Chinatown’s living room for decades, Portsmouth Square, closed on Wednesday for a long-awaited $73 million renovation.
The construction is expected to last two years. It may be much longer by San Francisco speed. In the meantime, folks living in nearby SROs, and the Asian seniors who come from all over the city to Portsmouth Square are having to make do without a central gathering space to dance, hang out, work out, play poker, and beat the loneliness that sometimes comes in old age.
When construction first began on Wednesday, Asian seniors were still showing up to the square, a little unsure of where to gather next. A few hours later, it became clear that many had elected not to leave at all. They set up their card games outside the green fencing closing off the square, and proceeded with business as usual…