November 22, 2002
If Radley Balko's Site. .
If Radley Balko's Site. . . The Agitator, isn't already on your list of blogs to visit daily, think about adding him as a regular destination. An employee of the CATO Institute, Radley regularly dishes out a tasty stew of posts on politics, sports and culture, and this morning he held forth on how thoroughly unimpressive he finds the Washington, D.C. version of Chinatown:
I always get a kick out of visiting Washington, D.C.'s "Chinatown." It's just a few blocks down the road from where I work.
Chinatown features the MCI Center, Washington's state-of-the-art sports facility, more than a couple steak houses, and will soon host D.C.'s first Hooters franchise.
The ten or so blocks also feature such authentic Chinese establishments as Fudrucker's, Starbucks, and Fado -- an Irish bar authetnic enough to put blood pudding on the the menu.
The odd "Gapification" of Chinatown isn't lost on the neighborhood's other anomaly -- a barbecue joint, complete with swingin' saloon doors. Their motto? "The Best Texas BBQ in Chinatown!"
That's a little like: "The best lox this side of El Paso."
First of all, in defense of the rib joint (which I first patronized in between games of the 1998 NCAA Men's Basketball regional), it's actually pretty good. And, in defense of Chinatown, it's never really been that impressive, and that goes back to before the MCI Center and the development it brought with it was even a glimmer in Abe Pollin's eye.
As a 17-year resident of the Washington area, I should know. Back in the late 1980s, I would regularly pop into the neighborhood to file paperwork at the old home of the District's Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Needless to say, it wasn't a trip I looked forward to, as the neighborhood was always pretty run down -- even with the Chinatown Gateway Arch that was erected at the intersection of 7th and H Streets, N.W. in the mid-80s.
Bottom line: there was never much of a Chinatown to undergo "Gapification" in the first place. For one reason or another, the many waves of Chinese immigration that hit American shores didn't leave much of a footprint in the District. In effect, the "Gapification" of Chinatown is probably the best thing that could have ever happened to the neighborhood -- something I think the residents and business owners there would enthusiastically agree with.
But just because D.C.'s Chinatown is a disappointment doesn't mean the Washington area is devoid of ethnic delights. Just a few minutes across town, you'll find the District's real ethnic melting pot, Adams Morgan. Unlike a lot of East Coast and Midwestern cities where you have a Little Italy, a Chinatown, or maybe a Greektown, the District's character has been shaped more by the waves of Post-1960s immigration that hit the U.S. The result is the interesting melange of African, Middle Eastern, and Latin influences you'll find in Adams Morgan. Sure, plenty of more traditional restaurants have moved in -- especially since the early 90s -- but Adams Morgan remains the city's most distinctive neighborhood. Check it out whenever you get to town.
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