What makes a neighborhood famous? It could be that the a family-owned neighborhood restaurant makes the best pizza in town, or the neighborhood coffee shop makes delicious gourmet coffees and teas, or where one person brought their community together to stop crime in their neighborhood. Many things can make a neighborhood famous, so let’s look at some USA neighborhoods and what made them famous.
Greenwich Village – You have to be living under a rock if you have not heard of this popular New York neighborhood. The neighborhood is from Greenwich Street to North Houston Street. What made this neighborhood famous is it actually was a little village back in the colonial days. Some of America’s best artists and writers have come from this neighborhood, and the gay lesbian movement was born in this neighborhood.
Chinatown – Chinatown is another popular and famous neighborhood in New York City. This neighborhood is located on Canal Street around Broadway and the Manhattan Bridge. It is famous for the people that made this part of the city their home. The Chinese immigrants came to the United States for the American dream and to share their culture with others. You will find many shops and restaurants that host the food and culture of China.
The Art District – The Art district is located in downtown Los Angeles, California. It was originally an industrial business neighborhood. It was transformed in the late 1970s into what is known now as the Art district. Today this neighborhood is famous for its art galleries, photography studios, and graphic artist studios as well as the proud host to the Southern California Institute of Architecture.
The Flower District – Also located in downtown Los Angeles, California this neighborhood is famous for, you guessed it – flowers. Here is where you can go get fresh flowers at wholesale prices.
Bucktown - This is a famous residential neighborhood in located in Chicago. It is famous due to the neighborhood houses. It features old fashion brick homes that have been lovingly restored and new condominiums that have been built; making this neighborhood a mix of old and new. Nearby Damn Street hosts boutiques, shops, dining, and entertainment. Though what truly makes this neighborhood shine is its transformation from being on the decline to it now being one of Chicago’s most vibrant residential neighborhoods.
Capitol Hill – We are talking about the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. It is famous for being the oldest and most culturally blended neighborhood in Denver. It is also famous for being the predominate neighborhood of the gay and lesbian community as well as the punk community of Denver.
There you have it, some famous USA neighborhoods. What is outstanding or unique about your neighborhood?
By World Barrios Contributor: Janis Cramlett
About the Author: Janis Cramlett is a free lance writer, her website is JannyCWriter Freelance Writing Services
Flickr photo of Greenwich Village, New York City by Jim Linwood
The subway stations were packed full of people, especially during the holiday season. Coming up out of the subway and into the middle of one of the world’s leading international financial centers, I was in awe. It was a shoppers paradise from high-end stores to bargain haggling on the street. Wikipedia describes it well, “Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where “East meets West”, reflecting the culture’s mix of the territory’s Chinese roots with influences from its time as a British colony. Hong Kong balances a modernized way of life with traditional Chinese practices.”
Next, we went on to Victoria Harbor where we rode the Star Ferry and saw Hong Kong’s famous “Symphony of Lights” show. I recommend the one hour tour. The light show wasn’t quite as dramatic as expected, but it was fun. As we were walking through the boat station my son noticed a poster advertising a huge fine and imprisonment for littering in the water. I started noticing other posters about littering as well. This focus on environmentalism made me think back to the few cars on the road and the clean city streets. I wondered if this environmental mind set was part of the mainstream attitude of Hong Kong residents. 
The next day we traveled to Ocean Park. This amusement park is set on a hill overlooking the beautiful Hong Kong Harbor. The cable car ride alone is worth the price of admission (about $20 USD). After visiting the subpar amusement parks in Seoul, South Korea I was surprised at the high quality this park offered. I started noticing signs around celebrating Earth day with no straws. I asked my husband about this and he told me that straws killed birds because they eat them and choke. Looking at my Ocean Park brochure I discovered that Ocean Park Corporation is a not-for-profit organization whose “mission is to provide guests with memorable experiences that combine entertainment and education, while inspiring life long learning and conservation advocacy”. Then it adds, “Please respect and conserve nature. Part of your admission goes to Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong”. Environmental friendliness was everywhere. The park has rides for all ages as well as entertaining shows such as Chinese acrobats and seasonal offerings. The last week of December had many Christmas shows and attractions. 
In the evening we shopped on temple street in downtown Hong Kong. This night market opens at 6PM and is a bargain hunters dream with lots of name brand items at discounted prices. You can also haggle with the shop keepers to get the price lowered. There are a lot of popular places to eat here. Great Chinese food for pennies. Keep in mind; however, that the food in Hong Kong is not like American Chinese (South Asian food), but more influenced by North Asian tastes. Our favorite was Hong Kong’s specialty Dim Sum (not to be missed!). 
Our last day, we went down town to see the 2011 New Years parade, a record breaking Dragon and Lion Dance extravaganza. 1,111 Chinese traditional lions dancing together. We joined in the parade of lions as they walked down the streets of Hong Kong. Even though we saw the parade on Salisbury road, the street of wonderful Hong Kong Museums, we didn’t have time to visit them. Instead we went back to our hotel which was down the street from the Heritage Museum in Shatin. This museum was highly recommended to us and it didn’t disappoint. It included art, photography and history for adults and a kids museum for the little ones. 
