A New China Town?

**Hermod** · June-01-21, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by ShadowSoarer

Although would be nice if Metro Detroit had large concentration of Asian businesses in one area.

Go out John R and Dequindre from 9 to 15 mile. Quite a concentration there.

**ShadowSoarer** · June-01-21, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Go out John R and Dequindre from 9 to 15 mile. Quite a concentration there.

There is also Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Canton, Farmington Hills, Novi, and West Bloomfield, but it is still too spread out. I’m talking more along the lines of continuous Asian businesses; something similar to Middle Eastern businesses on Michigan Ave or Warren Ave in Dearborn or Mexican businesses along Vernor in Southwest Detroit.

If something like that were to happen today it would likely be something like the Asian shopping plazas on Spring Mountain Road in Las Vegas, Stockton Blvd in Sacramento, Bellaire Blvd in Houston, etc.

**Hermod** · June-01-21, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by ShadowSoarer

There is also Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Canton, Farmington Hills, Novi, and West Bloomfield, but it is still too spread out. I’m talking more along the lines of continuous Asian businesses; something similar to Middle Eastern businesses on Michigan Ave or Warren Ave in Dearborn or Mexican businesses along Vernor in Southwest Detroit.

If something like that were to happen today it would likely be something like the Asian shopping plazas on Spring Mountain Road in Las Vegas, Stockton Blvd in Sacramento, Bellaire Blvd in Houston, etc.

Eden Center at Seven Corners in Northern Virginia started with just a smattering of Vietnamese businesses and over the years as storefronts changed hands became solid Vietnamese.

**masterblaster** · June-01-21, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by ShadowSoarer

There is also Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Canton, Farmington Hills, Novi, and West Bloomfield, but it is still too spread out. I’m talking more along the lines of continuous Asian businesses; something similar to Middle Eastern businesses on Michigan Ave or Warren Ave in Dearborn or Mexican businesses along Vernor in Southwest Detroit.

If something like that were to happen today it would likely be something like the Asian shopping plazas on Spring Mountain Road in Las Vegas, Stockton Blvd in Sacramento, Bellaire Blvd in Houston, etc.

There was such a suburban-style development planned in Novi, the pandemic might have killed it, who knows. The website is still up, the last news report about it was March 2020:

https://sakuranovi.com/

https://www.hometownlife.com/story/n...er/4943018002/

**masterblaster** · June-01-21, 08:03 PM

Looks like there is an update from the "Japan News Club", excerpt below:

The development group, Sakura Novi Land Development, LLC, is now working with the City of Novi to secure the final rezoning of the land, with the hope of having shovels in the ground in Fall 2021 and the Grand Opening in Spring 2023. Especially with the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, it has been a long journey to get to this point. There have been many technical details to work out. For example, One World Market was a development partner until they opted to expand in their current location, into the newly vacated adjacent restaurant space. Fortunately, the expanded Japanese market remains as an anchor in the vision of an Asian-themed district integrated into Novi’s downtown.
As Novi City Council contemplates the next steps in the development process, including the essential rezoning of the land, they will each need to reflect on whether they believe that Sakura Novi’s effort to create a hospitable international district is still a strong approach to Novi’s on-going evolution. From all the positive comments that have been and will be written and said about Sakura Novi, we believe the clear answer is “absolutely”!

**softailrider** · June-01-21, 09:33 PM

Chinatown would be nice but I would settle for a halfway decent Chinese restaurant around here.

**Satiricalivory** · June-02-21, 09:15 AM

^ Try Bunny Bunny on Gratiot.

**GPCharles** · June-02-21, 12:26 PM

My favorite is Evergreen in Ann Arbor. Believe it or not, it's in the crotch of a strip center on Plymouth Road. Great place!

**kuuma** · June-02-21, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

^ Try Bunny Bunny on Gratiot.

+1 for bunny bunny. you can take your takeout to the rooftop bar right above them for the full hang!

**Roxy** · July-17-21, 01:10 AM

There is little incentive for Asians to build a Chinatown in Detroit proper. So many obstacles, red tape, and higher crime and taxes. Also, I bet most businesses wouldn’t be all that profitable since most Asians in metro Detroit live in the suburbs that already have decent Asian supermarkets and restaurants. If a Chinatown is ever developed in metro Detroit, it would be better off on the west side of town where most Asians are concentrated. Canton, Novi, western part of Farmington Hills, or Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor. The closest I’ve seen to a concentrated area of Asian businesses would be John R Road through Madison Heights.

**Zacha341** · July-17-21, 08:35 AM

^^^ I agree with all of this... they don't need to 'fight' their way into a community. They have established several.

**Danny** · July-19-21, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

Looks like there is an update from the "Japan News Club", excerpt below:

Little Tokyo in Novi, good luck with that. If some Japanese developer can find folks from Japan that will cash in, that city will be turn into Big Kyoto in 40 years. The country-scape of Novi will not be the same.

Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto.

**kuuma** · July-19-21, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Danny

Little Tokyo in Novi, good luck with that. If some Japanese developer can find folks from Japan that will cash in, that city will be turn into Big Kyoto in 40 years. The country-scape of Novi will be the same.

Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto.

i mean that sounds like a pretty spectacular upgrade to me ngl

**royce** · May-22-23, 12:54 AM

How did this thread come up if the last post was from July 2021?

**Jimaz** · May-22-23, 06:36 AM

It's a zombie thread. It must be dispatched with prejudice.

How to Kill a Zombie

**Gistok** · May-22-23, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by royce

How did this thread come up if the last post was from July 2021?

Simple... someone posted a very recent reply... but then deleted it. So it still shows up as a recent thread.

**Jimaz** · May-22-23, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Originally Posted by royce

How did this thread come up if the last post was from July 2021?

Simple... someone posted a very recent reply... but then deleted it. So it still shows up as a recent thread.

I thought the same thing but I tried it in the sandbox and the bumped thread reverted to its former rank after I deleted the new post. Maybe some special circumstances would get different results?

If anyone wants to try it, remember to refresh the page to see the correct results.

So royce's puzzlement remains valid although I doubt anyone really cares. Another possibility is that royce's comment bumped the thread and he's just playing with us but that doesn't fit his modus operandi. LOL

**royce** · May-22-23, 01:29 PM

^Thanks, Jimaz, for making that last statement about me. It's funny, when I responded to the post I said to myself, "Someone might think I pulled up the old post." Not my bag. So, it still begs the question, "How did an old post come up if no one posted something new?" Sounds like a job for Lowell.

**hybridy** · May-22-23, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by royce

^Thanks, Jimaz, for making that last statement about me. It's funny, when I responded to the post I said to myself, "Someone might think I pulled up the old post." Not my bag. So, it still begs the question, "How did an old post come up if no one posted something new?" Sounds like a job for Lowell.

Twas me. I posted the Crain's link about former Chung's rehab not noticing there was already a dedicated thread. Alas, I deleted my comment. Carry on.