{"id":885456,"date":"2026-10-17T11:30:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T11:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/885456\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T11:30:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T11:30:15","slug":"forever-puddle-in-chinatown-seems-gone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/885456\/","title":{"rendered":"Forever puddle in Chinatown seems gone"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a Boston Globe front-page story<\/a>, crews cleared a storm drain in the alley of gravel, pumped water out, and then injected bacteria into the underground drainage pipe to eat away any restaurant grease build-up in the line, according to abutters. Now, the rain-fueled pool has shrunk exponentially.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe puddle last month.Lane Turner\/Globe Staff\"TheThe puddle on October 14.Meleck Eldahshoury for The Boston Globe<\/p>\n

It used to be 30 paces long, but after a recent rain it was maybe four. And Friday morning\u2019s showers only filled small, disconnected divots in the pavement with water.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are so happy,\u201d said Baolian Kuang, a community organizer in the neighborhood of residents who have complained of mosquitoes and mildew caused by the puddle for years. \u201cThey finally see something happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"WaterWater drained through a sewer grate after the city of Boston intervened.Meleck Eldahshoury for The Boston Globe<\/p>\n

Jodi Wang, whose father Xin Wu Wang and runs Taiwan Cafe, which overlooks the alley, said no one did anything about the huge pool for years. In a neighborhood that has a lengthy history of political marginalization<\/a>, it was another oversight to shoulder. <\/p>\n

Now, residents are sharing photos and videos of workers in high-vis vests pumping mud and water out of the alley, revealing that, yes, a drain did exist at the bottom of the puddle, along with deeply rutted pavement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe City has taken steps to address those concerns in close coordination with residents and property owners, including multiple site visits by the Boston Water & Sewer Commission to clear debris from an existing catch basin and improve drainage,\u201d said a city spokesperson in a statement.<\/p>\n

The spokesperson continued, \u201cWhile these efforts have provided important temporary relief, we will continue to partner with property owners on long-term solutions that improve quality of life for Chinatown residents and businesses, and we will enforce accountability for the neighborhood public health impacts when a private alley is not properly maintained.\u201d <\/p>\n

For some in the neighborhood, which is among Boston\u2019s poorest, the puddle came to represent something much more than brownish-green water and clouds of mosquitoes in what is otherwise an urban canyon.<\/p>\n

Chinatown has weathered neglect and sometimes outright hostility from government authorities for generations. Carved up by highway construction and saddled with a red light district decades ago, Chinatown is currently burdened by bad air quality<\/a> and targeted by casinos<\/a>. Temperature-wise, it\u2019s the city\u2019s hottest neighborhood<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The puddle swamped Ping On Alley, also known as Alley of Peace and Security, a historic spot where Boston\u2019s first Chinese immigrants pitched their tents in 1875, according to a nearby plaque. Until the 1950s, a communal roasting oven, used by residents and restaurants alike, was located here.<\/p>\n

Since the 19th century, the plaque informs passersby, \u201cthis site has been central to the lives of a growing Chinese community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nowadays, Ping On Alley, which is a private way with public access, is more eyesore than historic tourist destination, with the huge puddle long anchoring the urban decay.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe puddle last month.Lane Turner\/Globe Staff\"TheThe alley on October 14. Meleck Eldahshoury for The Boston Globe<\/p>\n

For years, Wang\u2019s father would drive through the puddle each day.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny major rainstorm, it would be just be a big puddle again,\u201d said Wang. \u201cIt\u2019s just something that happens, you get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Wang is among those skeptical about whether a permanent solution has been found.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe jury\u2019s still out,\u201d he said this week.<\/p>\n

One abutter, Wilson Lee, agrees that the most recent unclogging of the drain, while welcome, is a temporary fix. There are at least a dozen abutters, said Lee, who are planning to hire a civil engineer to examine the alley\u2019s drainage line.<\/p>\n

Lee praised city authorities for bringing together the various abutters, a cooperative effort that he said was a difficult thing to pull off. <\/p>\n

If there is damage to the drainage infrastructure, the group plans to fix it and split the cost of the job, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obviously something we want to get done right,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Globe correspondent Bryan Hecht contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

Danny McDonald can be reached at daniel.mcdonald@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @Danny__McDonald<\/a>.<\/p>\n