Introduction

The story behind Chinatown North cannot be understood without first being familiar with Philadelphia's Chinatown. Roughly defined as the area bounded by Vine, Filbert, 9th and 13th Streets, Chinatown is a bustling area on any given day, with its plethora of businesses ranging from restaurants to hair salons, supermarkets to hardware stores.

Prior to the construction of the Vine Street Expressway, Chinatown and Chinatown North were a contiguous entity. The Expressway, completed in 1991, has undoubtedly stressed the linkages between these two areas by presenting an indomitable physical barrier in the guise of a six-lane highway. Today, as demand for space burgeons out from the main Chinatown, Chinatown North is witnessing a rejuvenation of sorts. Housing projects that are significant to the community have been completed at a trickling pace, but projects in the pipeline promise to accelerate the growth of this area in the near future. At the same time, the adjacent Callowhill District is also rapidly metamorphosizing into what has been termed Philadelphia's "Loft District", and as Chinatown North emerges from its industrial past, the urban landscape is being slowly and meticulously crafted.

This project aims to recognize the multiplicity of forces that are shaping the evolving identity of Chinatown North, in the context of Philadelphia as an Immigrant City and greater Chinatown as an Immigrant Area. Through the photographic medium, the reader will be brought on a walking tour that criss-crosses the Chinatown North area, with the intersection of 10th and Callowhill Streets, where Ridge Avenue creates a six-directional junction, serving as the locus of the exploration.

Criss-Cross is a metaphor for both the wanderings of the urban flaneur, as well as the intertwined layers of community that can be found in Chinatown North. It is hoped that through this visual exploration, the reader is better able to grasp and appreciate the numerous disparate forces that create tensions of identity and growth in Chinatown North, around the imaginary center of gravity at 10th and Callowhill.

Methodology

The two primary prongs towards approaching the project were through interviews and through a walking tour (Criss-Cross) on the ground. This was supplemented by a review of external literature, although the availability of articles written about Chinatown North specifically was scant. Most articles discuss Chinatown as a whole, without distinguishing the areas north and south of the Vine Street Expressway. In reality, most of the articles about Chinatown are about the area south of the Expressway, i.e. the main Chinatown. Nonetheless, there are some relevant snippets about Chinatown North, such as those within the compilation of oral histories edited by Lena Sze [4]. Although sparse, the literature review helps to contextualize the entire project, providing a framework for the understanding of the history and background of Chinatown North.

Another important document was the 2004 Chinatown Neighborhood Plan [7], obtained from the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC). Drawn up in conjunction with the Callowhill Neighborhood Association and Asian Americans United, this document undertakes a thorough assessment of the strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and challenges, relevant to the Chinatown area. A substantial amount of the document looks at the Chinatown North/Callowhill area in particular, since many of the plan's proposals involve re-connecting the northern area with the main Chinatown. The Chinatown Neighborhood Plan was extremely valuable in providing a comprehensive contextualization of the issues at hand, including the frictions that would inevitably result from growth in the western region of Chinatown North that blends into Callowhill.

The ideas from the literature review are then fleshed out more fully through the interviews and field observations. The first of the pair of interviews was with Andy Toy, Managing Director of the Eastern Tower Community Center Project at the PCDC. The other interviewee was with YQ, a Penn student and friend of the author, who grew up living in Chinatown (and, critically, lived in Chinatown North for a few years) and is now living in South Philadelphia. Field observations that led to the compilation of photos which Criss-Cross comprises were undertaken on two separate occasions. Together, the interviews and the observations   narrate a story of how multiple forces are working simultaneously in the neighborhood, in a complex, interrelated manner that is best summed up as Criss-Cross. 

Map overview

The map outlines the route of Criss-Cross. The orange circle demarcates the intersection of 10th and Callowhill Streets, the locus of this project. From there, branching out in the various directions, one is able to experience the different forces of change taking place in Chinatown North. To the south, there is a steady momentum of redevelopment (Hing Wah Yuen, Eastern Tower) and in-place community anchors (Holy Redeemer Church, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation). Most of these sites abut Vine Street, and are directly across from the main Chinatown just across the Vine Street Expressway. To the east and west, various examples of the area's industrial past are evident. To the northwest, the change taking place in Chinatown North comes into interplay with a different growth trajectory of the Callowhill neighborhood.

The disparate forces have no real center, but if one were to select a geographical location that might best represent the multiplicity of these phenomena, the intersection at 10th and Callowhill is a clear choice. It is here where fast-moving traffic along Callowhill Street intersections with a 10th Street corridor that is bridging a long-lost link between Chinatown and Chinatown North, and it is also here where the diagonal Ridge Avenue cuts across the intersection and makes things just a little bit more complex than they already are. In other words, 10th and Callowhill is a suitable metaphor for the nuanced complexities of the Chinatown North area.

(1) PCDC and Hing Wah Yuen

The walking tour begins at 9th and Wood Streets, home to the operating address of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation and the adjacent Hing Wah Yuen apartment complex. Completed in 1998, the Hing Wah Yuen project was marketed to a mix of open-market and lower-income buyers. Out of a total of 51 homes, 15 were sold on the open market and 36 were reserved for low-income buyers. A key consideration for housing development in Chinatown is the provision of housing for low-income buyers as well as first-time homeowners that tend to have a disproportionately high representation within the Chinatown demographic.

Since the completion of Hing Wah Yuen (barely visible at the right extreme of this photo), the opposite property has also been spruced up through PCDC efforts. The corner ground floor unit has churned a number of unsuccessful retail tenants, and is presently an auxiliary meeting space for the PCDC. The difficulty in establishing a retail shop can be attributed to the lack of a critical threshold of residential density in the area, a circumstance that may not persist for too long, but is dependent on achieving a critical mass of prospective patrons in the form of nearby residents. Andy Toy and YQ both pointed out that the improvements to the buildings have had a positive spin-off on adjacent properties; both of them recounted that the two newly-renovated three-and-a-half story townhouses on the left of the photograph used to be extremely run down [5],[6].

There is a palpable momentum of change taking place in the Chinatown North area, and as the neighborhood evolves, there will be associated "growth pains," as some of the subsequent photographs will outline.

(2) Vine Street Expressway

The Vine Street Expressway, completed in 1991, was actually the catalyst for the formation of the PCDC [5]. In order to get their voice heard, disparate community groups came together to lobby against detrimental aspects of the Expressway's proposal, including the demolition of the Holy Redeemer Church that has been an important community canopy for the residents of Chinatown for decades. They succeeded in retaining the church, and since then have also lobbied against a proposed stadium [4, pg 28] and casino. It is remarkable how a fairly diverse immigrant population (comprising various generations of immigrants, as well as numerous dialect groups, including non-Chinese groups) discovered the strength of a common voice and have used that to positive ends.

Speaking to Andy Toy [5], who is the PCDC's project manager of the Eastern Tower mixed-use community center, the proposed development on a site which is currently a surface parking lot is envisioned to help bring back the connection between the main Chinatown that lies south of the Vine Street Expressway, and the Chinatown North area that hitherto has been relatively isolated from the growth of its more prolific southern neighbor.

The 10th Street Plaza, completed in 2011, is the first step towards bridging the artificial border created between Chinatown and Chinatown North by the Vine Street Expressway. Careful landscaping has rejuvenated this small strip of public space, whereas it was previously a hangout spot for shady characters [6]. Once Eastern Tower is constructed right across the road, the Plaza will serve as an integral part of a 10th Street corridor that will bridge Chinatown and Chinatown North both physically and psychologically. Andy Toy told me that he wishes the entire Vine Street Expressway can be fully covered over to create a park between the two directions of grade-level Vine Street [5], but he recognizes the inherent obstacles towards achieving that dream. Nonetheless, the 10th Street Plaza is the first step in re-permeating the border that was created when the Vine Street Expressway was built.

(3) Commercial Business

Chinatown North is home to a range of businesses, but many of them are not direct consumer retail in nature. At 10th and Callowhill, one of the triangular sites created by the bisecting Ridge Avenue, is Blatt Tire & Service, while further south along 10th Street are a sign maker, a noodle manufacturer, another automotive service facility and a decorative sculpture and painting business. Presently, the dearth of residentially-compatible commercial uses (like eateries, supermarkets) is a drawback to prospective residents, but it is likely that these kinds of businesses will follow the population growth once a critical mass of residents has been established [5]. The proposed ground-floor commercial space at Eastern Tower will strive to address this need to create a more active neighborhood feel.

(4) Vacant Space

Vacant space is a bane in any urban setting. It is not only an eyesore, but also a potential magnet for crime. Unclear ownership leads to lack of maintenance and eventually blight, and the feeling of safety is compromised. This is one of the reasons cited for residential preferences favoring South Philadelphia rather than Chinatown North. The problem is still very visible today; the owner of the site in the photograph above is likely waiting for land prices to appreciate significantly before developing or selling the site. In the meantime, he receives income from the billboard advertising.

The site below is the other of the triangular plots carved by Ridge Avenue, the other being the premises of Blatt Tire. It is fenced all around, unkempt and unsightly. The PCDC hopes to acquire the site in order to address the deficiency of green space around Chinatown and Chinatown North. Ambitious plans included a proposal to close off Ridge Avenue to create a "Town Square", with potentially a link to the future Viaduct Park [7], but the pretty illustrations on paper do not change the fact that this is how the site looks like today. Estimates put the amount of vacant land and abandoned buildings to be a staggering 50% of the total land area in the Chinatown North neighborhood [7]. Clearly, the problem of vacant and unoccupied space is a big issue that needs to be addressed.

YQ also pointed out this site along Ridge Avenue, close to Carlton Street and nearer to the cluster of redevelopment projects that have spawned in the southern part of the area. The site was a proposed high-rise residential development that broke ground, but was stopped in its tracks due to strong community opposition [6]. The towering building would have drastically altered the built landscape of three-story buildings such as the Hing Wah Yuen complex. It appears that the community, with past experiences involving the Vine Street Expressway construction and the proposed Phillies stadium, is more than ready to rally together for a common cause.

(5) Gentrification vs Homelessness

While former industrial buildings are being converted into respectable loft apartments, there is still evidence of homelessness in the vicinity. The apartment building at 1027 Ridge Avenue is right besides the Viaduct overpass where the photograph of the homeless setup was taken. A new, mobile, migrant population coming in from other parts of the city literally lives side-by-side with examples of trapped poverty.

(6) Displacement

The Callowhill neighborhood that lies directly west of Chinatown North is undergoing a renaissance stemming from strong demand for loft apartments in the area. Andy Toy mentioned an inherent tension between the interests of the PCDC and the Callowhill residents: the latter group tends to comprise of higher-income young professionals, while the PCDC always tries to ensure that there is availability of housing for the lower-income households [5]. Indeed, the 1990 Census reflected that the median family income for a Chinatown household is below $15,000, while the Center City average is $60,000 [2]. With space constraints in the main Chinatown, the logical spillover area is Chinatown North, and projects such as Hing Wah Yuen have been a mix of market price homes and subsidized homes. This contrasts sharply with the growth trajectory of the Callowhill neighborhood, where rental rates are almost as high as those in Center City and per square foot sale prices have also been inching up. This means that two very different residential demographic profiles are envisioned by the PCDC and the Callowhill Neighborhood Association.

In some instances, market forces dictate the outcome of urban change. Here, the upscale Bufad's pizzeria, opened at the start of 2013, took over a spot that was previously Yum Yum Restaurant, with the latter's original red-and-gold signboard, previously adorning the restaurant's main door, still retained in a discreet spot at the rear of the building. Displacement has taken place, and in this case vestigial elements remain. Will this always be the case, or will displacement in other instances erase the traces of earlier history? This one example is an excellent testament to the frictional forces created when adjacent neighborhoods undertake different growth trajectories.

(7) Hispanic community

The intersection of 12th and Buttonwood Streets is nearly the western extreme of the walking tour, and can be considered where Chinatown North blends in with the Callowhill District. Yet, among the towering former industrial lofts that are being converted progressively into apartments, there stands yet another example of the diversity and multiplicity of the area. On the Sunday morning when this photograph was taken, a church service was taking place inside this building that, as identified by the stencil-painted wording next to the main entrance, was owned by Iglesia Cristiana Elim. Subsequent investigation confirmed that this organization catered to the Spanish-speaking community, as evidenced by its Facebook page. A cursory glance through the glass door after the photo was taken seemed to indicate that the room was quite full. Indeed, I walked past a number of people of Hispanic descent during the course of the Criss-Cross walking tour. It was surprising to find this nucleus of Hispanic community within Chinatown North, and even more so that it was nestled in a nondescript building across from a row of newly-renovated shophouses that primarily had Chinese-operated businesses on their ground floor.

(8) Industrial Past

At 9th and Willow stands this behemoth: a testament to the industrial history of this area of Philadelphia. Today, it exists in stark contrast to the townhouses at Hing Wah Yuen and the up and coming loft apartments in the neighborhood. The automotive workshops and the cleaning supplies factory at 10th and Callowhill are closer relatives to this plant, but such industrial uses are slowly being displaced from the area. For buildings of a scale like this one, the process is lengthy and costly, because of the due diligence and environmental assessment that have to be done before the site can be redeveloped.

(9) Pace of Change

I walked around the area with Andy Toy on a Thursday afternoon, and passing by this decrepit building, he mentioned that something was going to be done to it soon. Little did I expect that when I returned to further explore the area on Sunday morning, a group of workers were clearing out the site already. One of the common threads among the oral histories compiled by the Asian Arts Initiative is that of the attitude of diligence that defines the immigrant community in Chinatown [4]. On a Sunday morning that would have been passing by leisurely had I been in any other neighborhood in Philly, here I was, bearing witness to the fact, and also to just how rapid things are changing in the neighborhood of Chinatown North. 

(10) Why Chinatown North? FACTS

The Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School (FACTS) is located near the intersection of 10th and Callowhill. Previously, FACTS was located in the main Chinatown along Market Street, but some years ago its management decided to undertake a move for space reasons. PCDC favored the school moving to a location in South Philadelphia, catering to the growing Asian American and immigrant populations clustered around Washington Avenue [5], but the school ultimately decided to move to 1023 Callowhill, which is significantly closer to the heart of Chinatown. To the PCDC, this presented some concerns due to the Callowhill site's proximity to the Holy Redeemer Church, which includes a long-running Catholic school. Members of the community were worried about the possibility of FACTS depleting the student enrollment from the Church's school, and the Church is an important anchor to the Chinese community in Philadelphia.

Here, the Criss-Cross walking tour comes a full circle: the Holy Redeemer Church was one of the institutions which was threatened by the construction of the Vine Street Expressway. The site it sits on was originally supposed to be repossessed as part of the project, but vocal opposition by the Chinatown community resulted in those plans to be scrapped, and the formation of the PCDC. FACTS is another school, perhaps not a community anchor in the same way that Holy Redeemer is, but the school chose to move to north Chinatown rather than to South Philadelphia, despite the fact that the residential population here is much smaller. It is likely that the proximity to main Chinatown played a big role in shaping the eventual decision to choose this site.

For many, Chinatown North is not really Chinatown, but more of an area on the "edge" of Chinatown [6], a borderland of sorts. Still, the presence of community anchors like the Holy Redeemer and the physical proximity to Chinatown enable Chinatown North to occupy a much closer psychological proximity to Chinatown than South Philadelphia in the minds of the Chinese population of the city.

Synthesis: Making Sense of the Criss-Cross

The collection of photographs illustrates the multiple layers that comprise Chinatown North. There is no singular definition that can do the area justice, and the photographic series is a testament to this plurality of identity. The name Chinatown North is perhaps best regarded as a borrowed one, a vestige from an era prior to schism that was created when the Vine Street Expressway was built. It is a stretch of the imagination to think of Chinatown North as a continuation of Chinatown, at least in the former's present guise.

The nebula of the Chinese immigrant population is unquestionably the main Chinatown region, south of Vine Street. Prior to moving to South Philadelphia where his family runs a business, YQ lived in various parts of Chinatown, including a substantial period in a house in Chinatown North, close to where the Hing Wah Yuen complex stands today. YQ mentioned that when people asked where he lived, he would always have to qualify his answer by alluding to his residence being on the edge of Chinatown, because that particular location just wasn't really "Chinatown" per se. It was something like being at Chinatown's border, and ultimately, this meant that it wasn't Chinatown, but somewhere else. The handful of residents in Chinatown North still turn to the main Chinatown for their daily necessities, various kinds of services and also social spaces and meeting places. Having to cross the Vine Street Expressway when heading south is no doubt a hindrance for this group of people, but from the field observations it is also apparent that the Expressway has become a big obstacle for the movement of residentially-compatible businesses and services in the opposite direction, from the south into Chinatown North.

What exactly is Chinatown North, and where does it start/end? The collection of images, as well as the conversations with Andy Toy and YQ, raise this question, but offer little in the way of an outright answer. Andy Toy explains that all around Chinatown North, neighborhoods are evolving in character: Northern Liberties and Kensington in the northeast, Poplar to the direct north, Callowhill to the west and Chinatown to the south. In that process, Chinatown North was, to some degree, overlooked, and now these distinct forces are tugging at Chinatown North to partake in their respective development trajectories. Walking northwest along Ridge Ave from PCDC towards Spring Garden, there is a gradual but discernible change in the feel of the area. At the beginning, one still feels familiar and safe, surrounded by iconic Chinatown landmarks such as the Holy Redeemer Church, as well as by relatively new, well-maintained buildings. Further down the street, signs of blight begin to show, with pockets of empty land, traces of homeless people, and vacant, boarded up buildings. It feels like industry used to thrive here, when, all of a sudden, there was a mass exodus, and only these vacant, hollow structures remain to tell the story.

The selection of 10th and Callowhill has come to represent this idea of the Criss-Cross. When one thing criss-crosses with another, there is a necessary overlap, an interaction, an interruption, a disruption. A viewer cannot attempt to understand the criss-crossed items independently; breaking the criss-cross into its parts takes away the very element that defines it. In this case, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and this is the case of the Chinatown North neighborhood surrounding 10th and Callowhill Streets. Just as Ridge Avenue criss-crosses with the otherwise quotidian intersection of the two perpendicular streets, the different forces present themselves in a variety of guises and forms, and with varying intensities. Just like Chinatown North, the Criss-Cross is not itself a destination, for its lines radiate in every direction, away and outwards from the center. Through its connections with what lies beyond, the Criss-Cross comes into its own existence, but it is an existence that is defined on the basis of others, an existence that is a dependent one. If not for Chinatown, if not for Philadelphia's industrial past, if not for the Vine Street Expressway, if not for the Callowhill District... if not for all these, there would be no Chinatown North, and this is why Chinatown North is so aptly represented by the metaphor of the Criss-Cross.

Sources

[1] Pettit, John. "Philadelphia's neighborhoods." College & Research Libraries News 71, no. 11 (December 2010): 594-598.

[2] Wallace, David J. "Near Philadelphia's Chinatown, 51 new homes." New York Times, March 08, 1998, 5.

[3] Leonetti, Leo, Oliver A. Hinsman, and Robert O. Eck. "Vine Street Reborn." Civil Engineering 61, no. 3 (March 1991): 56-59.

[4] Sze, Lena, ed., Chinatown Lives: Oral Histories from Philadelphia's Chinatown. Philadelphia: Asian Arts Initiative, 2004.

[5] Interview with Andrew Toy, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (conducted April 25, 2013).

[6] Interview with YQ, student at University of Pennsylvania (conducted April 25, 2013).

[7] Neighborhood Design Group. Chinatown Neighborhood Plan. Philadelphia: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, 2004.