A Hard Look At The Future Of Chinatowns

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Philadelphia County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

People who stroll through Chinatown on Saturday nights bathe in the lights of intriguing new restaurants, hip tea shops, and stylish lounges.

But moving beneath that shiny exterior, as strong and powerful as an underground river, is a torrent of forces that threaten the neighborhood’s very existence.

An influx of luxury housing, rising rents and land values, a soaring white population, and slipping Asian population could mean the end of Chinatown’s 140-year role as a gateway for immigrants and a regional hub for culture and family.

That’s the conclusion of a new study by a civil rights and education group that examined two decades of property and demographic records in the three big eastern Chinatowns – New York’s, Boston’s, and Philadelphia’s.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20131111_A_hard_look_at_the_future_of_Chinatowns.html#ra7F8e0Rev0gffuc.99

Philadelphia’s Market East Set For Extreme Makeover

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Market East, the shopping district stretching from City Hall to Independence Mall, is best known for its hodgepodge of discount clothing emporiums, “we buy gold” shops and vacant buildings, all set to the soundtrack of the music blaring from storefront speakers. Over the years, there have been many attempts to gentrify this neighborhood — and so far, all have failed. But now, a makeover seems imminent.

After years of false starts, change is now coming fast. Last month, The Inquirer and Daily News announced they will relocate to the vacant Strawbridge & Clothier department store at Eighth and Market (with $2.9 million in city financing). This summer, Nutter signed a bill (introduced by outgoing City Councilman and billboard enthusiast Frank DiCicco) to create an outdoor advertising district in Market East to replace the grit with Times Square-style glitter. Philadelphia Real Estate Investment Trust is planning to renovate and upgrade the Gallery Mall, and a 2009 city plan — now finally coming to fruition — calls for the redevelopment of the south side of the street’s 1100 block. The rumor is it will be anchored by a Target.

Read more: http://www.citypaper.net/news/2011-12-08-market-east-development-project-philadelphia.html