【68】A glimpse of the Old Chinatown @ Third Avenue, Downtown, Pittsburgh

Few newcomers to Pittsburgh know there was once a China town here. Before 1950s, Chinatown was a prosperous place like any other ones in this country. Since the economy downfall, a large population got ousted, all those shops closed one by one as a result. Today, there is no China town in Pittsburgh, only a modest Chinese population and several Chinese supermarkets in Strip District. Despite all those ups and downs, one restaurant, located on the 3rd Avenue, called Chinatown Inn has been around the corner for 70 years, run by the same family from Southern China, is the only element left, through which you can still have a glimpse of the old Chinatown.

I only read about the old Chinatown in the books and didn't get chance to wander there until early December this year, when I was looking for a place to host a Wuhan delegation visiting Major's office to enhance sister city relationship. Mike and I went there first to test the food. We both liked the spirits in the place, history mingles with grace. It turns out, the owner of the restaurant is a couple and the wife is from Wuhan. So we worked together and pinned down a decent menu to entertain guests.

To my surprise, all the American guests we had that day can speak very good Chinese! Bill from PNC bank, John and Michele from University of Pittsburgh. Well, Debra, our Chief officer in Innovation for the city has Hongkong heritage and can speak fluent Chinese too! Several of Chinese professionals who are accomplished in their fields were also invited and they gave me so much inspiration. I felt so fortunate to be at the table with everyone.

Hope we will work together in a harmonious way to make City of Pittsburgh a destination for more Chinese students, tourists, and business people. This is indeed a place for my countryman and woman, young and old, to experience authentic America and those traces of Chinese culture here and there being part of this melting pot.