Koreatown, Manhattan
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Once focused on fulfilling the needs of New York's burgeoning Korean-American community (according to the U.S. Census, the city's Korean-American population has grown from 69,718 in 1990 to 86,473 in 2000), it has seen an increase in non-Korean traffic in the last few years.
There was never a formal plan or agreement to create a Korean commercial district in Manhattan, since most Koreans settled in Queens. In fact, the concept of K-town didn't even exist. But rents were low and the foot traffic high because of the surrounding office buildings and the proximity to the Garment, Gift Shop and Flower Districts.
So from a bookstore and a handful of restaurants, K-town sprang into being. And with their success, more and more Korean businesses settled in the neighborhood as immigration from Korea grew. By the mid-1980s, the area started to resemble a street in Seoul.