For this assignment, I have reached Chinatown to assess its form structure and degree of gentrification. The day and time I visited was October 12th, 2015 at 1:00 PM. The main intersection of this dynamic community is located on Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue. Toronto’s best-known ethnic neighbourhood is Chinatown. There are actually seven Chinatowns in greater Toronto, but the most exciting and vibrant one is by University, Spadina, Queen and College. During the day, fresh and exotic vegatables line the sidewalks around the intersection of Spadina and Dundas, the area’s core while at night, the bright yellow and red lights are reminiscent of Hong Kong. Picturesque, adjacent Kensington Market is of ten associated with Chinatown. The
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During the weekends, the sidewalks of Chinatown are completely filled with vendors, fruit stalls and thousands of people from all backgrounds anxiously eating, shopping and socializing. The biggest attraction to visitors are the large number of Chinese restaurants. These restaurants serve a variety of authentic cuisines that originated from all parts of China including Cantonese, Hunan, Szechwan and northern China. Residents will find themselves lining up for barbecued pork and can purchase fresh ingredients from the stalls lining the streets. Visitors to Chinatown will find a diverse range of shops that include herbal medicines, books, videos, baked goods, household items, Chinese arts and crafts. Street signs and most stores are written in both English and Chinese. Dragon City and the Chinatown Centre complex are the two largest shopping malls that accommodate the ethnic Chinese (City of Toronto, n.d.). The growth of Toronto’s population is still largely comprised of Chinese immigrants. Chinatown is very active every day. The Spadina-Dundas Street area continues to remain as the economic and cultural heart of the community even though less than a third of the Chinese community is living in downtown (Toronto, 2005). It will take up an entire afternoon to walk through the crowds and visit the various specialty stores around the neighbourhood (Starmer, 2011). I noticed that there were …show more content…
Many of the historical elements of China are still seen today such as street buses, small shops, fruit stalls and authentic Chinese restaurants that operate close to each other. The appearance of the buildings around the area remain unchanged over the years. Although there are various Asian ethnicities in Chinatown, the tradition and heritage has been kept. For example, during the 15th annual Toronto Chinatown Festival, there were a variety of attractions that drew in many people such as multicultural performances, mix martial arts and vibrant lion and dragon dances (Toronto Chinatown Festival, n.d.). If these buildings were to be renovated, it would change the lifestyle of residents in that area. This is why Chinatown wants to retain its shape and form to keep some historical value in it. I also noticed there were very little houses in the area as it is more focused on business and entertainment. Due to the way the structures have been laid out, apartments can be found near the area in the tight spaces. The signs in Chinatown are written in both English and Chinese to welcome all individuals. Despite the day and time, the crowds in Chinatown are fairly consistent as there are mainly older folks running the businesses and other individuals buying
During the weekends, the sidewalks of Chinatown are completely filled with vendors, fruit stalls and thousands of people from all backgrounds anxiously eating, shopping and socializing. The biggest attraction to visitors are the large number of Chinese restaurants. These restaurants serve a variety of authentic cuisines that originated from all parts of China including Cantonese, Hunan, Szechwan and northern China. Residents will find themselves lining up for barbecued pork and can purchase fresh ingredients from the stalls lining the streets. Visitors to Chinatown will find a diverse range of shops that include herbal medicines, books, videos, baked goods, household items, Chinese arts and crafts. Street signs and most stores are written in both English and Chinese. Dragon City and the Chinatown Centre complex are the two largest shopping malls that accommodate the ethnic Chinese (City of Toronto, n.d.). The growth of Toronto’s population is still largely comprised of Chinese immigrants. Chinatown is very active every day. The Spadina-Dundas Street area continues to remain as the economic and cultural heart of the community even though less than a third of the Chinese community is living in downtown (Toronto, 2005). It will take up an entire afternoon to walk through the crowds and visit the various specialty stores around the neighbourhood (Starmer, 2011). I noticed that there were …show more content…
Many of the historical elements of China are still seen today such as street buses, small shops, fruit stalls and authentic Chinese restaurants that operate close to each other. The appearance of the buildings around the area remain unchanged over the years. Although there are various Asian ethnicities in Chinatown, the tradition and heritage has been kept. For example, during the 15th annual Toronto Chinatown Festival, there were a variety of attractions that drew in many people such as multicultural performances, mix martial arts and vibrant lion and dragon dances (Toronto Chinatown Festival, n.d.). If these buildings were to be renovated, it would change the lifestyle of residents in that area. This is why Chinatown wants to retain its shape and form to keep some historical value in it. I also noticed there were very little houses in the area as it is more focused on business and entertainment. Due to the way the structures have been laid out, apartments can be found near the area in the tight spaces. The signs in Chinatown are written in both English and Chinese to welcome all individuals. Despite the day and time, the crowds in Chinatown are fairly consistent as there are mainly older folks running the businesses and other individuals buying