Chinatown

Chinatown includes a core area that has seven city blocks.  Vine Street is the northern boundary of Chinatown.  This area is known for its Restaurants and shops, with apartment units located above.  Factories and other industrial properties are located on the other side of Vine Street.  Filbert Street serves as the southern border.  Many of the residents of the block were, as of 1998, recent immigrants.  Developments in the 20th century formed the current boundaries of the Philadelphia Chinatown. In the 1920s ramps leading to the Ben Franklin Bridge were constructed at Chinatown's northern edge. At another point, the city condemned an area east of what is now Chinatown so that the new headquarters of the Philadelphia Police Department, Independence Mall, and a hospital could be constructed.