Every major city in the world has a Chinatown. Philadelphia’s may not be the most famous one in the nation, but it’s brimming with vibrancy, hidden gems, and historical significance.
Over the last few decades however, Philly’s Chinatown lost a third of its housing and half of its land to large-scale government development projects.
But despite the ongoing threat of displacement and gentrification, Chinatown residents have organized and fought back. In 2000, residents successfully halted the construction of a $600 million baseball stadium.
Nine years later, the city targeted the community again with a proposed casino and residents rallied, protested, and petitioned their way to another victory.
This year, the city has proposed building a brand new 76ers stadium in this neighborhood.
Chinatown’s right to exist and thrive on its own terms should not lie solely on the backs of residents, many of whom are rightfully jaded. They need the larger Philly community to stand in solidarity with them. One way to do that is to support their businesses.
Here are my top recommendations for good eats and poppin’ nightlife:
To get the best bubble tea and fruit drinks, hit up Tea-Do & Tiger Sugar. Tea-Do also has great apps like edamame, shrimp tempura, and onigiri! 🍙
For the best peking duck, congee, dumplings, and other Chinese-American favorites, you need to go to Sang Kee. 🍗
Fun fact: Sang Kee’s manager is also the head coach of Pennsylvania Dragon Boat Club (PDBC).
PDBC recently competed in the world championships for dragon boating and placed sixth in the world in their 200 meter race! The duck tastes like sweet victory. 🐲🚣♀️
