A Few Blocks Apart

01 / The distance between

Seen through a chain-link fence, Chinatown’s storefronts and apartment buildings stretch toward Manhattan’s Civic Center, where courthouses rise only a few blocks away.

The short distance between them reveals two neighboring worlds shaped by distinctly different rhythms of daily life.

02 / Civic Center

A formal rhythm

A woman climbing the broad courthouse steps beneath stone columns — A woman climbs the broad steps of the New York State Supreme Court at 60 Centre Street. Just blocks from Chinatown’s crowded sidewalks and storefronts, the courthouse presents a quieter, more formal rhythm of daily life.

A New York City police officer on the courthouse steps — Simon Peterford, a New York City police officer, stands framed by the courthouse’s towering stone columns. His uniform and steady posture reflect the controlled rhythm of the civic district bordering Chinatown.

A lawyer checking his phone near the Manhattan courthouses — A lawyer checks his phone on his way to work near the Manhattan courthouses.

A man in a dark suit outside a Manhattan courthouse — A man in a dark suit stands outside a Manhattan courthouse, where the formality of the legal district meets the city’s everyday movement.

03 / The crossing

Two worlds share a table

A man in a suit pausing for lunch beside a local customer in Chinatown — Inside a Chinese convenience store in Chinatown, a man in a suit pauses for lunch beside a local customer, bringing two worlds together in the same everyday space.

“The courthouse and the neighborhood are close enough to enter the same frame.”

04 / Chinatown

The neighborhood moves

The red awning of Wah Fung No. 1 Fast Food in Chinatown — Just blocks from Manhattan’s courthouses, customers gather outside Wah Fung No. 1 Fast Food, a small shop known for affordable Cantonese roast meats and rice. Its steady line reflects the neighborhood’s busy daily rhythm.

Roasted pork and chicken behind a weathered storefront window — Behind a weathered storefront window, roasted pork and chicken are sold with rice for $6.

A chef chopping roast duck inside Wah Fung No. 1 Fast Food — Li, a chef from Fujian Province, chops roast duck inside Wah Fung No. 1 Fast Food. Preparing each plate carefully is part of the daily routine that keeps the Chinatown shop moving.

05 / Street life

Afternoons in the open air

An older man smoking and playing cards under a wide straw hat — Beneath the shade of a wide straw hat, an older man smokes and plays cards in a Chinatown park.

A hand of cards catching the afternoon light in a Chinatown park — A hand of cards catches the afternoon light as players gather around a table, continuing a familiar neighborhood ritual only blocks from Manhattan’s courthouses.

06 / The sidewalk

Pause, talk, trade

Three Chinatown residents sitting outside a storefront — Three Chinatown residents pause outside a storefront, resting and talking as the neighborhood moves around them.

Used shoes, kitchen utensils, and household goods arranged on the sidewalk — Used shoes, kitchen utensils and household goods are arranged for sale on a Chinatown sidewalk.

A woman crossing Market Street beneath the Manhattan Bridge — A woman crosses Market Street beneath the Manhattan Bridge, surrounded by Chinatown’s shops and daily traffic.

A man on the phone with the courthouse district behind him

07 / A few blocks apart

At the edge of Chinatown, a man takes a phone call with the courthouse district behind him.

A FewBlocks Apart

A formal rhythm

Two worlds share a table

The neighborhood moves

Afternoons in the open air

Pause, talk, trade

The two worlds remain only blocks apart—different in rhythm, yet inseparable within the same city.

A Few
Blocks Apart