When did San Francisco's China Town first develop and why? What are some of the changes it has gone through?

-- Stephanie Crawford (puddycat86@hotmail.com), November 05, 2000

Answers

San Francisco's Chinatown was in the 1840s and 1850s "Downtown" and had a particuarly French influence. Later as the city expanded this area became less commercially popular. Chinese investors started buying the property partly because it was near the Police and because it was dangerous for Chinese to live in the outlieing areas. Later it became illegal for Chinese to live anywhere BUT Chinatown.

Good luck on you research.

-- KURT IVERSEN (IVERSENK@AOL.COM), November 18, 2000.

Most foolioso's will know that chinatown origonated when Aaron jun got really mad at asians (especially chinese and koreans) and decided to kick them out of the United States, he drove them all the way back to San Fransisco's China town, where they live even today

-- Bobby Robert Dole (BobDole@Alabama.com), November 02, 2001.

It's obvious that no one really knows

-- Frank Jonathan Willard jr. (FrankFurtthesecond@hotmail.com), November 02, 2001.

I DID IT!!!!

-- Fred (Fredandahalf@aol.com), November 02, 2001.

good for you

-- Alan Jacobson (askme?aj402@aol.com), May 25, 2003.

Interesting trivia bit on San Francisco's Chinatown: Most areas are zoned to allow 14 to 20 dwelling units per acre (higher, of course, for the highrises). Chinatown, and only Chinatown, is zoned to allow 220 dwelling units per acre. Yikes.

Other than that, Chinatown's changes have been that most of the tourist schlock shops have moved into Grant Street (pushing out all the older businesses), while the actual Chinatown shopping heaven (food and household goods) will be found on Stockton and cross- streets.

-- Rosa (rosadebon@yahoo.com), May 29, 2003.

Where are the lightbulbs????????????

Where is William Hung???????????????

Blah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- idiot (blah@yahoo.com), January 24, 2005.