Little Italy's "Little Charlie's Clam House" Bites The Dust

J

justlooking

#2
#2
What's interesting to me is that suddenly you see the location of the upcoming Forty Deuce being called Nolita instead of Little Italy. Now that Broome Street is full of stupid douchebag bistros, stupid overdecorated cocktail lounges (I'll let the readers figure out the references) and now this prospectively stupid sanitized neoburlesque house, it's not Little Italy anymore.

To paraphrase Slinky Bender, I don't know how you can be north of a neighborhood that barely exists anymore.
 
S

scoochamenz1

#3
#3
little italy disappeared a long time ago, as have most new york nabes. it's all becoming gentrified yupster hangouts. what can you do? i guess this is what they call progress.
 
H

Hyabby

#4
#4
Agree that many NY nabes have disappeared. But in the case of Little Italy I don't think it's "gentrified yupster hangouts" that are the culprit, but rather the exponential growth of Chinatown. See also Lower East Side.
 
H

humsuplo

#5
#5
Over the years, Chinatown has been encroaching over Little Italy. In the case of Chinatown, aside from it's expansion, Chinatown is being gentrified in general. Just take a look at Hester Gardens, 123 Baxter and one being built diagonal from 123 Baxter to name a new examples.
 
M

Monk

#6
#6
It's both. Ironically, on some streets (like Grand), you'll see Chinese and Malaysian restaurants next to old Italian places next to a few upscale boutiques and restaurants. As Chinatown has moved North and East, SoHo has moved East and South, and the twain shall meet. If I were to make a bet, though, I'd put my money on the high-end boutiques and restaurants winning out in the end. That's the trend in New York commercial real estate. (Just look at what's happening to Orchard Street and that whole neighborhood.)
 
J

justlooking

#7
#7
I agree. Nolita (which is what the expansion of Soho is called there) will expand south as Chinatown eats up whatever is left of the southern part of Little Italy.

We will then have the odd situation of a neighborhood defined as being North of Little Italy actually being North of Chinatown, with no Little Italy in between.
 
H

humsuplo

#8
#8
Exactly, that's the trend these days. Before Orchard street became revitalized, it was quiet with a mostly older commercial area along with the old, rundown tenements. Now it's sprawling with activity.
 
M

Monk

#9
#9
NoChi just doesn't have the same ring to it.

I'm curious to see how long Chinatown itself can hang on, or whether the gentrification will spread all the way South to the Brooklyn Bridge.
 
H

humsuplo

#10
#10
Unfortunately, the gentrification happening in Chinatown and elsewhere was inevitable. Chinatown hasn't quite reached the Brooklyn Bridge, but it's getting there. Gentrification is a double-edged sword for Chinatown; as I'm also curious as to what will happen to Chinatown, only time will tell.
 
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