Is Chinatown Authentic?

There’s an article in the Post today that’s going to cause some coronaries amongst the DC crowd. The section in question reads:

Despite Gallery Place’s prefab jumble of modern and historic-looking facades, he pronounced it free of “urban development crimes.”

“They didn’t violate this neighborhood by destroying its history,” he said, though he looked askance at a CVS sign and a Fuddruckers.

I’m sure that Wayan is having an apoplectic fit right about now. Has the character of Chinatown changed to make it “more authentic” to the “Creative Class” that DC is courting for its revitalization? Can authenticity be engineered and designed by city planners, or is it something that can only happen after the fact? Does Chinatown represent any of that?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.

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