вЂњWe saw that tourism and the restaurant sectors alone are not sufficient to support a vibrant, sustained authentic neighborhood for local residents,вЂќ he says. Yu explains the neighborhoodвЂ™s economic challenges date to the collapse of the garment industry - which was a primary anchor of employment - caused by 9/11. (The third event is scheduled for Friday, September 10th.) But the goal of starting a night market goes back years. Think!Chinatown and Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) became part of Neighborhoods NowвЂ™s second cohort this February and launched the first Chinatown Nights in June. ItвЂ™s supported by Neighborhoods Now, an initiative connecting the New York neighborhoods hardest-hit by the pandemic with design firms for pro-bono, community-centered work. The vision is Chinatown Nights, an open-air cultural festival in the heart of the neighborhood designed to be responsive to community needs.

This summer, the pair realized a long-time vision they believe can translate into deeper economic revitalization and support of small business owners. Throughout it all, Yin Kong, the director of Think!Chinatown, and Thomas Yu, co-executive director of Asian Americans for Equality, only invested deeper into their community - from organizing housing, food and business relief to tracking the local impacts of COVID-19. This Festival Is a Celebration of Black Beer Culture.The Nonprofit That Puts Art Inside Laundromats (And Wherever Else People Are).

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