Chinatown: crouching hamlet, hidden gem
The basics
Tucked below Dodger Stadium and in the shadow of Los Angeles City Hall, Chinatown has endured an exodus of residents to the San Gabriel Valley over the last two decades but remains the symbolic heart of the Chinese community.The close-knit neighborhood still attracts immigrants from Southeast Asia, but it also is home to an aging generation. An estimated 15,000 people live in tightly packed complexes north and west of the commercial area. The plaza along Broadway, north of College Street, was designated Chinatown in 1938. Housing developments in the surrounding hills afford residents a view of the city.
Drawing card
Food is the essence of being Chinese. In olden times, people would not ask “How are you?”; they would inquire “Have you eaten yet?”The smells of this culture of food waft from the numerous restaurants, ranging from the venerable (Mon Kee’s Seafood Restaurant and Phoenix Inn) to the contemporary (Empress Pavilion and Chow Fun), that offer cuisine ranging from a dim sum breakfast to a seafood dinner. Shops filled with pastries and sweets also are in abundance.
Wow factor
Restaurants and shopping are major attractions, but a burgeoning art scene has rejuvenated a once-rundown section of Chung King Road west of Hill Street. Several of the 12 galleries have retained the original colorful signage of the former shops, including Black Dragon Wu-Shu Kung Fu Society and Happy Lion Arts & Crafts. Gallery openings are usually held on Friday and Saturday nights. The newly opened Disney Concert Hall is nearby.
Stock report
Rental units, limited-income housing developments and senior citizen complexes dominate the market. Rents generally range from $900 for a market-rate two-bedroom, one-bath apartment to $1,375 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit in one of the newer complexes. A two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment on gallery-lined Chung King Road rented for $1,700 last year. Because the area is small, news of vacancies is sometimes spread by word of mouth.Single-family homes for sale in Chinatown are rare, but a 1909 two-bedroom, one-bathroom home on Bunker Hill Avenue listed two months ago at $295,000 is in escrow. Broker Ted Brass of Century 21 said that multiple offers were received for the home, and a bid was accepted in 10 days.
Housing options expand greatly outside the immediate area. A luxury apartment complex, the Orsini, has opened on the outskirts of Chinatown.
Report card
Chinatown is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Test scores on the 2003 Academic Performance Index were 793 at Solano Avenue and 791 at Castelar Street elementary schools. Nightingale, the main middle school serving the area, scored 550. At the high school level, Lincoln recorded 545 and Belmont, 522.
Insider information
The launch of a new rail line nearly seven months ago helped breathe new life into business. But that uptick came to an abrupt halt after a bus and light-rail strike late last year against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. With the Gold Line back on track, many weekend visitors don’t have to brave traffic congestion to get to Chinatown. Maps for a walking tour of the area are available for those who want to burn off a few calories after a hearty lunch.During baseball season, Chinatown is a convenient stop. Dodger fans can step to the plate at Philippe for a robust French-dipped sandwich before the first pitch or wait out freeway traffic after a game with a spicy dish of kung pao chicken at Sam Woo on Broadway.
Bad news, good news
Stricter enforcement of Los Angeles building and safety codes against clutter on streets may cut into the profit margin of vendors and dilute Chinatown’s cultural identity, but there are signs that the area is flourishing.Aside from the influx of galleries, the Chinatown Business Improvement District reports that at least six projects are in the works. The most ambitious is a proposal to turn the site of the long-shuttered Little Joe’s restaurant into a mixed-use complex consisting of a parking garage, businesses, affordable housing and market-rate apartments. Two other signs of community revitalization: the Castelar Apartments affordable housing complex, which has 101 units for families, and a new Los Angeles library branch have opened within the last year.
Historical values
Single-family detached resales are for the entire 90012 ZIP Code, which includes downtown areas adjacent to Chinatown:Year...Median Price
1990...$212,5001995...$102,000
2000...$125,000
2002...$185,000
2003...$210,000
Sources: George Yu, Chinatown Business Improvement District; Chinatown Chamber of Commerce; Los Angeles Unified School District; Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency; Chinese American Museum; Ted Brass, Century 21; The Service Co., Inglewood; Michael Hoang, Prudential California Realty, Pasadena; DataQuick Information Systems; Chinatown Service Center; https://www.chinatownla.com .
