The Chinatown Block Watch, One Year Later

A daily mix of stories about cities, city life, and our always evolving neighborhoods and skylines. [Curbed]( FRIDAY, APRIL 2 anti-asian hate [The Chinatown Block Watch, One Year Later]( Including local grandmothers and men in combat gear, this 40-member patrol watches for anti-Asian attacks in the neighborhood. Photo: Jeenah Moon/REUTERS On a Thursday afternoon in late February, half a dozen members of the Chinatown Block Watch gathered on Mott Street. Among the day’s volunteers were an upbeat woman with bright purple hair, a ponytailed man walking a friend’s dog (a Bernese mountain dog named Simba whom several passersby stopped to pet), and a tall, imposing figure dressed from head to toe in what looked (at least from afar) like military-style combat gear, provoking double takes everywhere he went. That week, they were observing a poignant anniversary: one year since they began patrolling Chinatown in response to the rise in harassment against Asian Americans. Weeks before the citywide lockdown went into effect last March, Chinatown had already become something of a ghost town as misinformation and fear about COVID-19 — exacerbated by anti-Chinese sentiments spouted by the former president — kept many people from patronizing the neighborhood. And as streets emptied across the neighborhood and across the city, the number of violent attacks against Asian New Yorkers increased dramatically. [Continue reading »]( Never miss a story from Curbed: [Subscribe now.]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( The Latest [Whitney Hu’s Favorite Spots in Sunset Park Yemeni breakfast, unlimited hot pot, and the perfect parking lot for events.]( [A Carefully Crafted Mid-Century Time Capsule on the Concourse The two-bedroom apartment is packed with details inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, Joseph Eichler, and Eero Saarinen (among others).]( By Jenny Xie [We Unearthed the 35 Best Rent Deals in NYC Right Now Our picks this week include several especially bright corner apartments in Midtown, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope.]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read More From Curbed]( [Subscribe to New York]( [Subscribe to New York]( Getunlimited access]( more great stories from New York, home of Intelligencer, the Cut, Vulture, Curbed, Grub Street, and the Strategist. [SUBSCRIBE NOW]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe](param=curbed) | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on e-mail newsletters please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 11th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2021, All rights reserved