Everything about Chinatown Boston totally explained
The only historically
Chinese area in
New England,
Chinatown, Boston is located in downtown
Boston,
Massachusetts. Centered on Beach Street, the neighborhood borders
Boston Common,
Downtown Crossing, the
South End, and the
Southeast Expressway/
Massachusetts Turnpike.
Tufts Medical Center occupies a space between Chinatown and the Theater District.
History
The first Chinese immigrants arrived in the Chinatown area in 1880s, fleeing
anti-Chinese attitudes in California. Prior to their arrival, between 1806 and 1843, the land was reclaimed by filling a tidal flat; the newly-created area was first settled by
White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. After residential properties in this area became less desirable due to railway developments, it was settled by a mixed succession of
Irish,
Jewish,
Italian,
Syrian, and
Chinese immigrants. Each group replaced the previous one to take advantage of low-cost housing and job opportunities in the area. During the late-nineteenth century, garment manufacturing plants also moved into Chinatown, creating Boston's historic garment district. The garment district was active until the 1990s.
Negotiations resulted in the provision of funds for the construction of new community housing in Chinatown. During this period, city officials also designated an area adjacent to Chinatown as Boston's
red light district, also known as the
Combat Zone. However, the Combat Zone virtually disappeared by the 1990s, due to city pressure and a general increase in property values, encouraging building sales and the removal of former tenants.
Modern day
Chinatown remains a center of Asian-American life in New England, hosting many
Chinese,
Japanese,
Cambodian, and
Vietnamese restaurants and markets. Chinatown is one of Boston's most densely-populated residential districts, with over 28,000 people per square mile in the year 2000. Nearly 70% of Chinatown's population is Asian, with a median household income of $14,289.
The traditional Chinatown Gate (
paifang) with a
foo lion on each side is located at the intersection of Beach Street and Surface Road. Once a run-down area housing little more than a ventilation-fan building for the
Central Artery Tunnel, a garden was constructed at this site as part of the
Big Dig project. The Gate is visible from the
South Station Bus Terminal and is a popular tourist destination and photo opportunity.
The non-profit community newspaper
(External Link
) provides English-language news and information about Chinatown.
Housing development and gentrification
Currently, Chinatown is experiencing
gentrification. Large luxury residential towers are built in and surrounding an area that was, by and large, small three-to-five-story apartment buildings intermixed with retail and light-industrial spaces. A property developer has purchased the Dainty Dot Hosiery building, which is listed in the
National Register of Historic Places, with plans to transform it into condominiums. Chinese community organizations such as the Asian Community Development Corporation are also building housing developments which offer mixed- and low-income housing.
Transportation
Chinatown has excellent local and regional transportation connections. It is served by the MBTA's Red Line, Silver Line, and Commuter Rail at
South Station and the Orange Line at Chinatown Station.
Interstate 93 and the
Massachusetts Turnpike are also in close proximity. Two
Chinese-owned bus services (
Fung Wah and
Lucky Star/Travelpack) provide hourly connections with
New York's Chinatown.
Chinatown South
In recent years, a new satellite Chinatown has been rapidly emerging approximately 10 miles (16 km) to the south, on Hancock Street in the neighboring city of
Quincy. This is due to the rapid influx of
Hokkien-speaking Mainland Chinese immigrants from the province of
Fujian, as well as a large and growing ethnic Vietnamese population. There are already several large Asian supermarkets such as the
Kam Man Foods and Super 88 supermarket chains, and other businesses that are competing with Boston's Chinatown. Several businesses operating in Chinatown now have branches in Quincy.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Chinatown Boston'.
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