Chinatown Brooklyn
From Decoding New York
| Introduction |
| Manhattan |
| * Evolution |
| * What's Real |
| * Here v. There |
| * Economy |
| Flushing |
| * Evolution |
| * What's Real |
| * Here v. There |
| * Economy |
| Brooklyn 8th Avenue |
| * Evolution |
| * What's Real |
| * Here v. There |
| * Economy |
| Comparison |
| * Photo Gallery |
| * Sources
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The satellite Chinatown in Sunset Park, Brooklyn has been christened “Bat Dai Do” (8th Avenue) by Cantonese speakers. Besides simply stating the location of the neighborhood, the name "Bat Dai Do" calls to mind auspicious hopes of success, for in Chinese, the number eight signifies luck and prosperity. 8th Avenue is aptly dubbed "Bat Dai Do" as New York's newest magnet for Chinese immigration. The Brooklyn Chinatown is a working class neighborhood, where many new immigrants choose to live, attracted by the lower rents and proximity to both 8th Avenue and Chinatown. As a new neighborhood, 8th Avenue is still developing its identity, shaped by recent immigrants who choose to make Brooklyn their home. 8th Avenue is perhaps the most real of the three Chinatowns, as it has not been subject to tourism, but it is also the youngest. In many ways, 8th Avenue is a satellite community of Chinatown instead of a distinct neighborhood with a distinct character, such as Flushing. Regardless, 8th Avenue's importance to future and recent immigrants is not to be underestimated - New York's newest Chinese community is flourishing, one family at a time.
