This post is a continuation of the theme, “What are Chinatown’s boundaries?” Above is a map of the South Cove/Chinatown Neighborhood Council boundaries (download a larger [1] Chinatown Neighborhood Council Boundary here) taken from the Chinatown Master Plan 2000. The Chinatown Neighborhood Council was formed in the late 1980s during the creation of the Chinatown Community Plan, 1990. This map extends south of the I-90 Mass Turnpike to East Berkeley Street. The boundaries of the CNC are broader than the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s zoning boundaries for Chinatown and which we had [2] posted here earlier.

While zoning boundaries sets the legal code for an area’s use, density, and height, the Chinatown community has gradually moved south of the I-90 Turnpike over the years. The CNC map reflects the large number of Chinese Americans living south of the I-90 Turnpike in the Castle Square apartments as well as businesses such as C-Mart (former Super 88) and Ming’s Market.  What do you think? Are the CNC boundaries you see above more representative of the Chinatown community or is the City’s zoning boundaries?