Tag: chinatown

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NYC Travel

Qualities That Make New York City One of the World’s Most Attractive Destinations

Qualities That Make New York City One of the World’s Most Attractive Destinations
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If you’ve already been, you want to go back; if you’ve never visited, you’re itching to see it for yourself. New York City is truly a place unlike any other in the United States. Rich in history, culture, and world-famous sites, the Big Apple contains the most diverse population in the entire country and is visited by over 60 million tourists each year. Below we’ll take a look at just a few of the qualities that prove the City that Never Sleeps is one of America’s most desirable destinations.  

It’s known as America’s melting pot

New York possesses a special history rooted deeply in immigration. Since the building of Ellis Island’s immigration station in the 19th century all the way up to today, millions of people have found a home in the city, originating from many different places around the world. From Koreatown to Chinatown, Little Italy to Little India, the city offers a unique blend of cuisine from a variety of different cultures and ethnic groups. With over 8 million people speaking more than 800 varying languages, New York is as diverse as it gets.

Exciting entertainment opportunities await at every twist and turn

It’s quite literally impossible to grow bored when living in or visiting the Big Apple. If an event is not currently taking place, it’s being planned, with thousands of opportunities presenting themselves each and every day. Whether it’s seeing a show on Broadway, attending a live jazz concert in Harlem, or playing a round of blackjack at a glamorous casino, New York has your entertainment needs covered. In fact, even for fans of online casino gameplay, New Jersey is conveniently located only a short drive away on the Williamsburg Bridge and is one of four states which offer legal virtual gameplay as well as a variety of no deposit casino offers for their users. It just goes to show that everything you could ever want is in the big city and if it’s not, well, it is probably just a hop, skip, and jump away.

Everything you see exudes character, art, and culture

In New York City, many aspects of life are centered around important American cultural activities. For example, there’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and more. Central Park is a cornerstone venue for various outdoor events, and people flock to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to enjoy local and international pieces as well as different exhibits all year round. Architectural beauty can be seen around every corner and some of the city’s most stunning buildings like the Flatiron and Met Life Clock Tower are important structures that have been around for many decades. The bottom line: in New York City, a walk to the grocery store can become a great cultural experience no matter what area you live in.

If you’ve been convinced by the magical qualities of New York City and want more than just a visit, check out some of these helpful tips for apartment hunting in the Concrete Jungle, and fast-track the process to living in your dream locale!

 

Statue of Liberty
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A symbol of American freedom, the Statue of Liberty is one of the United State’s most famous landmarks

 

Categories
Culture Events Featured News NYC

CHINATOWN NEEDS YOU!

Support Chinatown
Support Chinatown

Famed Chinatown store Pearl River Mart, which was founded in 1971, has partnered with grassroots organization Welcome to Chinatown to launch “The Chinatown Collection,” which drops on August 14. The collection of items such as t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags are available online and in Pearl River’s stores in TriBeCa, Chelsea Market, and at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). Pearl River’s president, Joanne Kwong says, “To me, Chinatown is one of the neighborhoods in the city that symbolizes New York in a nutshell. The hustle and bustle, the great food, the immigrant legacy, the multi-generational families and organizations, the tourists, all of it.  So many neighborhoods have become overtaken by corporate brands and restaurant chains that it’s hard to find authentic New York. Chinatown is authentic New York.”

The neighborhood was one of the earliest and hardest hit parts of the city. The neighborhood took a downturn beginning in January, due to xenophobia and racism stemming from the spread of COVID-19. And now, along with restaurants and small businesses everywhere, the neighborhood is struggling to reopen as New York emerges from lockdown. It is estimated that one-third of all small businesses in NYC will close permanently as a result of COVID-19.

Shop for a great cause

MOCA lucky cat shirt
MOCA lucky cat shirt

During the last five months, in spite of the hardship they have faced, the Chinatown community has also been an inspiring source of strength and resilience. Neighbors have come together to feed the community’s elders and most vulnerable, to patrol and clean the streets and help mom-and-pop businesses modernize and survive. Pearl River has partnered with the grassroots organization Welcome to Chinatown to design and produce merchandise for businesses at no cost to them. All proceeds will go back into the community, including 10% to the many inspiring charitable initiatives.

Hop Kee mugThe first Chinatown Collection includes t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags celebrating beloved businesses like Jing Fong, Hop Kee, Nom Wah, Kopitiam, Fong On, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Congee Village, and Xi’an Famous Foods, as well as non-profit organizations like Museum of Chinese in America, and Think!Chinatown. Other collaborators include comic book artist Jerry Ma; filmmaker Ursula Liang; Designers For Good Measure and Wonton in a Million; and Pearl River Mart. New partners and items will be announced in coming weeks.

A Long Chinatown History

Kwong says, “Since Pearl River has 50 years of experience in designing, producing, and fulfilling merchandise, along with a robust e-commerce operation, we thought we could help provide an additional revenue channel for fellow businesses in the neighborhood. Most of them are restaurants or food purveyors, as opposed to retailers.”

She continues, “I also thought it would be powerful to see all the brands together. We joined forces with Welcome to Chinatown, a grassroots organization that was founded in response to the pandemic. They were designing merchandise for old school mom-and-pop shops but finding that producing and carrying the inventory was cost-prohibitive.  We helped to bring those costs down and streamline fulfillment. We hope to add more businesses that our less digitally savvy and would welcome any introductions to businesses who would like the help.”

Categories
Culture Dining Featured Living Restaurants

Death and Dim Sum

by Deborah L. Martin with photography by Bochun Cheng

CHINATOWN HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE in the hearts of New Yorkers. Vendors shrieking, the smell of the fish markets, roast duck and pork gleaming in red and gold festooned windows; the sights and sounds of Chinatown are embedded in our DNA. Chinese and non-Chinese alike eat at favorite dumpling and noodle shops, and vigorously debate which bakery makes the best pork buns and almond cookies.

New York’s Chinatown is the largest in the United States. It is one of the last neighborhoods in the city to remain relatively un-gentrified, and though there are signs of encroaching hipsterism it remains, for the most part, uncompromisingly Chinese. It is a treasure to be protected for the families, the shopkeepers, and the restaurateurs, whose history is inextricably tied to the history of New York. It reminds us that immigrants came here—either recently or many generations ago—to make a life, while preserving their own cultural traditions, and in so doing they helped write our New York story.

Doyers Street—known as the Bloody Angle for its sharp bends and its part in the deadly Tong wars of the 19th century—sits at the heart of Chinatown. I explored Doyers, Pell, and Mott Streets with Shirley Dluginski, a working actor (Orange is the New Black, Gotham) and native New Yorker who grew up in Chinatown. We started our journey on the corner of Pell and Bowery at the Edward Mooney house, and ended with dim sum at historic Nom Wah Tea Parlor, which opened its doors in 1920. DT

  • EDWARD MOONEY HOUSE, completed in 1789, is the oldest surviving row house in New York. We started our journey here, on the corner of Bowery and Pell.
  • PELL STREET is known as hair cutters row, and generations of Chinese-Americans have their favorite salons along the street.
  • GOOD FORTUNE GIFTS was once a general store serving the many single men who settled here. It had sleeping lofts, safe boxes, and a small post office to receive mail from home
  • WING ON WO on Mott Street, is the oldest shop in Chinatown, founded in 1925. It carries an unparalleled collection of Chinese artisanal porcelain and gifts.
  • PELL STREET is one of the most photographed streets in Chinatown, filled with neon and hanging signs (and a mysterious golden Pegasus). Some of the buildings date to the late 1800’s, and are reminders of what life was like in the city for millions of Chinese who came here to make a better life
  • WING ON WO’S Gary Lum chats with Shirley about the history of the shop, and the W.O.W Project created by Gary’s daughter Mei Lum—the fifth generation owner of the shop—to preserve, revitalize, and encourage Chinatown’s culture and history through arts, culture, and activism.
  • WO HOP has been on Mott Street since 1938. It is Chinese food for old-time New Yorkers. The New York Times called it, “An authentic taste of an inauthentic past.”
  • CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION is a Georgian-style building made from Manhattan schist. The current structure was rebuilt in 1815.
  • OLD FAVORITES: Having grown up in Chinatown, Shirley has fond memories of certain restaurants that specialized in some of her favorite fare.
  • LIONS, lions everywhere.
    Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown include the famous lion dances performed by local civic associations.
  • CHINATOWN FAIR is a video arcade, famous among locals for the live chickens who used to play tic-tac-toe with anyone who dared challenge them. Shirley recalls happy hours spent there after finishing her school-day across the street at the Church of the Transfiguration.
  • TAIWAN PORK CHOP HOUSE on Doyers Street—like many of Chinatown’s best eateries—is a no-frills joint that specializes in Taiwanese fare with an emphasis on pork chops, as the name implies
  • DOYERS STREET was known as The Bloody Angle because of it’s angular topography, and for the notorious Tongs who fought bloody battles here. On the right is the post office which was renamed for Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, who settled in Chinatown in 1905, and who became an advocate for women’s suffrage.
  • NOM WAH TEA PARLOR is the oldest dim sum restaurant in New York, founded in 1920. Inside, pictures of famous regulars line the walls, and a large turquoise bookshelf holds vintage, beautifully illustrated tea canisters. Pork buns, rice rolls, and dumplings are just some of the delicious and traditional dim sum dishes on offer.
  • MUSIC MAN: The erhu is a traditional, two-stringed instrument that can frequently be heard on the streets of Chinatown.
  • APOTHÉKE is a hidden gem on Doyers that is a tribute to both the European apothecary shops and the famous absinthe dens of Paris.
  • CHINESE TUXEDO is located in the former Chinese Opera House on Doyers Street. The chic bi-level eatery recently opened a speakeasy-style bar called
    Peachy’s on the lower level
  • TING’S GIFT SHOP has been on the corner of Doyers and Pell since 1957, and is filled to the brim with fans, lanterns, and knick knacks. It was famously the site of a massive drug raid, in 1958.
Categories
Dining Featured Restaurants

PhoBar Brings Vietnamese Specials to Chinatown

The first thing you notice about the Chinatown location of PhoBar is how fun the decor is. From the leaves on the ceiling to the neon sign and bold placemats, PhoBar is begging to be posted on Instagram in the best way. The interior was designed by chef and co-owner Mike Khuu and inspired by the vibrancy of retro Saigon.

Although you definitely came for the pho, don’t miss out on the appetizers including spring and summer rolls as well as wings and chili chicken or shrimp. Paired with their refreshing lemonade, those dishes could be a meal alone! If you’re going with a group, be sure to order one of the Bún or Com dishes, which consist of a flavorful protein or vegetables served over rice or noodles.

Now what you’ve been waiting for: the pho. If you’re in the mood for something simple, go for the classic beef or grilled lemongrass chicken versions. Amp up the flavor with a spicy version or by designing your own custom pho pot. The pho pot lets you choose between broths with different cooking times (including the insanely flavorful 25-hour crazy rich broth) and comes disassembled so diners get to cook their own ingredients at the table and mix and match their favorite toppings including bean sprouts, jalapeño, cilantro, and onions. By heating the broth and cooking the ingredients at the table, diners are able to customize their experience and cook each ingredient, including the noodles, to their desired doneness. As Chef Khuu says, “there is no right or wrong way to cook pho.”

If you’re going for the ultimate luxury dish, try the surf and turf pho, which features half a lobster and a bone-in short rib. We challenge you to finish the whole bowl!

PhoBar Chinatown
43 Mott Street
11:00 AM – 11:00 PM Daily

Categories
Culture Featured News

Downtown Celebrates The Lunar New Year

It’s the year of the Dog!

No, this does not mean that we have a four-legged friend as a new political leader. This past weekend on February 25, 2018, the Better Chinatown USA foundation hosted their 19th Annual Lunar New Year Parade and Festival. Downtown was in attendance front and center, once the rain cleared it was time for the parade to begin on the streets of Chinatown New York City.

The parade featured many organizations like Chinese Qipao Society, Asian and Pacific Islander LGBT, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of USA, and OCA Asian Pacific American Chapter of New York. They passed through the parade route with beautiful costumes of boasting colors, carrying banners, playing music, putting on performances, and handing out red envelopes for good luck – as per Chinese tradition. Chinatown was alive and colorful as many lined the streets to watch.

The traditional Chinese calendar is based on the cycle of the moon, rather than the more widely used solar-based Gregorian calendar. This year, the Lunar calendar falls on the Year of the Dog. Chinese tradition says those born in the Year of the Dog are loyal, friendly, and compassionate – similar to those of mans best friend. Do you fall under the year of the Dog (1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)? Although it’s written that the year of the Dog is not all that lucky, we’ve decided to leave it up to the individuals to say.

We wish this year to be fresh and new, with new beginnings, prosperity and good health to all who fall under this lucky pup sign. Happy new year!

Photos by Stephanie Brooks

Categories
Dining Living

Chinatown’s Hot New Restaurant, Chinese Tuxedo

Prepare yourself for a whole new take on Chinese food. The new restaurant, Chinese Tuxedo, has taken Chinese cuisine to the next level and it is the hot place to be.

Rooted in the traditions of Chinatown, Chinese Tuxedo is a contemporary Chinese restaurant set in a former opera house on the historic Doyers Street. Their mission is to modernize Chinatown dining, and they are doing it in a fashionable manner with Executive Chef Paul Donnelly directing the kitchen. Their menu is flavorful and eclectic, enticing reimagined traditional and classic Chinese banquet dishes.

Downtown talked to co-owner Eddy Buckingham about his recent addition to Chinatown. Jeff Lam, the other co-owner, and Eddy have been friends for a long time coming. While Eddy is Australian, Jeff is Chinese/American and together they have created a truly unique restaurant.

Co-founder Eddy Buckingham

It all began one day when Buckingham asked Lam for him to take him to his favorite places for Asian food, which led them to Chinatown. Compared to the Australian Asian food Buckingham was used to, he found American Asian food to be rather “old school” and felt Australia was progressing more. From that moment on, Buckingham was determined to bring this unique twist on Asian food to the heart of Chinatown, which they proceeded to do with the opening seven months ago.

The atmosphere of Chinese Tuxedo makes the restaurant hip and different. A big space and full of history while giving off a contemporary feeling.

Overall, the Pan-Chinese dishes are organic and superb quality of high-end Chinese food. Their menu is more broad but they tend to stick to the classic Chinese principles while cooking, but in their own, new way. All is served family-style, allowing you to try a little bit of everything.

Downtown had the pleasure of visiting the restaurant to find out what all the hype is about, and let’s just say we understand. Upon entering the restaurant, you’re met with greenery and candles lighting up the room, creating a very informal, yet trendy feel, all in the heart of Chinatown.

Among everything on the table, the crispy eggplant was exquisite. After the tasteful dinner, dessert was brought out and was the perfect ending to a flavorful dinner. Although many Chinese restaurants aren’t known for their dessert, Chinese Tuxedo are getting everything right, from dinner to dessert. The Chinese strawberries and cream was out of this world. It was a memorable experience to say the least.

Downtown’s CEO and Publisher, Grace A. Capobianco has become a frequent visitor and has nothing but positive things to say about the restaurant. During her last visit, she found the restaurant to be chic, trending and the hot new place to be seen for celebrities as well..

“It’s a celebrity hotspot, even Usher was there enjoying a meal with friends last time I visited,” Capobianco noted.

“You’re in a historical area, the space alone has more history that one can imagine. Oh yes, and the food is delicious with a fresh spin on old favorite Asian fare,” said Capobianco and added, “Dishes like the eggplant makes your mouth water.”

Chinese Tuxedo aims to give you a premium experience with their new twist on traditional Chinese food. Buckingham stated that the goal is to be the most exceptional Chinese food in the country, and we’d say they are well on their way to reaching that goal.

Photos courtesy of Chinese Tuxedo