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.
