Chinatown is a small neighborhood east of downtown DC. It is known for its annual "Chinese New Year Parade" which features the traditional Chinese Dragon Dance, Kung Fu demonstrations, and live music.
When you arrive to Chinatown, the first thing that you will notice is the Friendship Arch, a traditional Chinese gate at the intersection of H and 7th Streets. Designed by local architect Alfred H. Liu in 1986, the Friendship Arch celebrates the friendship between the cities of Washington DC and Beijing. At night, the lights and scene have transformed the neighborhood into a mini Times Square. Smaller than New York's Chinatown, DC's version is easily walked in 10 minutes.
In the past, Chinatown was a thriving business community and family-oriented neighborhood. In 1984, Chinatown was defined as 9 blocks, but now it is just a few. The neighborhood stretched all the way to the Convention Center. Over the years, Chinatown has become smaller and smaller. Although it may be hard to find remnants of old Chinatown amidst the new buildings, there are community groups in the area that are working hard to preserve its character, culture and traditions.
Demographics
In 1982, the Wah Luck House was built by the federal government to house elderly Chinese residents displaced by the construction of the Old Convention Center. For a long time, this building has been the soul of Chinatown. The Wah Luck House is still there, but only a handful of Chinese residents still live there. Most Chinese residents have been displaced due to the spike in real estate prices.
Real state developments, such as the Capital One Arena and Gallery Place, have brought new residents to the area changing the face of what was a predominantly Chinese American neighborhood. Today, Chinatown attracts an unusually mixed crowd, a blend of races and ages, of urban dwellers, all drawn by the restaurants, bars, theaters and shops. Because the cultural makeup of the neighborhood has changed, Chinatown is now defined as the area rather than the people who live there.
Housing
Average rent for a studio/efficiency apartment: $2400 and up.
Average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $2800 and up.
As real estate costs have skyrocketed in the recent years, it costs a premium to live in Chinatown. Most of the old apartment buildings were demolished to make way for the new high rise condominiums and apartments on 5th and 6th Streets NW.
Today, the apartment buildings in Chinatown are modern and luxurious. Some of the buildings include Avalon at Gallery Place (770 5th St NW), Mass Court Apartments (300 Massachusetts Ave NW), Meridian at Gallery Place (770 5th St NW), the Cosmopolitan Condos (715 6th Street NW), and the Residencies at Gallery Place (777 7th St NW).
Transit
Chinatown is served by the Gallery Place-Chinatown Station on the Yellow, Green and Red Lines of the Metro System. The station is located beneath the Friendship Arch at the intersection of 7th and H Streets. During weekday rush hour, there are two different Green lines. The Green Line on the Red Line platform goes to Greenbelt while the Green Line on the Yellow Line platform goes to Anacostia and U Street.
Chinatown Bus: If you want to travel to New York, Boston, or Philadelphia, try one of the Chinatown bus lines. They include New Century Travel, Eastern Travel Bus, and Apex Bus. These buses do not use conventional bus terminals, but pick up people near the intersection of 6th and H Street. Compared to the price of Amtrak, the Chinatown bus ticket is one of the cheapest way to travel in DC.
Parking
Finding street parking in Chinatown is very difficult, especially when there is a sporting event at the Capital One Arena. However, there are at least five parking garages in Chinatown, including the parking garage at the Capital One Arena.
Residential Parking: you must have a Residential Parking Permit (RPP) to park for an unlimited time in the parking zone of your vehicle's registered address. The RPP is a zone sticker that you display on your car indicating that you do not have to abide by the zone time limit restrictions, which is usually 2 hours. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issues RPPs as part of the vehicle registration process.
On-street Parking: Multispace parking meters are available for street parking. There will be a street sign noting a time limit for parking. If you don't have a zone sticker for that parking zone, don't park there beyond the time limit indicated on the sign. You must leave the zone. Moving your car to another parking spot is not enough to avoid a ticket.
Nightlife & Restaurants
In recent years, Chinatown has become the epicenter of DC nightlife. Upscale restaurants, popular retail stores, and a deluxe movie theater make Chinatown the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights. Although the neighborhood still has Asian-owned shops and restaurants, Chinatown has become very Americanized and it has lost most of its ethnic identity. Chinatown Express is popular for its window display of a chef kneading and shaping fresh dough into soup dumplings and noodles.
China Boy provides great crepes made of roasted meat between thick sheets of rice. For a sweet happy hour deal, Wok n' Roll serves sushi and beers on Monday-Friday from 5 pm to 8 pm. If you want Thai Food, eat at Kanlaya. Also, Tony Cheng Restaurant has a great dim sum menu, the offerings here are so comprehensive that mostly everyone can find something great to eat.
Crime Rate
Chinatown changes with the time of day. At 8 pm, the neighborhood is extremely busy with people everywhere. At 1 am, it is almost deserted.
When walking around Chinatown, you may get harassed by the homeless guys. Other times, you may get requests for money from beggars or panhandlers when walking near the homeless shelter (4th and I Streets) or the Burger King (5th and G Streets). Sometimes they are polite, but not so much when they are drunk. The panhandlers in Chinatown can be aggressive. So be careful when dealing with them.
Another problem that the neighborhood faces is the groups of teenagers hanging outside the Gallery Place-Chinatown Station at night, especially when there are games at the Capital One Arena. The problem ranges from loud, obnoxious clowning to vandalism and muggings. With that being said, be cautious when walking at night. Keep your eyes open at all times and you should be fine.
Pros of Chinatown
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Cons of Chinatown
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