Live Turtles, Bubble Tea, and Vintage Shoes

Having actually been to China twice, I've always marveled at how much Chinatown resembles its Motherland. Crowded streets, live animals, amazingly adventurous food, and beautiful Buddhist Temples are right there among the grunge and grime of everyday life. While the idea of the gentrification forces taking hold in such a unique New York mainstay turns my stomach a bit, the below photo of the new Ludlow Street Girls Love Shoes boutique from today's NYTimes profile, is sticky sweet eye candy.

Somehow it fits right in with the pop-up jewelery outposts and multiplied rows of counterfeit bags that currently line the streets. As long as my beloved steamed dumplings, vanilla cake carts, and buckets of live turtles don't go anywhere, I can live with a cute (vintage!) shoe store moving in. However, this image just makes me fear a Soho-like gentricide:

Here's to hoping that the Chinatown I know doesn't disappear too soon.