8th Avenue has often been referred to as the Chinatown of Brooklyn. It spans between both Bay Ridge and Sunset Park, but I live closer to the Sunset Park area. It is the perfect place to eat at and do grocery shopping. On every street, there is a different Asian restaurant – Chinese, Fujian, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, and Shanghainese. You name it, we have it. Chinese restaurants are the most popular type of restaurants at 8th avenue, and there are approximately more than fifteen Chinese restaurants within 10 streets. Competition among the restaurants is intense, but each day, the restaurants are booming with businesses. Because there are so many different Chinese restaurants at 8th avenue, the individual restaurants often think of new deals and foods to attract more customers. An example is a poster taken from City Café, located at 8th avenue 56th street, which is promoting lobsters at a special price of only $13.95.
What’s better than enjoying dim sums early in the morning at Pacificana? The line is long and the waiting period might take an hour, but at the end, it’s all worth it. Dim sums are Chinese dishes involving portions for three to four people, and are usually served in a steamer basket or on a small plate. Waiters would be pushing carts around the restaurant, shouting the names of the different dishes. Below are some popular dishes that people get: shaomai, shrimp dumpling, and spring rolls.
People of all ages enjoy spending time at 8th Avenue because of the abundant amount of things to do. The elderly and many adults come to either do grocery shopping, where they can get fresh meats or dine with their families. Teenagers come to karaoke at 100 Fun, eat at a local café, or play pool at Billiards. Little kids also find 8th Avenue like a playground. Outside many stores are machines in which parents may put in fifty cents for their child to play with.
There are three different parks near 8th Avenue – Leif Ericson, Rappaport Playground, and Sunset Park. Each park has its own unique features. Leif Ericson, located at 8th Avenue 65th street has a playground, a basketball court, and a volleyball court. Across from Leif Ericson is a small baseball field and on the next street are tennis courts. Rapport Playground, on the other hand, is a much smaller park near my house. It has a big playground and is designed mainly for little kids. Last but not least is Sunset Park, which is the biggest park among the three. It is two avenues long and is located between 5th – 7th avenue, 41st – 44th street. Sunset Park has a basketball court, volleyball nets, handball courts, and a swimming pool.
One notable difference between 8th Avenue and Manhattan is that while Manhattan is full of halal and hot dog stands, 8th Avenue is full of barbequed meat skewer stands. In the recent years, many more of these stands have been opening up due to the resident’s popular demands.
The amount of activities that one can do at 8th Avenue is endless. It is a place for all ages and a great dining area.
Some notable restaurants:
Chinese – Lucky 8 Restaurant, Pacificana, Diamond on Eight
Vietnamese – Gia Lam II, Cho Lon, Thanh Da Inc. II (Vietnamese bread)
Malaysian – Nyona
Bubble Tea – Quicklys, TenRen, TBarr
Directions: Take the N train to 8th Avenue
8th Avenue is a crowded and lively place in the daytime, but once it’s nighttime, the streets become calm and peaceful. There would be rarely any cars passing and the streets would be deserted.
