Where Culture and Community Combine

The unsteady steps of a toddler running on the playground. The wrinkled face of a woman playing Mahjong at a picnic table. No matter what stage of life, Alpine Recreation Center welcomes all.

Located in the heart of Chinatown, Alpine Park - the other name it goes by - is the central gathering place for residents. It’s the only park or open space in the entire neighborhood, so naturally people flock to it when they want to play or relax.

“It’s just a great place to come to,” said Maria Sanchez as she watched her two sons play basketball. “When my boys get too much energy or restless, I always take them here and it’s convenient because it’s not like I’m going to drive out of Chinatown to take them to a park.”

The park has many options for those who stop by. There are two outdoor basketball courts, a playground equipped with a jungle gym and swings, and a grass field for soccer or Tai Chi lessons. Inside the center, there’s an auditorium and two other gyms that have two basketball and volleyball courts.

The two outdoor basketball courts are a breeding ground for new friendships. The courts face the street, so each bounce of the ball and swish of the net is heard to those who pass by. Those sounds act as an invitation, encouraging anyone in the vicinity to join in a game of pickup basketball with strangers that soon will become friends.

“My sons are competitive and they love meeting the other kids who play basketball here,” said Sanchez. “You really do feel like you meet people when you come here, even I meet some of the other kids’ moms just by sitting here and watching them. A mom will be watching her kid and suddenly we start talking. That’s something that wouldn’t happen if you were out grocery shopping or something like that. In that sense, it’s different here.”

The friendships formed at Alpine Park are not just for kids and their moms, even adults know that Alpine Park is a place to meet people in Chinatown.

“I had just moved here and so I came down to play basketball just in the hopes of meeting people,” said Ramsey Kim while taking a break from his basketball game. “It actually worked, I was able to meet people. That’s why I come here, because it’s one of the easiest places in Chinatown to meet new people. Now that might not have worked in some other parks because they don’t have the community that we do here.”

While the park is a place to form new friendships, it is also a place to continue lifelong friendships. In one corner of the park, elderly Chinese men sit under an awning, laughing and carrying on while playing card games like blackjack. Sometimes they take breaks from their card playing and just sit and survey the park and those who play in it.

“They come and sit there everyday,” said Kim. “That’s there thing. These men, they’ve known each other for years and years and yet they still talk and laugh like they haven’t seen each other in forever. I wish I could talk to them to see what they’re like but, I don’t speak Cantonese.”

In the middle of the park, elderly Chinese women sit at picnic tables and play games like Mahjong. They intensely focus on their games while also talking loudly in their native language, laughing at each other’s jokes.

“We have a mutual respect,” said Theo Thomas, who has taught Martial Arts in the park for six years. “They sit there everyday. That’s what they do. They usually ask me to help move their table or something but other than that we have a non-verbal communication because we don’t speak the same language. That doesn’t stop us from getting along though.”

When they need a break, the elderly women knit or read old books. On occasion, they will babysit their grandchildren - trying to keep up with the kids quick steps on the playground.

Both the elderly men and women represent a traditional Chinese culture. Both groups are lively and have fun together while playing games. At the same time, they are taking time out of their day to relax and enjoy one another’s company. In today’s society, resting is considered waisting time and having a moment to sit still and do something for recreation is very rare.

The elderly men and women set the tone for the park. Their Chinese culture permeates to others as they too take time out of their day to sit and read a book or play a game of basketball with others. Many people even come to practice Martial Arts or Tai Chi together - something that is part of the Chinese culture and identity. Afterwards, these people stay and chat with each other, catch up on each other’s lives or even share YouTube videos on their phones.

That’s what makes the Alpine Recreation Center so unique to other parks in Los Angeles, there seems to be an appreciation for fellowship and recreation. When you go to Alpine Park, there’s a tangible sense of community and culture that values taking a moment out of your day to play, rest, laugh and have fun.

“I have been to other parks… it’s not… it’s not the same, ” said Thomas. “It’s more disconnected, there’s no sense of comradeship or camaraderie.”