Basic Information for Pittsburgh's Historic Chinatown:
Address: 520 Third Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Admission: Free
Transportation: Bus (3 minute walk), Car (street parking), Pedestrian, and Bicycle
Access: Public and street level sidewalks
Sneak Peek for Pittsburgh's Historic Chinatown
Pittsburgh's Historic Chinatown is the former home of the small, but vibrant, Chinese immigrant community from the mid-19th century into the early 20th century. A self-contained community of markets, grocery stores, and shops sprung up alongside the tongs, also known as associations. These organizations organized cultural events and allowed for a more formal support network to emerge. Despite an unfriendly outside world, Chinatown came to be a familiar home for those who lived and worked there.
Unfortunately, a large portion of the neighborhood was destroyed when the City of Pittsburgh began construction of the Boulevard of the Allies in the 1950s. This marked the beginning of the end for this Downtown community, as the population was dispersed throughout the city. Today, the large majority of Chinatown has been replaced with a highway off-ramp and other infrastructure projects. The sole remnant of the area's former glory is the Chinatown Inn, a local Chinese restaurant.
Chinatown as a Case of Deja Vu
Pittsburgh’s Chinatown is a neighborhood defined by transitions and changes. From presence to absence, from absolute to relative placehood, and from population to emptiness. These elements mix and intertwine with history itself like the mythical caduceus, with the snakes of humanity and inhumanity overlapping along the staff of time. By this metric, in order to truly understand Chinatown, one must understand the history and memories of those who lived there.