Waverly Place, the street of painted balconies

Look up. At street level, Waverly Place seems like just another alley, with laundromats, print shops and small stores. But on the upper floors the balconies are dressed in red, green and gold. Behind them are the temples and the headquarters of the associations that held the neighborhood together for generations.

1Associations and temples

During the exclusion years, when Chinese immigrants could neither bring their families over nor become citizens, district and family associations were almost everything: they helped people find work, lent money, settled disputes and sent the remains of the dead back to their home villages. Many still have their headquarters here.

On the top floor of number 125 is the Tin How Temple, dedicated to the goddess of the sea who protected sailors. Founded in 1852, it claims to be the oldest Chinese temple in the United States. Like the rest of the street, it burned in 1906 and was rebuilt.

2A street in a novel

Writer Amy Tan, born in California to Chinese parents, named one of the main characters of «The Joy Luck Club» after this street: Waverly Jong, a chess prodigy who grows up in this neighborhood.

If you go into a temple that's open to the public, be respectful: these are active places of worship, and photography is often not allowed.

3What to look for

• The painted balconies, each in the colors of its association.
• The lanterns and flags on the upper floors.
• The Tin How Temple sign, at number 125.