Chinatown Here v. There
From Decoding New York
Of all the neighborhoods in New York City, Chinatown is considered to be an especially unique destination and a must see for any tourist coming to the city. This is because Chinatown has managed to remain authentically Chinese while at the same time showing its fusion with New York City and America. Chinatown is home to New York's oldest Chinese community with the longest heritage and history of immigration. For over a century Chinese immigrants have been coming to this section of Manhattan, which has resulted in a very authentic presentation of Chinese culture from China and Hong Kong. The section of East Chinatown is recognized as preserving more of the authenticity than the area around Canal Street and Broadway. This area around Canal Street tends to focus more on tourism, appealing to outsiders urges to see anything seemingly Chinese in New York. Traditional foods can be found in restaurants and goods imported from China can be found in most stores. Walking around Chinatown one can often hear traditional music from street performers or vendors. The long heritage of Chinese immigration has also led the residents to recreate the old country in a variety of unique ways. For example, Chinatown is the only place in the entire city where telephone booths are shaped like pagodas. In some cases even the architecture reveals the influence of Chinese styles. To outsiders the mere presence of Chinese characters everywhere is enough to convice them that they have left the city and traveled to a far away land.
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