quote:

Originally posted by 9mmepiphany:
It is convenient that New Chinatown became a thing...not a Chinese centric as the San Gabriel Valley, but still pretty nice

As I'm sure you're aware, there's actually several 'Chinatowns' throughout SF- Clement, Noriega, Irving, San Bruno, Geneva, etc....
SGV is more new arrivals particularly those bringing some capitol, the majority of them are Mandarin speaking generally from Taiwan or, from mainland, occasionally I'll hear Shanghainese. Around SF Bay Area and SF in particular are Cantonese speakers, which is which most American's are used to, get down to the South Bay around Sunnyvale, Mtn View or, out to Pleasanton you'll hear a lot more Mandarin speakers.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

quote:

Originally posted by 9mmepiphany:
It is convenient that New Chinatown became a thing...not a Chinese centric as the San Gabriel Valley, but still pretty nice

As I'm sure you're aware, there's actually several 'Chinatowns' throughout SF- Clement, Noriega, Irving, San Bruno, Geneva, etc....
SGV is more new arrivals particularly those bringing some capitol, the majority of them are Mandarin speaking generally from Taiwan or, from mainland, occasionally I'll hear Shanghainese. Around SF Bay Area and SF in particular are Cantonese speakers, which is which most American's are used to, get down to the South Bay around Sunnyvale, Mtn View or, out to Pleasanton you'll hear a lot more Mandarin speakers.

Yes, it has been quite interesting to watch as the "traditional Chinatown" has become a true "tourist trap." When I left for college, the only reason my father and I (I'd visit weekly) ever went to Chinatown was to buy fresh food. Believe me it was no fun riding home on a packed bus on a Friday evening...but at least it prepared me for visiting NYC.

When I left Clement street was well established they had just starting moving onto Irving...we lived at 21st/Irving.

It was interesting, for a change of pace, to eat in the South Bay for a break from Cantonese dining.

When I visited my daughter at UC Irvine, that was my chance to see what "Modern Chinese" were eating...luckily she's an adventurist eater

Cupertino, I'd say, is largely a new chinatown with some pretty decent restaurants.

That being said, decades ago, I used to visit Monterey Park very often. I had also considered the chinese food there much better than the food in the SF Bay Area (at least on the average, if not more absolutely).

I never cared for SF Chinatown - it was too damn loud, crowded and dirty. I don't like areas where I can't walk a basic straight-ish line on the sidewalk. I much preferred the Clement street area. I think the restaurants there we better too. And I could get both Cantonese / Hakka as well as northern Chinese food (mandarin, shanghainese). I liked Hakka food.

21st/Irving - oh man, I loved getting piroshki's in that area. I used to go to that area all the time. One of my first loves (one sided) lived in the area.

Think of all of the lost opportunity and prosperity. Then some Leftist rectum will come along and convince the young that this is what capitalism brings. The young skulls full of mush will believe them and voila’, Socialism. Enter the dictator stage left.

I'm surprised that rich Chinese people from PRC aren't buying it all up. But I guess they are more interested in real estate around military bases for some reason.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Cupertino, I'd say, is largely a new chinatown with some pretty decent restaurants.

That being said, decades ago, I used to visit Monterey Park very often. I had also considered the chinese food there much better than the food in the SF Bay Area (at least on the average, if not more absolutely).

I never cared for SF Chinatown - it was too damn loud, crowded and dirty. I don't like areas where I can't walk a basic straight-ish line on the sidewalk. I much preferred the Clement street area. I think the restaurants there we better too. And I could get both Cantonese / Hakka as well as northern Chinese food (mandarin, shanghainese). I liked Hakka food.

21st/Irving - oh man, I loved getting piroshki's in that area. I used to go to that area all the time. One of my first loves (one sided) lived in the area.

Yes! I think they step down the food in Chinatown because of so many tourists. Locals in the know head over to Clement Street. And yes, hakka restaurants were my favorites.

I do like Chinatown for walking around, and there is one restaurant there I like.

I don't think you're chinese. I'm not chinese. interesting that we both favor the more esoteric hakka cuisine. not important, just superficially amusing to me.

^I'm actually half Chinese on my mother's side.

Oh. Cool. I wish there were more hakka style places outside of the SF BA. If you are aware of any, send me an email. I'm always up for trying a new place. I don't know any outside of SF.

Loved to visit SF every year for over 2 decades. Stayed at the Holiday Inn across from Fishermans Wharf, loved to visit all the touristy areas. Son met his wife there, we moved to the Bay Area (they lived there) and enjoyed select parts of the city - very select sections. Other areas were serious s**tholes. Moved to NC. They lived in 'ok' areas until they found Buena Yoruba island - an island enclave in SF bay (attached to Treasure Island). Need a ferry to access - private residences (affordable - in SF pricing). No homeless, no druggies, no crap. They love it because it's 'safe' and well protected from the vermin. We will visit in August - but stay on the island or travel to Napa. SF is gone as far as I'm concerned.

Did you mean Yerba Buena island? I remember being able to exit off highway 80 (caution, sharp turn on exit).

Haven't been in years - it's only accessible by ferry now?

Nice views of SF night skyline from there. But they (military) didn't like people loitering (again this was decades ago; not sure what it's like now). And shopping was inconvenient from there. Seems like it would be peaceful to live there.

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:
Unfortunately what happened/happening in SF is sad but the voters are really to blame and what's even more tragic is the same voters keep voting for the same politicians who are responsible for the decline of SF and other major democratic run cities.

I agree with this observation. I've said many times here we don't have a politician problem we have a people problem. And, the people for whatever reason are beginning to vote against their own best interest.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
I never cared for SF Chinatown - it was too damn loud, crowded and dirty. I don't like areas where I can't walk a basic straight-ish line on the sidewalk. I much preferred the Clement street area. I think the restaurants there we better too. And I could get both Cantonese / Hakka as well as northern Chinese food (mandarin, shanghainese). I liked Hakka food.

21st/Irving - oh man, I loved getting piroshki's in that area. I used to go to that area all the time. One of my first loves (one sided) lived in the area.

SF Chinatown is for all intents...a ghetto. It's an ethnic enclave that the surrounding city largely allowed to self-regulate and ignore until the mid-century. Today, its still the dense neighborhood its always been, there's a lot less families than before and most residents are, newly arrived, low-income, living in SRO, public housing or two-room apartments. The late-70's is when you started to see other Chinese merchants setting up shop in other neighborhoods, which soon led to growth of additional 'Chinatowns'. These new areas really serviced a more middle-class customer that either had an easier time assimilating or, was a 2/3rd generation family, nicer restaurants and grocers become more common thus, you didn't need to travel down to Stockton or, Grant Ave, fight for parking, hike the hills for a meal or, an afternoon of shopping.

quote:

Originally posted by behindyou:
They lived in 'ok' areas until they found Buena Yoruba island - an island enclave in SF bay (attached to Treasure Island). Need a ferry to access - private residences (affordable - in SF pricing)..

I also think you're thinking of Yerba Buena island.

Are you sure they've cut off access of Hwy-80?

That would be sort of strange since the Bay Bridge runs right through the island

Sorry - you are right Yerba Buena - still accessible by road off the Treasure Island exit but the YB island is separate and only accessible via a single road. Private and secluded.

quote:

Originally posted by behindyou:
Sorry - you are right Yerba Buena - still accessible by road off the Treasure Island exit but the YB island is separate and only accessible via a single road. Private and secluded.

Glad to hear that the development of that property is going well. The joke when they started was, "Who would want to live under the freeway?"

Other than actual proximity to I-80, the other big concern was the ability to get home during rush hour traffic on the Bay Bridge.

Just taking a quick look at available housing, the condo at $600k looked nice and the $3.5M townhouse looked really sharp