Photograph by Josh Monken
St. Louis’ first Chinatown is long gone. Bordered by Seventh, Tenth, Walnut, and Chestnut streets, it was called Hop Alley—some say because of the “hopheads,” addicts who frequented its opium dens. To outsiders, its streets whispered of tong wars and mysterious murders. In reality, that hiss was more often the wringing of wealthy St. Louisans’ linen shirts at its hand laundries, or the simmer of Chinese dumplings. It held the offices of Chinese doctors and other professionals, and served as a center of Chinese culture. In 1966, St. Louis officials razed Hop Alley to put in a parking lot.
Gradually, a new Chinatown emerged along Olive Boulevard in University City, roughly between Interstate 170 to the west and Midland Boulevard to the east. By 1989, there was just enough activity—a handful of restaurants, a doctor, a newspaper—to justify the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Greater St. Louis. Today, its executive secretary, Eric Huang, can rattle off three Chinese groceries within a tenth of a mile. There are nine Chinese restaurants, two Vietnamese restaurants, and a Japanese restaurant (“We really want this to be Asiatown,” Huang says). The same Chinese doctor remains, as well as two acupuncturists. There are two newspapers, plus an insurance agency, a barbershop, a social-service agency for seniors, and a Buddhist gathering place. Most recently, the owners of Seafood City spent $6 million to expand, and realtor Ken Yeung says the Seafood City owners are converting the rest of the space to create an International Center, an indoor mall with a mix of tenants.
