43, 44 & 45. Chinatown, Calexico and Little Italy

Newcastle’s traditional ethnic neighborhoods vacillate back and forth from being true ethnic enclaves and tourism-friendly way stations near the Spoke Hill transit station. The 10 to 11 year cycles that punctuate the transition between ethnic neighborhoods and ironic hipster locales off the D Line are invisible to the casual observer, though. Hsu’s genuinely has the best chicken with asparagus and black beans in town, and Chinatown’s midtown market is entirely authentic. Dolce Vita is a perfect place to sip an espresso and munch biscotti or enjoy gelato, and Piave’s mussels are excellent. Calexico is the least ethnically faithful of these neighborhoods, with Anglo-friendly taquerias and a weekend street-festival atmosphere that’s more for souvenir shoppers than Latin purists, but it’s more integrated than Chinatown.

Background

Today they’re “ethnic neighborhoods.” Fifty years ago they were “ghettoes”. The only difference is the amount of money private investors have been able to milk from curious visitors and the local government has been able to generate from Section 8 housing allowances and vendors’ licenses. Ethnic crime used to be a problem in these neighborhoods, but the locals’ appreciation for outside money has tamed that a bit. It’s easier for the cultural organized crime syndicates to collect protection money from neighborhood vendors than to rip each other off for the same couple of thousand dollars that passes from gang to gang. The shop-owners don’t even fight back.

Alternative Name(s)

Ethnic Neighborhoods

Type

District

Location under

New Castle