Home

10%

Chinatown's Lockdown

By Tewfic El-Sawy

April 17^th, 2020

May 7, 2020

On my fourth walk in New York City's Chinatown, I noticed a distinct relaxation in how the residents of this corner of Manhattan observed the lockdown. The vast majority of the people I met on the streets wore masks and observed -more or less- the social distancing called for by the authorities. However, there was a little " exhalation" after the long breath holding since mid-March, and even much earlier by this community. My walk was on Thursday this week, and I witnessed an extraordinary long line waiting for tellers at a local bank...it snaked for a few blocks. Was it because Thursday is a traditional payday? Some of the small-time vegetable and fruit sellers were back, doing a brisk business in selling their fresh produce. There was also a long line for free food distributed by the Chinese Community Centre.

Wearing a gas mask and patiently waiting for his turn for banking services. Hester Street.

If she's back at her customary spot, Chinatown will soon follow.

Bank security officer asking a client to stand at another location for the ATMs.

Well written announcement on jewelry store. Mott Street.

Cash is still the preferred way to buy from street vendors. Canal Street.

Savoring a cigarette before going shopping. Pell Street.

Hermetically sealed in a plastic bag, gloves, hood, hat and mask. Bowery.

All stores and take-out places -big or small- follow the 'one person in at a time' policy.

Elderly man smoking with mask dangling to his neck. Mott Street.

Royal Seafood is open for take-out but only for cash payment. Mott Street.

Observing social distancing while eating a sandwich. Pell Street.

The Chinese Community Centre distributes free food to all.

Residents lining up to receive their free meals from the Chinese Community Centre. Mott Street.

Checking the food; mostly tofu and rice. Mott Street.

April 29, 2020

These are the photographs from my third walk in Chinatown streets, which I resolved to do on a weekly basis...on Wednesdays depending on the weather. I noticed increased commercial activity, but still restricted to essential stores selling produce, perishables and non-perishables, as well as pharmacies. A few general stores have taken to sell produce outside of their premises; presumably to survive financially. A handful of restaurants are operating on a take-out basis only. Notwithstanding closures, there's a sense of hope, but also of stoic resignation which I believe underscores the resilience of the people of Chinatowns everywhere.

Smoking trumps the proper way of wearing of masks. Grand Street.

Protected with a professional mask, a shopper on her way to stock up on necessities.

Children's mechanical rides in front of shuttered store. Forsyth Street.

Men waiting for wives to complete their daily shopping. Corner of Grand and Mott Streets.

On;y pigeons can access NYC playgrounds. Sara Roosevelt Park on Grand Street.

A fishmonger on Grand Street is now selling eggs and other produce.

A UPS worker delivers Amazon Prime packages. Mott Street.

Customers eye fresh batches of lettuce; now all protected with plastic. Canal Street.

Well protected with a nylon poncho, mask and gloves, a shopper re-arranges her purchases in her cart.

Restaurant offering Peking duck is open for take-out. Grand Street.

Small-time produce vendors struggle to survive. Mott Street.

Shoppers line up following safe distancing. Canal Street.

Protected from head to toe, a shopper hurriedly throws cash on a table to pay for her purchases. Mott Street.

April 22, 2020

Here are the second batch of the photographs from my walk in a few of the streets of New York City's Chinatown. It seemed to me that there were faint signs of revival of sorts as compared to last week's visit. There were more pedestrians and shoppers in some of the streets that have grocery stores and pharmacies. Social distancing was observed on the grocery lines; some of which snaked for half a block. However, I noticed a few residents enjoying the open air in Columbus Park who were not adhering to the city's directives of wearing masks; a very unusual sight in an area where facial masks were seen early on in 2020. Mask wearing may be the reason for the low incidence of Covid-19 hospitalizations amongst Asians.

Shopper exiting Columbus Park during sunny day.

An elderly resident walks past the burnt out Chinese Community Center on Mulberry Street.

Men playing Chinese chess in Columbus Park. The statue of Sun Yat-Sen is in the background.

A man reading a newspaper, waiting for his Chinese chess opponents. Columbus Park.

On Mott Street, a resident checks his bag of medication bought from a pharmacy.

On Pell Street, potatoes are left in a bicycle basket...presumably for the needy.

Discarding empty cartons of produce on Bayard street.

Loading up on weekly groceries and supplies on Bowery.

Still on the job of handing out flyers on Mott street.

Nyonya restaurant on Canal street has specific instructions for delivery workers (including a wireless bell button).

A few pedestrians choose to walk on the sunny side of Pell street.

Her face protected, a pensioner on her way to buy necessities on Mott street.

A Falung Gong follower carrying her political message on Grand street.

April 15, 2020

It's been over a month since restaurants in New York City closed because of the coronavirus outbreak. Some believe that many of the businesses might not survive, and don't think Chinatown as we know it, will ever be the same again. As stay-at-home policies were gradually instituted, Chinatown — along with other high-traffic destination Manhattan neighborhoods like Midtown — further emptied, leaving haunted, vacant streets with a fraction of its businesses still operating. Whereas there had previously been almost 300 restaurants in Chinatown, almost all have now closed except for a handful who survive by offering take-out and delivery. Subject to there being no deterioration in the COVID-19 situation, I hope to return to Chinatown on a weekly basis and continue photographing its streets and stores and in so doing, keep my finger on its pulse.

The Golden Mandarin Court on Mott street is closed. Its owner and her brother perform in Cantonese operas.

Mott Street. Well protected shopper with mask and gloves.

The New Shanghai Deluxe restaurant on Mott Street was converted to a supermarket, selling produce and other perishables.

Mosco Street. Transfiguration Church is closed. Next door, the fried dumpling shop is also shuttered.

Nam Wah Tea Parlor on Doyers Street. Usually teeming with people waiting for tables at this dim sum restaurant, but now deserted.

The small produce stores on Mott Street are open. This customer is well protected with mask, gloves and a hood.

Cha Chan Tang 茶餐廳 is a popular Hong Kong style restaurant and teahouse on 45 Mott Street.

Mee Sum Cafe at 26 Pell Street is open for take out only. It's a tea shop that dates back to the 1960s. Its ginger-lemon tea is superlative.

Banh Mi Saigon on Grand Street had the best Vietnamese banh mi in New York City.

Very few Chinatown residents venture out except for necessities.

Nyonya Malaysian restaurant on Grand Street posted detailed instructions for delivery workers on its window.

Footnotes

Button Label

FootNotes