Doyers Street, street in Chinatown, Manhattan
Doyers Street is a short, narrow street in Manhattan's Chinatown with a sharp curve in the middle. Old brick buildings, tight sidewalks, and historic facades define the space, while small shops and restaurants like Nam Wah Tea Parlor line the path.
The street developed around Hendrik Doyer's distillery and became Chinatown's core area. In the late 1800s, it hosted the first Chinese-language theater in New York City from 1893 to 1911, but it also became a center of gang violence, particularly during tong conflicts in the early 1900s.
The street is named after Dutch immigrant Hendrik Doyer, who owned a distillery and tavern here in 1791. Today, visitors and locals use this narrow, winding passage to explore old brick buildings, small shops, and historic spots like Nam Wah Tea Parlor, which has served dim sum since 1920.
The street is narrow and winding with paved sidewalks best explored on foot. To truly grasp the feeling of the place, walk slowly and take in the old buildings and small shops along the way.
The street's sharp angle earned the nickname 'Bloody Angle' in the 1800s because rival tong groups hid and fought there. One particularly infamous moment was in 1905 when Hip Sing Tong members threw firecrackers during an opera show and opened fire on the audience, causing many injuries and deaths.
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