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Chinatown



  

History


Chinatown is an area in Boston that has been historically known as a primarily Chinese area in New England. Formed by filling a tidal flat, Chinatown was created and first settled by the Anglo Bostonians but after residential properties became less desirable as a result of railway developments the area was settled by a mixture of Irish, Jewish, Italian, and Chinese immigrants. Over time, each of these groups would replace the previous inhabitants until garment manufacturing plants soon moved into Chinatown during the late nineteenth century resulting in this area ultimately being known as Chinatown relative to the many Chinese residents in the area.

Today, Chinatown remains a neighborhood filled with Asian American lifestyle trends, markets and restaurants. The area primarily caters to the Chinese, Japanese, Cambodian and Vietnamese cultures. Historic buildings such as the Hayden Building at 681-683 Washington Street was constructed in 1875 by Henry Hobson Richardson and was added to the National Historic Register in 1980 as the last remaining commercial retail building that was build by Richardson in the Boston area.

Description


Chinatown is the third largest Chinese neighborhood in the country and is located right between Boston's Financial District and Theater District. One of the most densely populated areas in Boston, Chinatown had more than 28,000 residents per square mile in the year 2000 and has since increased in population.

Local and regional options for transportation abound in Chinatown where various subway lines run including the Red Line, Silver Line, and the Commuter Rail at South Station as well as the Orange Line at Chinatown Station. Running very close by are Interstate 93 and the Mass Turnpike making travel to and from the neighborhood simple.

Residents


Residents of Chinatown are primarily of Asian descent with approximately 70% of the population in this Boston neighborhood being Asian. Many of the residents of Chinatown are immigrants from Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand as well as various other Southeast Asia countries, China and Japan. Visitors to this Boston neighborhood marvel at the great food, great culture and the clean setting of the area in which residents live.

Rental Housing


Chinatown rentals average from very low prices under $1,000 per month to about $3,000 per month depending on the size of the apartment. Chinatown apartments are often located in renovated buildings as well as some newly constructed buildings too. Chinatown has been experiencing a gentrification for some time now and as a result, there are large luxury residential towers in place of some smaller apartment buildings.

Even National Historic buildings such as the Dainty Dot Hosiery building have recently been purchased with plans of renovation and reconstruction into condos or apartments over time. The Asian Community Development Corporation has recently worked on the planning and construction of housing developments for low income and mixed income housing making Chinatown rentals an affordable option for Boston area residents.

Fun Stuff


There's plenty to do in Chinatown Boston. The close proximity to neighboring Financial District and Theater District lends Chinatown to a unique variety of things to do just outside the neighborhood as well. Within Chinatown, Asian restaurants abound and there are plenty of bakeries which offer dim sum, almond cookies and more for the sweet tooth or food lover. For children, the August Moon Festival offers a fun time for kids to carry brightly colored lanterns to revelers and eat lots of sweet moon cakes that contain messages inside.

The Chinatown Gate located on each side of the intersection of Beach Street and Surface Road is visible from the South Station bus terminal and has been a longtime tourist destination. Many come from all around to visit Chinatown for the eclectic mix of Asian foods and fun.