Continuing on with my personal photography projects during quarantine times. My next project is of Chinatown (Manhattan) and how it currently looks during this Covid-19 Pandemic. Chinatown is another neighborhood that holds a special place in my heart. It is no doubt, NYC’s OG chinatown. It’s changed so much over the last 20 years, but I have some really special and fond memories of it. Since I was young my parents would take my siblings and I to take piano classes every Saturday morning in Chinatown. My dad would drive all the way from Queens to Manhattan for 40 minute piano lessons for 3 kids and they would do all their grocery shopping, errands, dim sum, meet friends etc. When I was super young and my older siblings would be at their lessons, I would go around with my parents to all those errands. My (least) favorite - waiting at the chinese supermarket, bored out of my mind, while my mom picks out every vegetable and/or fish for a million years. But one thing I really looked forward to on these trips were the Cha Siu Fan (roast pork over rice) from Wing Wong Restaurant on Mott Street. (which is now called NB Wing Wong on Bowery). I remember the rice boxes were like $3.50 / box or something back in the day!! We would get a box for every person with different meats and share it- and I looooved it. Another fond memory of Chinatown I had was my mom taking me to Pearl Paint (which also no longer exists as well) which was like SUPER cool art store that was about 5-6 floors (walk up stairs) where they had art supplies lined in every nook and cranny. It was one of my favorite memories as a kid and I’m so thankful my mom would be so awesome and supportive of my creative side, bring me here to browse and even buy me little art supplies here and there. We weren’t very rich so one little paintbrush was everything to me… and man guys, art supplies (still) are MAD expensive! (seriously, thank you to my mom for always supporting my creative side… wouldn’t be here today without her ;___;)

So ANYWAYS, here is Chinatown, NYC. These images were taken on April 28, 2020.

We are currently on the decline with new cases of Covid-19, but the state is still on PAUSE until May 15, 2020 (and possibly more) Things are still not open— nor is really safe to be open yet. The state is still working on their plans to re-open and will do so when they feel it is safe - and even if things do re-open… it will never be like our old normal. Everything will look different, and I hope everyone will take extra precautions!