 Orchard St.), opened in a former Chinese barbershop. Around the block, Bacaro (136 Division St.), a Venetian wine bar and restaurant opened at the end of 2007.
Project No. 8, a monochromatic "concept" boutique, featuring local and international designers, is the first upscale fashion to break ground in this up-and-coming stretch (138 Division St.)
REAL ESTATE
Sales and rentals are tight--and nearly nonexistent in Chinatown's core. No-frills apartments sold out at Hester Gardens (Hester and Mott streets) in record time, to a mostly Chinese clientele. Residental sales average $1,110-1,200 per square foot. Here are recent samplings of available properties around the periphery of the neighborhood:
$1.2 million for a one-bedroom condo at 142 Henry St. (Corcoran)
$3.275 million for a 3-bedroom condo at 129 Lafayette St. (Corcoran)
$750,000 for a loft studio at 175 E. Broadway (Corcoran) 48 Canal St., a one-bedroom, two-bath closed at $1.375 million (Corcoran)
$1.3 million for a two-bedroom at 44-46 Market St. (Century21 NY Metro)
$529,000 for a one-bedroom at 185 Park Row (Century 21 NYMetro)
$1.6 million to $5 million at the Grand Machinery Exchange, a loft conversion at 136 Baxter St. (Stribling MarketingAssociates)
$1.25 million for one-bedroom apartments at 123 Baxter St.(Prudential Douglas Elliman)
RENTALS
$3,400 a month for a three-bedroom rental at 62 Rivington St. (Century 21 NY Metro)
$3,600 a month for a two-bedroom rental at 376 Broadway (Century 21 NY Metro)
$3,250 a month for a studio mini loft rental at 175 East Broadway (Corcoran)
TO DO
Museum of Chinese in America The first museum dedicated to reclaiming, preserving, and interpreting the history and culture of Chinese and their descendants in the Western Hemisphere. (Moving in fall 2008.) 70 Mulberry St., 212-619-4785
The Museum at Eldridge Street A glorious restoration has transformed this National Historic Landmark, which just a few years ago looked forlorn with peeling paint and holes in the ceiling. Though focused on Jewish history and culture, the synagogue is flanked by Chinese businesses, testimony of the change in this neighborhood. 17 Eldridge St., 212-219-0888
Church of the Transfiguration Also called "The Immigrant Church" for its history of continuously serving the immigrant community since 1801. It was built from the same stone used for St. Paul's Chapel on Broadway. 29 Mott St.
Columbus Park Created in the late 19th century to improve the Five Points slum, this is Chinatown's largest park, and a favored place for playing table games and reading fortunes. Come here to see people practicing Tai Chi or just passing the time with their caged birds.Between Mulberry and Baxter streets below Bayard
Mahayana Buddhist Temple The largest Buddhist temple in Chinatown, across from the Manhattan Bridge, features a giant golden Buddha seated on a lotus. 133 Canal St.
Kimlau Square (formerly Chatham Square) The intersection of seven streets--Bowery, East Broadway, St. James Place, Mott Street, Oliver Street, Worth Street and Park Row--features the Kim Lau Memorial Arch, a 1962 memorial dedicated to Lt. Benjamin Ralph Kimlau and the Chinese-Americans who died in WWII. Also here: A statue of Lin Ze Xu, a 19th-century Ching Dynasty hero of the Opium Wars.
TO EAT:
Ten Ren Tea and Ginseng Company Inc. Translated as "heavenly love," New York's largest Chinese tea shop is known for its green and black teas and traditional tea ceremonies. Drink here then buy at the shop two doors down. 79 Mott St., 212-732-7178
Egg Custard King Cafe Two locations of Egg Custard King Cafe feature this Chinese version of crème brulée or flan. Strawberry, honeydew and banana are among the best-sellers. 76 Mott St., 212-226-8208 271 Grand St., 212-226-8882
Golden Fung Wong Bakery A wide selection of lotus-seed paste cakes, moon cakes and other traditional pastries. 41 Mott St., 212-267-4037
Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory Bypass the Haagen-Dazs on the corner and head straight here for originals such as red bean, ginger, almond flower lychee and black sesame ice creams. Skip the pistachio and have green tea ice cream. 65 Bayard St., 212-608-4170
Wo Hop Open and crowded 24/7, at 5:30 a.m, you'll see New York City's finest chowing down huge plates of chop suey, chow fun and other Cantonese dishes.17 Mott St., 212-962-8617
Ping's Seafood It doesn't get fresher than here: your fish will be extracted from its tank and on your plate 20 minutes later. 22 Mott St., 212-602-9988
Congee Village A little bit of Vegas, a little bit of Poconos, the décor of this over-the-top temple to congee, a boiled rice porridge usually served at breakfast. Thirty varieties of congee are on the menu as well as 250 Cantonese specialities. 100 Allen St., 212-941-1818 207 Bowery Congee Bowery, 212-766-2828
Hong Kong Noodle Station A trio of bright noodle shops make you feel like you're in modern Hong Kong. You can build your own soup bowl here for a modest price. 45 Division St. and 128 Hester St., 212-966-9382 45 Bayard St., 212-233-0288
Dim Sum Go Go From the outside, it looks like a fluorescent-lit chain store, but inside is a sleek décor and menu to match. Twenty-four styles of dumplings with unusual twists and vegan-friendly options. 5 E. Broadway, 212-732-0797
Mei Lai Wah Coffeehouse Chinatown's oldest coffeehouse is a time capsule with hand-lettered menus on the wall, and prices that reflect a gentler time. The pork buns, at 60 cents, are continually sold out -- and continually replenished. The noodle- and steamed-dumpling soup at $2.80 is best slurped at the counter with the locals. 64 Bayard St., 212-925-5435
New Green Bo Come early and be prepared to wait in this tiny, busy restaurant. It's nothing to look at, but everything to taste, renown for its fried dumplings and pork buns.66 Bayard St., 212-625-2359
TO PARTY The original neighborhood hipster bar, Double Happiness, recently closed, as did Bear Cafe, an outdoor tea and cocktail garden, but a few watering holes remain in the core.
Silk Road MochaThe popular Teabag Open Mic variety show has morphed into the Five Points Variety Hour, every Friday from 8-10 p.m. in the back room. $10 admission30 Mott St., 212-566-3738
Yello A sleek and friendly bar in a quiet stretch across from Columbus Park. There are karaoke and drink specials every night featuring the lychee-shot house specialty. 32 Mulberry St., 212-964-3410
Bar 169 Once called the "Bloody Bucket" in the 1940s, now neighborhood hipsters and Chinese regulars come for the downtown dance party atmosphere, which features live music weekly. Open till 4 a.m. 169 East Broadway, 212-473-8866
To Shop
Lin Sister Herb Shop, Inc. A combined 30 years of Chinese herbal remedy experience and services such as acupuncture, reflexology, colon hydrotherapy, and traditional Chinese herbal treatments. 4 Bowery, 212-962-5417 18A Elizabeth St. 212-962-8083
Dynasty Arts Offers rosewood antique and reproductions. Find painted chests and cabinets at a fraction of the cost uptown. 103 Mosco St., 212-566-6882
Whole World Fashion Boutique Excellent prices on traditional silk tops, jackets and dresses. An added plus: exceptionally friendly service. 17A Mott St., 212-267-4211
Good Fortune Gifts Located in the former historic Mott Street General Store, Good Fortune has an array of feng shui products in addition to snuff bottles, teapots and ceramics. 32 Mott St. 212-791-9989
Kam Man The basement of this supermarket has a huge selection of ceramics, teapots, and decorative household goods. 200 Canal St., 212-571-0330
Hong Kong Supermarket A sprawling supermarket with fresh produce, seafood and meat, dry goods, frozen fish balls, dumplings, flower rolls and buns. It's worth a visit just to ogle the aisles of snacks and sweets. 109 East Broadway
Q&A
Charles Lai, executive director of the Museum of Chinese in America, grew up on the outskirts of Chinatown. He was one of the museum's two co-founders in 1980.
What's so special about Chinatown? The vibrancy of the neighborhood is not only commerce--it's also about the arts and the culture and people having an opportunity to work and live in the area--to have some kind of commonality.
What are some of the changes you've seen over the years? Even in 1978, we were still able to see remnants of the historic part of Chinatown--stores that had been in operation for 80 years. But over the years, many new immigrants created businesses that meet the needs of the new populace, so many of the old stores are no longer in existence. Beyond that, overlaying this growth, is the typical immigrant story: people lived [here] for 10 years and moved to the boroughs and a whole population of second generation of Chinese moved out to Flushing. The community has changed because of the influx of immigrants--many more "streets" have been occupied by new immigrants.
What would you like to see change in Chinatown? Communities change all the time--and need to change. This community cannot be a colonial Williamsburg. It is a living community and it is vibrant. There are many things that aren't right and need to be changed. The better question is what do we need to make better? People deserve to live in better conditions than what we see today. We need to look at what we can do to accommodate that without a wholesale community renewal.
THE BASICS Police Fifth Precinct 19 Elizabeth St. 212-334-0711
Crime The Fifth Precinct, covering Chinatown, reports one rape, nine robberies, 14 felony assaults, 14 burglaries and 67 grand larcencies so far in 2008. For the same period in 2007: no rapes, 16 robberies, 13 felony assaults, 6 burglaries and 63 grand larcencies.
Libraries Chatham Square Branch, 33 E. Broadway, 212-964-6598 Seward Park Branch, 192 E. Broadway, 212-477-6770
Schools Chinatown is in the New York City Board of Education School District 2, but many students also attend public schools in neighboring District 1 encompassing the Lower East Side and areas that are abutting if not becoming part of Chinatown.
Public Schools P.S. 001 Alfred E. Smith, 8 Henry St.; P.S. 002 Meyer London, 122 Henry St.; P.S. 042 Benjamin Altman, 71 Hester St.; P.S. 124 Yung Wing, 40 Division St.; P.S. 126 Jacob August Riis, 80 Catherine St.; P.S. 130 Hernando De Soto, 143 Baxter St.; M.S. 131 Dr. Sun Yat Sen School, 100 Hester St.; Pace High School, 100 Hester St.
Private schools Transfiguration School, 29 Mott St.; Transfiguration Kindergarten School, 10 Confucius Pl-Ll; Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem, 145 E. Broadway.
Transportation Subway: 6, Q, W, J, M, Z, N, R to Canal Street B, D to Grand St F to East Broadway J, M, Z Chambers St. 4, 5, 6 Chambers St. Bus: M1, M6, M9, M15, M22, M103, B39, B51
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