By Shirley N Lew
Photos courtesy CPLDC
Shopping is probably the biggest holiday activity this time of the year and it should be no different in New York City’s Chinatown and Little Italy.
To kick off the holidays, the two 
communities held an “East Meets West” event last Saturday on 114 Mulberry Street that included musical performances by a local senior citizens group, a poodle act, a Chinese lion dance, Santa Claus, free hot cocoa and more. Toy donations were also being accepted for the Wounded Warrior Project.
This is the second annual East Meets West event. Last year’s format was a parade. The change to stage performances encouraged visitors to stay in the area.
Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation and the Little Italy Merchants Association have joined forces to revitalize their communities and commerce throughout the year by offering local events to attract more shoppers. They have been more collaborative in the recent years as a result of the September 11 attacks which impacted them financially.
Saturday’s event was also presented by L.I.S.A. Project, also known as the Little Italy Street Art.