San Gabriel valley was heavily marketed in China/Hong Kong/Taiwan as it was a US suburb where you can comfortably speak Mandarin and a lesser degree Cantonese. With the Mediterranean climate and proximity to Asia it has been an ideal location for Chinese. It comprises over 10 cities where the population is majority Asian.
I enjoyed watching your walking video today. I grew up in Monterey Park on Sierra Vista. I was very excited when you walked across my old street where I grew up! Used to have to walk from there to Richard Garvey Intermediate School every day. This was in the 70’s. I recognized a few buildings structures, but the names had changed. The market across from the 7-11 used to be the Star Market. We did most of our local grocery shopping there. I was surprised that the Divine Furniture store building was still there, and still a furniture store! Where you started your walk in Alhambra at the Mar Plaza, that used to be an Alpha Beta. This brought back so many memories for me today. Thank you for filming this!
I have this playing on my flat screen TV in my living room here in New York City as we speak AK. I feel like I am walking the real Chinatown streets with you. So fun. Enjoy the rest of your weekend my friend!
Wow, thanks AK for sharing your lengthy virtual tour of the "Real Chinatown" of Monterey Park. I probably might get lost. LOL. I'm thinking of going up there someday. I live in Long Beach, CA. I usually catch the Metro A Line (formerly Blue Line). I usually go to the old L A Chinatown for shopping & dining once a week. In comparison, the old Chinatown is not as good as it used to be before COVID-19. It's so disappointing. ☹ Anyway, I'll be looking for a place where I can buy some real authentic Chinese delicatessen such as soy sauce chicken, roasted duck, barbecue pork char siu, etc. in the Monterey Park area.
I grew up in Monterey Park my whole life! It was great to explore it on foot with you thru your video. Next time, you should visit the city's Civic Center area with Barnes Park (great view of the San Gabriel mountains from the top of the hill) and the city library.
Awesome tour AK! Monterey Park, is not necessarily a newer growing Chinese community but 1st generational Chinese immigrants that have successfully achieved the American dream and their children eventually starting families and moving nearby to all of San Gabriel Valley (Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, etc) and eastern communities like Rowland Heights MPK is home to many amazing and delicious spots within that block/intersection of Atlantic and Garvey: - Daikokuya Ramen (best ramen in SoCal) - Tokyo Fried Chicken - Half n Half Tea House - Mama Lu's Dumpling House
I don't know about these Chinese achieve American dream they'd brought their wealth business technology great people n investment for USA. You sound only US is best greatest place to become good from poor. Go check out eastern Asians to see compare to USA is like 3rd world country they live in futuristic country in Asia. That's what you get be bigot bully at Asian live n rule Asians. Kakakaka ive been living in USA 44 year n pay attention politics history culture n people n system so i know what's going on.
my old neighborhood, I was wanting to show you where old restaurants used to be and ice cream shops... my aunt lives around the corner... great old dumpling shops.. thanks for a great walk.
I grew up in Monterey Park born at Garfield Hospital. Unrecognizable now, pretty but a lot has changed. Definitely Chinatown now. I used to walk to Jenny's Market, the Dairy and that 7 11. I grew up on Rural Dr and went to Mark Keppel HS in the 90's
Another great walk. I lived all over LA so watching your walks is pretty enjoyable. I’m a bit sad though because your experience is not the normal one due to the pandemic. In most of your walks you hardly see people as a lot of people got used to staying home and these businesses have really suffered. Of course it was never like NYC because of the car culture but they’re usually more people out. Arcadia is a great place as it has the Santa Anita racetrack and LA arboretum and preferred home for wealthy Chinese. Descanso gardens you can see nature and peacocks. Huntington library is very nice with an awesome Japanese garden. You must miss nyc though by now I imagine.
Monterey Park! I used to eat at the restaurants there with friends and family but occasionally visit nowadays. I have never seen so much of Monterey Park, since we always hop into our cars. Thank you, AK! 😎
I live in China and I could never live like this. These places in the US seem so inconvenient to travel between and so soulless. Just plazas you need to drive between in order to eat, do groceries or whatever, and everything looks so boring. It is hard to explain And it seems you did not walk past a single person. There is no sense of community or life around these shopping areas. Just cars going in and going out.
I have relatives in Monterey Park and last visited there as a kid. I had my first dim sum there and was so impressed and remember thinking why can’t we have this in Staten Island…
You should go see the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. Without a doubt it is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world.
That was great. Monterey Park is my favorite city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. I've always wanted to live there for years, but the crime rates were a bit on the baseline, but it's still a great city. Hopefully I'll live there one day, since I love Asian culture so much.
I'm from Los Angeles Hawthorne and back when I went as a kid 1970's too early 1980's as a little kid alot of Chinese immigrants like my late mother came around 1960's thru 1980's from either China and Hong Kong China and brought customs to the city with businesses restaurants and celebrated alot of Chinese new year which I use to come to celebrate dancing is now popular age group 60-90 year old and considered best place too celebrate chinese new year and my cousin lived there for awhile before he moved.
The SGV (not just Monterey Park) is not growing Asian population. It's had a huge Asian population for decades. It started in the early 80s and hasn't stopped. It's gone through a huge transition and it hasn't always been very smooth especially the first couple of decades. And the Asian population increased very quickly in a short couple of decades. Some of the best Asian food in SoCal.
Chinese immigration to the west coast is older and larger due to the obvious proximity of Asia. So having palm trees around might be more traditional than east-coast sensibilities.
Palm Springs awaits you....a trip up on the famous tram there to the mountain which can be snow covered in the Spring when Palm Springs basks in heat of 85-90F...an Incredible experience!
Do you realize there are almost no people in most of your Los Angles videos? It's the opposite of your NYC videos where the streets are full of people. I never realized LA was so empty of pedestrians. I knew not a lot of people walked in LA but I didn't realize how bad it was, outside of the few tourist districts. What a contrast between cities!
This is during pandemic time. I was there 1988 see ton people everywhere lot Hispanic n Asians Chinese but no black thought was normal till i came Albany NY black everywhere n very bad places n people but of course some them nice too. I try not generalize people like US medias n government like portray Asians immigrants are all dumb destitute dirty dire disease dangerous debtbeats when Asians American contribute lot more than real big American. Racist asshole.
Beautiful presentation, very extravagant. I wish you success and progress in your work, health, safety and wellness. My thanks, appreciation and respect.💕💞💕
living here awhile after i canyt say this is pretty acurate however it is not as big as downtown chinatown but this place is a hidden gem ,so many restaurants with welcoming people
The "Real Chinatown" is in Manhattan. No, the "Real Chinatown" is in San Francisco. No, the "Real Chinatown" is in Flushing Queens. No, the "Real Chinatown" is in Elmhurst, Queens. No, the "Real Chinatown" is in Brooklyn. Will the "Real Chinatown" please come forth! LOL.
Monterrey Park used to be a great city in the 60s. There were lots of affluent Chinese lived on Monterey Hills, but not any more as the crime is outrageous. and the younger generation no longer interested to live there.
yeah i think designating which area is the "real chinatown" is pretty silly. But if I had to...i always go with the original one, the oldest one with the most history. Anywhere you go it's always the one downtown. These neighborhoods like Montery Park and places like Flushing and sunset park in nyc are just neighborhoods with predominately chinese residents. Simply Chinese neighborhoods.
MontereyPark is like my backyard, I use to walk around this city a child... I'm next city other, East Los Angeles is home to largest mexican community in United States.. I feel good everything I'm in Monterey Park, because things always calmer to my area that I grew up. I do got to admit I've plenty of scum bags that aren't from the Area that try to get high, in this calm city. Hopefully the cops move trash out there... Monterey Park is one safest city in America.
I can’t help but feel hurt by this title. LA Chinatown didn’t survive being burnt to the ground and violently moved so that Union Station could be built only to be relegated as some “fake” or less real Chinatown. And now, LA Chinatown is being cannibalized by developers that are trying to remove the remaining low-income residents of Chinatown. Just bc Chinatown is small and poor doesn’t mean it should be looked over. Missed opportunity here.
The Real Chinatown is the Beverly hills of Chinatown. I live it back in 1983 After going to the Chinatown in Downtown. There are great Dim Sum places there.
This region Chinatown is like surburban Chinatown or like town or just Chinese areas in USA. There was big electronic department store on Atlantic street in Monterey Park just open 1988. I was shock there's such thing as surburban Chinatown like not in city. I think there was big hospital in mid that Chinese area all Asians Chinese i think. Chinese are good at business make money but no cool interesting style music culture, politic, art, fun modern swag culture at all like in Korean town n Vietnamese town. I blame on outdated Chinese writing make Chinese nerdy defendless shy stiff boring outdated.
It's so funny i watching vid Monterey Park in Chinese writing then i walk to my restroom then yr vid came up i didn't click may be by accident but i need in English at speaking due i missed that place i used work there in 1988 4 year in Chinese market. I was there so beautiful wonderful high class for Asians Chinese. How these people could accomplish so much even Chinatown was bursling back then n whole San Gabrielle areas amazing in mid building n big Asian mall just came all by Chinese or Vietnamese you should check that mall for us, beautiful nice too with 88 range supermarket. Thought Asians Chinese were inferior than white but these Asiantowns n Chinatown were amazing. Better than white area seem not much going on boring dire thought was normal for town n city. Then start feel we Asian are not inferior than white at all that can accomplish lot with lot business restaurants work investment exciting culture tradition going on. Ive remember these place should be exciting up coming nice place for that area n Chinese new year exciting going on but US local news medias had nothing news about then overtime i start think US medias politicians people are very bigot bully at Asian immigrants they want portray white are best everything n Asians are inferior so their not gonna have any good news for Asians but lot bad. My conclusion is USA is facking Racist asshole even medias n news!.
