My birthday is next week, so I'm throwing myself a party this weekend before heading off to Berlin to both see a client and celebrate another year well spent!
Since the party is in Chinatown, and I've really started to appreciate Chinatown more and more this past year, th wkndr is about CHINATOWN, specifically "going out" in Chinatown. Let me say Chinatown one more time.
I want to start doing more neighborhood highlights as the months go on, focusing on "day things," "night things," and "buying/renting things." That way, ideally, we will end up with a catalogue of stuff to do on the wknd around the city, as well as information on the real estate market in each location. It's a way for me to continue to talk about neighborhood vibes and fun stuff I want to do, but also provide actual real estate market value.
NIGHT THINGS
I'm throwing my party at Mr. Fong's on Market Street, but I'm stopping by Bacaro on Division Street en-route, as a friend will be bartending. Market and Division are two of the streets to note down there, each one has a few trendy spots interspersed with the more typical groceries and corner stores. This guy actually wrote a cool history of Division Street, if you're so inclined to deep-dive into its history and not just its current offerings.
Chinatown, like the Lower East Side, has an overall grungy and hidden-gem kind of feel about it that makes it even cooler. Its relative lack of train accessibility (East Broadway F train, anyone?) has added to this vibe and kept it from getting quite as built up as many surrounding areas.
Bar honorable mentions: Apotheke, Forgetmenot, Up Stairs (karaoke), and Clandestinos
I will probably just eat at Mr. Fong's, but there are PLENTY of options starred in my maps for places to get great food. I go a few nights a month to Chinatown after work to meet friends for delicious, cheap eats. If you're fancy, you can also spend big, but you really don't need to pay much to get an amazing bite to eat. I especially love Spicy Village for hole-in-the-wall-no-frills noodles (but no alcohol in house), 99 Favor Taste for hot pot cook-it-yourself, or Nam Son for Vietnamese.
Night food honorable mentions: Lam Zhou Handmade Noodle, Cheeky Sandwiches (but honestly there are too many places to mention; just go!)
This wknd's music is the product of me reminiscing about birthdays past, and the song that has haunted all birthdays since it was released in 2003: GO SHORTY, IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY...
xoxo
Anna