Cleveland’s AsiaTown, roughly bounded by Superior, Payne, East 29th and East 39th Streets, is small but colorful. Located just east of downtown, the neighborhood features interesting architecture, delicious and varied restaurants, and unique Asian shopping.

Cleveland’s AsiaTown continues to evolve as old families and new investments move to the area, renovating buildings and establishing new businesses.

History

According to the 1890 census, Cleveland’s Chinese community consisted of just 38 residents, most of whom lived in the Old Stone Church area downtown. Gradually, after the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943 and the Communist takeover in Mainland China, the Chinese community in Cleveland migrated to present-day AsiaTown during the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s, the neighborhood welcomed Vietnamese and Korean immigrants as well.

Community

Cleveland’s AsiaTown community has always been tightly-knit. Organizations designed to assist new Chinese residents have traditionally been the backbone of the neighborhood. Additionally, social and cultural societies, along with Chinese language schools, play a vital role. One of the newest aid societies is the Gee How Oak Tin Association, a cooperative representing several of the neighborhood’s most prominent—and successful—families.

Cleveland AsiaTown Restaurants

The compact neighborhood is home to excellent and affordable restaurants. Among the standout options are Bo Loong (located at 39th and St. Clair), a large dining room famous for its dim sum, fresh seafood, and late-night karaoke; #1 Pho (at 31st and Superior), a quintessential Vietnamese noodle house, popular with students and downtown office workers; and Li Wah (at 29th Street and Payne), found in the Asian Plaza shopping center, offering 400 seats, dim sum, and a varied dinner menu.

Food Stores

AsiaTown is the premier location in Cleveland to shop for Asian ingredients and foodstuffs. The Asian Plaza, situated at Payne and East 29th Street, serves as an emporium for all things Chinese. This Asian mini-mall features a restaurant, several food stores, and a gift boutique. Tink Holl, just down the road on East 36th Street, stocks fresh and frozen meat and fish, Asian canned and packaged goods, condiments and spices, as well as beverages and teas.

The Future of Cleveland’s AsiaTown

Cleveland’s AsiaTown is currently experiencing a renaissance. Never “down and out,” today, the neighborhood is filled with new construction and major renovation projects. Among these is the 34-unit apartment building at East 30th and Payne, designed to provide subsidized housing for elderly Chinese-American residents, and the revitalization of Rockwell Avenue, sponsored by the Gee How Oak Tin Association. Therefore, it will be exciting to observe AsiaTown as it reinvents itself.