t*****r
发帖数: 4431 | 1 这个作者看起来对中国有点偏见
Chinatowns are cities within cities: adventurous, bustling, full of
distinctive signage, street vendors selling unusual items, specialty shops,
a noted lack of big chains, a variety of dialects being spoken, and
multitudes of unique and exciting food choices. From the country's oldest
Chinatown in hilly San Francisco to the smaller but just-as-bustling
Chinatown in Philadelphia, visitors have the opportunity for instant
cultural immersion, and we've identified the ten best Chinatowns in America.
The Chinese have been established in the United States since the mid-19th
century, when laborers were needed for gold mining and railroad work, but
the immigrant population also grew during the 1990s and 2000s; in fact, more
than one-third of the Chinese immigrants now living in the U.S. arrived in
2000 or later. Currently, there are more than 3 million Chinese in America,
according to the 2008 census report. Whether leaving China for issues
ranging from poverty, famine or political reasons, across the decades, the
Chinese have built strong communities that keep their ethnic heritage and
shared identity; this maintained and rich culture is a defining reason that
Chinatowns endure and why they're so appealing for residents and tourists
alike.
Around the globe, there are Chinatowns in many major cities, from London (
Europe's largest) to Vancouver (Canada's largest), Melbourne to Manila; and
fortunately for us, there are many within the United States. Many of these
districts share their community with other immigrant cultures, making the
sights, sounds and eating choices that much more exotic. Some Chinatowns are
more robust than others; rising property costs in some downtown areas have
unfortunately led to a decline as city dwellers move to the suburbs. But for
those communities able to maintain their identity and vitality, the sensory
experience — from the bright colors and unique architecture, the
intriguing music and enticing smells of cooking — makes any visit an
adventure. In a neighborhood where English is not the primary language, a
visitor can feel as though they've left the U.S. altogether — and now they
are the foreigner, a tourist in their own city. And that can be incredibly
exciting.
In some open-air markets, like those in New York's Chinatown, the produce is
stunning and artistically arranged. Some live markets, with everything from
eels and frogs, can be jarring to those not expecting them; the roast duck
and pork hanging in shop windows can take some getting used to. But there is
endless interest in the green grocers, fishmongers and locals picking up
ingredients for their evening meal — a sense that even if you were to go
back one hundred years, shopping there wouldn't be so very different. With a
little legwork, an out-of-towner can seek out the more authentic areas of a
Chinatown versus the touristy ones. As always, the best spot, of course, is
where the locals shop and eat.
So what exactly makes a Chinatown great? In order to compile our list, we
took a look at every Chinatown in America, and ranked them according to the
following criteria: quality of authentic dining options, size, cultural
experiences available, and whether a visitor will feel like they've left the
United States as they explore the neighborhood.
The culinary aspect of a Chinatown is undoubtedly its biggest attraction for
visitors; the chance to try an exotic new ingredient or to go back for a
dish that can never quite be replicated at home. From dim sum palaces to
hole-in-the-wall joints, one can find any Chinese food they're looking for,
and (given the enormous menus at some restaurants) many more they're not. So
after perusing our slideshow to learn about some of the best Chinatowns
across the U.S., put on your walking shoes, because there's much to be
explored!
1. San Francisco
Once you walk through the gates at the intersection of Grant Avenue and Bush
Street, you'll feel like you just left San Francisco and entered a
different country., As a port of entry for early Chinese immigrants before
the 1850s, and growing into a dynamic center of Chinese culture, San
Francisco's Chinatown was the first such neighborhood in the U.S., and has
been a vibrant ethnic destination and is said to be the largest Chinese
community outside of Asia. Visitors won't be disappointed by the produce,
fish markets, restaurants and stores selling everything from staples to
trinkets. Located near the Financial District, the densely populated, narrow
streets cover more than 20 square blocks filled with interesting old
architecture and colorful décor. Key to popularizing Asian cuisine in
America, this neighborhood offers endless choices. Be sure to check out the
egg tarts at Golden Gate Bakery, as well as Hang Ah Tea Room, America's
oldest dim sum house (circa 1920), and classic Hunan Homes Restaurant for
its orange peel dishes (beef or chicken) and vegetarian pot stickers.
2. New York City
Going from Fifth Avenue department store glitz to wandering among the live
markets of Chinatown is a trip, in the real sense of the word, but both
occupy the same island. Standing in Chinatown's crowded streets, just look
north to see the spire of the Empire State Building, though it feels as if
you should be continents away. Signs in Chinese everywhere, often with no
English counterparts, remind you that despite the souvenir peddlers
everywhere, this is also a genuine ethnic community. This lower Manhattan
neighborhood, with its crowded tenement buildings, row upon row of live
markets and brightly colored vegetables, and more hole-in-the-wall
restaurants than you can count, is listed in the National Register of
Historic Places. For its highly popular dim sum with choices like shrimp
dumplings, almond tofu and turnip cake, visit the massive Jing Fong
restaurant. The self-descriptive Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles is tiny, casual .
.. and tasty, with its array of pan-fried noodle choices. And if you're
looking for an even bigger Chinatown in the Big Apple, head to the one in
Sunset Park or in Flushing, Queens.
3. Chicago
Twenty minutes from downtown (and even accessible by water taxi), this
community of 70,000 has been growing for well over a century. The completion
of the country's first transcontinental railroad in 1869 was instrumental
in bringing an influx of immigrants to Chicago, and Chinatown was officially
established in 1905. Its red "Welcome" gate invites visitors to check out
neighborhood spots like the Chinese American Museum of Chicago, specialty
shops like Ten Ren Tea & Ginseng Co. and the numerous gustatory
establishments that keep people returning. Lao Sze Chuan is a family
restaurant with authentic, spicy dishes like dry chili chicken — recently
named America's best Chinese take-out by us. Seafood at MingHin Cuisine is
another stellar option.
THE DAILY MEAL: 10 Asian dishes you've never heard of
4. Seattle
The Chinatown-International District of Seattle, or the "I.D.," is a diverse
community of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and Vietnamese residents and
merchants. Immigrating Chinese laborers began to settle in Seattle in the
1860s, and other cultures followed, creating the interesting neighborhood
that remains to this day. Hing Hay Park is an important community spot that
hosts cultural events, as does the Wing Luke Museum. For affordable and
varied food choices, visitors and locals both go to Uwajimaya Supermarket, a
large Asian grocery and specialty store with a food court. For dining, Mike
's Noodle House has authentic wontons, noodles and congee. Spicy food
enthusiasts like the Red Lantern restaurant. Several traditional bakeries,
like Yummy House Bakery, have favorites such as cream puffs, sesame balls
and custard buns.
5. Philadelphia
As early as the mid-1800s, Cantonese immigrants began to open businesses
near the commercial wharves of Philadelphia, but it was really the 1960s
that began to see larger waves of families coming in to create this strong
community. Small — just about six square blocks — and easily accessed by
public transportation, the neighborhood is demarcated by the Friendship Arch
at 10th Street, built by Chinese artisans and symbolic of the cultural
exchange between Philadelphia and its sister city, Tianjin, China. Appealing
for its Asian grocery stores, porcelain, china and herb shops, and
especially restaurants, Chinatown offers a range of Asian food — not just
Chinese, but also Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese. Locals are often found at
Sang Kee Peking Duck House. Four Rivers restaurant is noted for its crystal
wontons and Imperial Inn for its Mandarin food and dim sum.
6. Honolulu
First emerging in 1860, Honolulu's Chinatown is fifteen blocks of a melting
pot of Asian merchants – not just Chinese but Korean, Thai, Vietnamese,
Filipino and Japanese, to name a few — right in downtown. During the day,
when the shops are open, local business people and tourists alike peruse the
fresh tropical fruits and fish on display, and street vendors selling
everything from trinkets to leis abound. Come evening, there's more of a
club and bar scene; street events like parades keep the area lively. The
Little Village Noodle House has interesting dishes with oysters and scallops
, and sides like a lotus root salad while Yee Hong Pavilion has good seafood
and dim sum. Be sure to pick up the popular baked manapua (barbecue pork
buns) from Royal Kitchen.
THE DAILY MEAL: Chinese New Year cocktails
7. Boston
Right in the heart of Boston, between the city's Financial and Theater
Districts and just a couple of blocks from Boston Commons, is a small
Chinatown that's more than 130 years old. Easily accessible in the very
walkable city of Boston, Chinatown is instantly recognizable with its gate
of giant imperial stone lions at the Beach Street entrance. The only such
neighborhood in New England, it's currently a mix of restaurants, ethnic
shops and a smattering of new luxury apartment buildings signifying the
advancing gentrification of the area. But don't let that keep you away from
the great food, from Sichuan to Northern Chinese and other regional
specialties. Try the oysters or Peking ravioli at East Ocean City, and the
calamari at Peach Farm.
8. Los Angeles
Though L.A.'s Chinese population is now largely in the city's suburbs,
Chinatown here is still worth checking out. Adjacent to the downtown area
and easily drivable from everywhere else, especially given that it's along
storied Route 66, visitors will find a distinctive red gate at its entrance.
The small, colorful neighborhood strewn with lanterns has plenty of vendors
of souvenirs and inexpensive clothing, but the bigger draw, of course, is
the food. After old-school Chinese fare at Yang Chow or dim sum at Ocean
Seafood, don't miss Phoenix Bakery's famous Strawberry Cake.
9. Houston
Not the archetypical Chinatown of winding streets and historic architecture,
this is still a neighborhood of ethnic importance; some say it's more "
Asiatown" than Chinatown, given its wide array of cultures from Korean to
Vietnamese, in addition to Chinese. The southwest section of Houston along
Bellaire Boulevard spanning about six miles (making it not so pedestrian-
friendly) houses an array of interesting shopping and eating destinations.
The Hong Kong City Mall has a diverse selection of stores, food markets and
a food court. There also is Ocean Palace, a popular two-floor dim sum
restaurant. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, plenty of regulars favor the
steamed pork buns at Fu Fu Café, the hot pot at Tan Tan, and the
adventurous, spicy menu at China Sichuan Cuisine.
10. Washington, D.C.
Immigrants settled into this historic neighborhood in the 1930s, but have
now largely moved to the suburbs outside of Washington. The current
Chinatown is quite small, lacking the open-air markets and not as bustling
compared to many of its counterparts across the nation, but there is
interest in the street performances and food value to be had. The Friendship
Arch, celebrating the connection with Washington's sister city of Bejing,
signifies the entrance of Chinatown. A few shops and a couple dozen
restaurants are worth checking out; even national franchises like Starbucks
hang signs with their name in Chinese. It's interesting to note that one of
the neighborhood's restaurants, Wok & Roll, is at a historical site where
John Wilkes Booth and his Lincoln assassination conspirators met up when it
was a boarding house. Ming's Restaurant has large portions, and Tony Cheng's
Seafood Restaurant and Mongolian BBQ offers a popular dim sum menu. | z********o
发帖数: 4284 | 2 LA chinatown就别提了，街上行人都有点zombie的样子 | m*******n
发帖数: 5103 | 3 老兵不死，他們只是凋零。中國城也是差不多，暫時死不了，但是沒落了，IMHO。中國
城是老僑基於 need 而經營出來的，新移民對中國城的 need 越來越低。
// 不覺得原文有什麼偏見啊？ |
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