Map of my first walk through Chinatown and Little Italy.
Map of my second walk through Chinatown, which ended up being more west than east!
I went for my first walk to be in the Chinatown/ Little Italy area around 1:30 pm on Monday. People were busy working the produce markets on the sidewalks and the corner cheese shops. The weather was not inviting, and there were not as many tourists as I would have imagined Chinatown to hold. A highlight of my trip happened unexpectedly as I was walking around a haphazardly placed car. An elderly Chinese man was walking with help from his cane, and I simply slid over to the side to let him pass. He must have found this action exceptionally kind, as for the entirety of his slow pace around the car he smiled brightly and thanked me profusely- often stumbling over his heavy accent. The words “thank you” did not come easily to him, yet he stood there repeating them. This sweet man stuck with me through the rest of my walk and even made the cold winds more bearable.
I was unable to take voice recordings due to my phone’s own issues, but I made note of what I was hearing. Many languages, some of which were unidentifiable by my ears. Plastic bags being thrown around by the wind. People bartering on the streets. The slaps of sneakers as joggers passed through. Police sirens escorting cars to the Detention Complex. I smelled garbage and fish.
My second walk was less overwhelming, as I took to the streets again I found myself often distracted by window displays of couture clothing. I wound up walking towards Soho and noticed quickly that people were dressed sharply with more colors than I see in Midtown. The buildings and street art were gleaming in the sunshine of my midmorning trip on Tuesday. I heard music and bicycles.
