A Lesson on Adaptation and Resistance in Chinatown

As the old New York continues to get pushed out, tiny parts of it resist the moneyed sea of change.

You can see a mix of the old New York and modern times in this snap of Bowery and Hester. All photos in this piece were taken by me.

I’ve been going on various adventures downtown lately. At the time of writing, I have about two months left in my home city before I leave for Los Angeles so I want to get them in while I still can.

There’s some things you just have to enjoy while you still got a place to live here: I could stop at Kossar’s to get bialys whenever I visit, but I can’t make bialy cheese toast in a hotel room and my elder Millennial ass doesn’t do Airbnb. I’m not paying $250+ a night to stay in a stranger’s apartment with another $50 tacked on to take out my own trash while some weirdo sets a curfew like I’m 16 years old, seriously, WHO thought this was a good idea to the point entire cities are running out of housing?! Not worth it to temporarily use someone else’s kitchen I have to fucking clean up. I don’t do that when I travel unless I personally know you.

Okay, tangent over.

I’ve been grieving for what this place was for a long time. My grief is exhausting me to the point that I decided the best thing I can do for my mental and physical health is to leave and seek a better life (and housing) out west. Housing has 2020s prices but…