It’s hard for small shops in New York City’s Chinatown to stay open and do business.
Ting’s Gift Shop has been open for more than sixty years, but they had to close recently. At the corner of Doyers and Pell Streets, there is a store that sells everything from china spoons to pajamas and even jewelry.
“Grandma had everything in the store packed up. She had something in every empty space she could find.” There was use of every space.” What Jona Ting says. The family just told everyone last month that they were closing after decades of business.
“Now it’s empty. When Eleanor Ting talked about her mom’s shop, she said, “I need to return the shop to the landlord, so it’s empty.”
The economy got worse during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which is the main reason why this business and many others have closed. A study found that the pandemic wiped out more than twenty percent of the jobs in Chinatown.
On the other hand, activists say that the years since the virus haven’t really helped the community. A lot of business owners have lived and worked in the area for years and know the people who live and work there.
“We don’t want to lose these legacy businesses,” said Victoria Lee, co-founder of Welcome to Chinatown, a non-profit that helps neighborhood business owners. “A lot of these legacy business owners are close to or past their retirement age.”
Lee says, “They’ve changed the cultural fabric of Chinatown in Manhattan.” She said, “They’ve done such a good job of achieving the American dream.”
