Decoding New York

Little Italy and Koreatown

From Decoding New York

Introduction
Little Italy
* Evolution
* Here v. There
* Economy
* What's Real
Koreatown
* Evolution
* Here v. There
* Economy
* What's Real
Comparison
* Photo Gallery
* Sources
Little Italy.Scenic view. Photo by "ststours.ca/footloose_manhattan.html"
Koreatown.Scenic view. Photo by Samantha Lau

Take a trip through the borough of Manhattan and you’ll come across two fascinating neighborhoods, Little Italy and Koreatown, that at first glance come across as being entirely different but upon closer inspection coincide in many aspects. Historically, Little Italy has been around a lot longer than the relatively new and blooming Koreatown. Even so, both neighborhoods have been established as a result of immigrant collaboration. Italian immigrants and Korean immigrants brought with them the culture of their previous homelands, which in time were gradually modified to incorporate American traditions. Essentially, these two neighborhoods evolved from their ethnic roots to provide a social and cultural experience that has resulted from the changes caused by not only the immigrants themselves, but also by the people who interact within the neighborhood. Today, Little Italy and Koreatown cater not only to immigrants of the same nationality but to the bustling groups of tourists that traverse through Mulberry Street and 32nd street, Korea Way, respectively. Restaurants, bakeries, cafes, bars, grocery stores, gift shops and other economic entrepreneurships are the key ingredients, along with the people that make up the neighborhoods. With insights from both insider and outsider perspectives of these two neighborhoods, we enhance our knowledge on the past, present and future of Little Italy and Koreatown.



This section on Little Italy and Koreatown was developed by Samantha Lau and Evgeniya Kim.

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