91ÊÓƵ

I have spent a lot of time on 82nd Avenue lately, mostly due to an insatiable craving for Dim Sum.

Over the years, 82nd Avenue has attracted quite a reputation, and not a good one. But I think it’s time we celebrate some of the areas where 82nd gets it right: giving those Asian businesses who couldn’t afford to stay in Old Town a place uniquely their own.

Back to the Dim Sum. I’ve been frequenting , a green pagoda-topped restaurant off 82nd and Division. While stuffing my face with in Legin’s giant banquet room, I noticed the room’s unique circular doorway (which I cannot find a photo of online, but it looks similar to ). Despite looking a little run down, Legin’s circular doorways and pagoda-style roof line are nods to traditional Chinese architecture.

Pagodas are dome shaped structures originally intended to house sacred texts. In modernity, they can often be found flanking the roofs of Chinese restaurants, like Legin. I don’t know if this practice is seen as a good or bad thing by Chinese architects, but it certainly adds some interest to the more drab restaurants along 82nd.

Similarly, circular entrances are a traditional element of classical Chinese gardens; they represent the moon. On 82nd, they have more interior purposes in restaurants and shopping centers, including a massive one at the entrance of the .

As more urban planning is done along 82nd Avenue, I wonder if any effort will be made to incorporate more Asian-inspired architectural elements in new buildings there.