Flushing, Queens
From The Peopling of NYC
The Taiwanese Chinatown
Flushing, Queens used to be an Italian and Greek neighborhood until the 1970s when wealthy and educated Taiwanese businessmen started moving in. Today, Flushing is the second largest Chinatown in New York City; in recent years, it has even surpassed Manhattan’s Chinatown to become the largest ethnic community in New York City. The population is very diverse, composed mainly of wealthy Taiwanese and Mandarin-speaking immigrants with some Koreans, Southeast Asians, and Latinos. The businesses there line up along Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue; most of them target the younger population, such as karaoke places and bubble tea cafes. There are stores such as Macy’s, Starbucks, and Old Navy next to Chinese herb shops, restaurants, and street vendors. The Taiwanese established a Chinatown in Flushing instead of other neighborhoods in Queens mainly because of transportation – there is the 7 subway train which connects Flushing with Manhattan’s Chinatown.
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