It Happened Here
Chinatown’s “Friendship Archway” is one of the largest Chinese arches in the world.
Da Hsin Trading Company carries traditional Chinese herbs.
Pedestrians can watch cooks make fresh noodles and dumplings through the window at Chinatown Express.
A room with a view from the Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion Division of the MLK Memorial Library.
The Historical Society of Washington DC is located in the beautiful, old Carnegie Library.
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Writing Inspirations in DC: Chinatown
By Amy A. Welch, WIW Member
Gallery Place-Chinatown has become a thriving town center in recent years with flickering lights and trendy appeal. Only a few years ago, after 8 p.m. the area was empty, and many years ago, it was just not a very good neighborhood. Now, it is Washington, D.C.’s answer to New York City and is like a mini Times Square. Gallery Place-Chinatown is one of the best places to people watch, and the surrounding area offers priceless resources for historical research.
The revitalization of Gallery Place-Chinatown has stolen some foot traffic from Dupont Circle. The most bustling part of Chinatown is probably the intersection of 7th and H Streets NW, where the iconic “Friendship Archway” is located. Designed by Alfred Liu and dedicated in 1986, it is one of the largest Chinese arches in the world.
The area provides many unique opportunities to observe random people, which can be a tool for character development and fuel for writing assignments. The two-level Starbucks is a place to relax and write, and Fuddruckers and other cheap eats also offer window seating. Fancier window dining is available at Rosa Mexicano where they make fresh guacamole. Once, I watched the annual Chinese New Year parade from a table at La Tasca.
La Tasca’s main competitor, Jaleo, has sidewalk space for outdoor setups when it is warm out. Jaleo is a nationally known restaurant that was launched by Chef Jose Andres. All kinds of people walk through those doors to eat the magnificent food and enjoy free appetizers of olives and fresh bread. During one visit, I struck up a conversation with a gentleman in a wheelchair with a dog. I learned the dirty details on what the federal government is and is not doing for the disabled and met a potential interviewee. I have overheard many awkward first dates at this popular social hub. Sometimes people even loudly explain what went wrong with their previous relationship and proclaim with a heavy sigh, “…that is when I knew it was over.”
If waiting to get into Jaleo is too long, try hidden treasures like Ella’s for rustic, Italian pizza or Jaleo’s sister restaurant, Zaytinya, for Mediterranean food with a gourmet twist.
Take people watching to a new level by observing ticket holders arriving at concerts held at the Verizon Center. Audiences for particular bands sometimes have surprising characteristics in common. Attending the shows is even more interesting because you never know who may be in the audience. I suspected that the Rolling Stones show was going to be well-attended when I saw limos and private cars surrounding the building. The crowd was high fashioned and confident with an unexpected streak of refinement. I was stunned when Mick Jagger announced that Harriet Myers, who was then up for a seat on the Supreme Court, was in the audience. Who would have known? Knowing the entertainment preferences of politicians and celebrities may make you a privileged carrier of town gossip.
Chinatown also has a very nice movie theater, Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14. When Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End came out, I went to the first showing. A trio of fans was in full pirate costume, and when Keith Richards came on the screen, people cheered loudly for his much anticipated cameo. After the movie, you can enjoy some bowling at Lucky Strike bowling alley, which is also in the same building as the theater. The bowling alley is ritzy and stylish with a New Wave flare, which once had a rotating painting of Joey Ramone.
D.C.’s actual Chinatown is embarrassingly small, and the H Street strip of Asian restaurants is usually less frantic than the 7th and H Streets intersection. Small pockets of genuine Chinese culture do exist though. Da Hsin Trading Company is to the left of CVS and carries a colorful assortment of Chinese herbs, imported food products, traditional stoneware and decorations.
Wok and Roll at 604 H Street NW is known for its unfortunate place in history. Mary Surratt owned the building in the 1800s and used it as a boarding house. The story is that John Wilkes Booth and his comrades planned the Lincoln murder plot behind those walls, which is now rumored to be haunted. The actual restaurant is quite good though and features a sushi bar, a TV showing news programs with captioning and some nice window seating. On 10th Street is Ford’s Theatre, and the theatre’s authentic feel makes it one of the best museums in the city.
Across the street from Wok and Roll stands a Washington institution, Tony Cheng’s. The bottom level serves Mongolian barbecue, where customers personally assemble the fresh produce and frozen meats for their stir-fry and watch cooks prepare it alongside other orders. Chinatown Express at 746 6th St NW is also a popular pilgrimage spot. People stop by the store window and watch the cooks make fresh noodles and dumplings.
Gallery Place-Chinatown is one of the best places I have found to conduct in-depth research. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is the main branch of D.C. Public Libraries and has the most extensive collection of any public library in the city. Established in 1905, the Washingtoniana Division has over 25,000 books about the District of Columbia and houses rare historical photos. The Washingtoniana has government documents, newspapers, census records, city directories, 2,000 postcards and 8,000 maps dating from 1612 to present. The Washington Star collection spans from 1906 to 1972. With such a long historical record, this is a good place to start a genealogy project.
In addition, the large library has many places to read and write and many windows to gaze out from. For example, the Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion Division has an amazing view of the Verizon Center area. Another option for a studious afternoon is Olsson’s Books and Records, a locally owned store with a cool, artsy environment. The National Portrait Gallery also is centrally located and is open daily for an inspiring stroll from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
In a beautiful old Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square is the Historical Society of Washington D.C. Only a 5-minute stroll from Chinatown, it is well worth the walk, even just to view the exterior of the magnificent building. The structure is a shrine to knowledge and the public library system, which affords any person an opportunity to learn and explore, free of charge. The stone benches on either side of the entrance display the words, “A University for the People.” Visiting this building helps me remember how grateful I am to live in a democratic society where I can read and write whatever I want, regardless of my social status, job, or salary.
The Historical Society administers the Kiplinger Library, which is strictly for research. The library’s policies reflect a primary concern with preserving materials for future generations. Be prepared to write your notes in pencil only however. Patrons must also limit their supplies to research materials and a wallet to pay for photocopies. A small locker room outside of the library is available for storing other personal items.
During my last visit, I focused on the map room, which is the only section that seemed truly open for browsing. I paged through the The Baist’s Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Washington, District of Columbia. The books are huge and some of them had plastic protecting the fragile pages. The color-coded maps are actually pieces of art because of its extraordinary detail and handwritten labels.
While flipping through the map books from 1887, 1903, and 1931, I realized that old Washington, D.C. must have had a different feel to it. Common names of some important places have changed too. For example, the White House was labeled “the President’s House” on all of the maps I looked at, and Union Station was the “Freight Station” and “Passenger Station.”
According to the maps, a tuberculosis hospital use to be located off of Arkansas Avenue, and a U.S. Museum of Hygiene was on 23rd and E. The 1903 map showed a flour and feed market at D Street and North Capitol Street NW. Much of this information is not available on the Internet, and these valuable resources are worth exploring if a researcher wants to take his or her work to the next level.
With so many restaurants and venues to observe and people watch, and wonderful places to do research, Gallery Place-Chinatown is a great place to spend a weekend and find some inspiration. In addition, the cluster of stores makes it a place where you can still accomplish a quick errand while focusing on your latest assignment or idea.