In Manhattan, New York, playing mahjong has become a popular social activity in the upper class.
Oct 16, 2022
In Manhattan, New York, playing mahjong has become a popular social activity in the upper class.
On Monday afternoons, women from the Upper East Side of New York come to Salabes Restaurant, 381 Park Avenue South. This day is "Mahjong Day" for them. They come here only for one purpose, that is to play mahjong.
Linda Feinstein, the founder of Manhattan Mahjong Club. | Video screenshot
Linda Feinstein, founder of Manhattan Mahjong Club, said: "Most of my club members come from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York. There are also some members from Beverly Hills. They come here for ten days every year and everyone gets together to play mahjong. These famous ladies and women have enough time. Their husbands think that they spend less money here playing mahjong than they spend on shopping on Fifth Avenue. Mahjong is good, and they can naturally get along in the upper class."
According to Linda, who is over 70 years old, she learned mahjong in a family trip when she was 9 years old, and she fell in love with it from then on. She has taught more than 4000 students, including Meryl Poster, an NBC executive, Letty Aronson, a producer at Woody Allen Films, and Judith Ripka, a famous jewelry designer.
In New York around 1920, a group of American women were taking mahjong lessons. | Visual China
Later, Linda founded the Manhattan Mahjong Club in 2005. The club has grown from only 2 tables at the beginning to more than 30 tables now. Members must pay $45 to participate in mahjong activities. In addition to providing mahjong, Linda also provides members with lunch and drinks, and always assists and answers questions.
Linda said, "In Bryant Park There is also a mahjong corner. Because the park is open, there will always be different people coming here. They will be curious about how we play, and we will also be curious about how they play. We will communicate mahjong skills together, and then meet new friends. Women from different backgrounds like learning mahjong. I'm happy to see so many people like mahjong. And these people don't just play mahjong on Mondays. Many people play mahjong every day. "
In the mahjong corner of this park, foreigners can often be seen sitting around a table every four, playing mahjong with relish.
