| Chinatown tips and photos posted by real travelers and San Francisco locals.
Bordered by Broadway, Bush, Kearny, Stockton sts.
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Chinatown is no recent tourist invention, but a thriving neighborhood since the Gold Rush of 1849. Grant Avenue offers the heavily photographed Chinatown Gate and the most ornate Asian architecture but the true essence of the neighborhood is more readily observable a couple streets over on Stockton Street, especially in the early morning when locals are out buying their produce and freshly butchered meat. Live frogs, blue chickens, you name it. You’ll feel like you’re not in the United States, but you are. Chinatown is about as San Francisco as you can get so enjoy it. It’s free to look but get right in and buy something or have something to eat. It’s inexpensive, great quality, and fun too.
On 2008 return visit, Chinatown was the first place we rushed to. Leave a Comment
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The reality of Chinatown is that there are two Chinatowns: One belongs to the locals, the other charms the tourists. They overlap and dance with each other, drawing more visitors annually than the Golden Gate Bridge.
Why the popularity? Because visitors expect something they won't find anywhere else. They expect to be stunned and enchanted and stuffed with great food. And they will. You don't need an itinerary to tackle Chinatown. Wandering aimlessly, weaving between locals and ducking into shops is enough of a plan. Main Street for tourists is Grant Avenue, which is more about cheap and kitschy plastic Buddhas than the long heritage of Chinatown. It should definitely be seen, but moving on to the next block can be more rewarding.
Chinatown is located in downtown San Francisco. It is roughly bordered by Powell Street and the Nob Hill District on the west. On the east is Kearny Street and The City's Financial District. On the north is North Beach and Green Street and Columbus Street. On the south is Bush Street and the Union Square area.
Within Chinatown there are two major thoroughfares. One is Grant Avenue, with the famous Dragon gate on the corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue; St. Mary's Park that boasts a statue of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen; a war memorial to Chinese war veterans; and a plethora of stores, restaurants and mini-malls that cater mainly to tourists. The other, Stockton Street, is frequented less often by tourists, and it presents an authentic Chinese look and feel, reminiscent of Hong Kong, with its produce and fish markets, stores, and restaurants. Chinatown boasts smaller side streets and alleyways that also provide an authentic character. Another major focal point in Chinatown is Portsmouth Square. Due to its being one of the few open spaces in Chinatown, Portsmouth Square bustles with activity such as Tai Chi and old men playing Chinese chess. A replica of the Goddess of Democracy used in the Tiananmen Square protest was built in 1999 by Thomas Marsh, and stands in the square. Directions: Ornamental gate at Grant and Bush intersection.Website: http://www.sfchinatown.com/ Other Contact: www.sanfranciscochinatown.com
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 China Town by Waalewiener
Town an you can find the traditional Chinese herbs and food etc.
You go through Pagoda Gates at Grant Avenue and Bush ,and at night the neon lights are fantastic and give that Chinese atmosphere. Leave a Comment
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 China Town by Waalewiener
Town an you can find the traditional Chinese herbs and food etc.
You go through Pagoda Gates at Grant Avenue and Bush ,and at night the neon lights are fantastic and give that Chinese atmosphere. Leave a Comment
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 dragon-guarded gateway by smschley
There are some tacky curio shops, but the 30,000 Chinese, most of whom speak Cantonese, live in a tightly knit, distinctly un-Western community. It's a great place for casual wandering through narrow alleys, where on quiet afternoons you can hear the clack of mahjong tiles from behind screen doors, or discover a small eatery whose proprietor can teach you the intricacies of chopsticks, or see workers hand-making fortune cookies in Ross Alley.
The narrow streets are crowded with residents and tourists, here for the curio shops, herb markets, pagodas and restaurants. The shops along Grant Street, the main thoroughfare, cater to the tourist trade. For a less commercial experience the area you should visit is located between Stockton Street and Grant Street, which has the best Chinatown atmosphere.
Besides the well known Chinatown Gate, the approx. 24-block area contains a lot of pagoda-roofed buildings, as well as nicely decorated lamp posts and phone booths in Chinese style. Chinatown also has several temples; three of them are located in the Waverly Place, which is also known as the 'street of painted balconies'. This street is certainly worth a visit. Another nice and much-photographed place in Chinatown is the corner of California and Grant, which has some nice pagoda-roofed buildings Leave a Comment
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 The Drago Gate by Carmela71
Lots of shops (souvenirs), restaurants, temples.... But it was the people’s faces, the food vendors... and the dried fish.... what will go with me in my memory forever....
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 China Town by Waalewiener
Town and you can find the traditional Chinese herbs and food etc.
You go through Pagoda Gates at Grant Avenue and Bush ,and at night the neon lights are fantastic and give that Chinese atmosphere. Leave a Comment
|
 China Town by Waalewiener
Town an you can find the traditional Chinese herbs and food etc.
You go through Pagoda Gates at Grant Avenue and Bush ,and at night the neon lights are fantastic and give that Chinese atmosphere. Leave a Comment
|
 Chinatown, San Francisco by karenincalifornia
The best streets are Stockton and Grant. Leave a Comment
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Part of one of my favorite walks....
Take the California St. cablecar up to Grace Church on Nob Hill.
Then walk back down the hill (east) into Chinatown and enjoy something San Francisco can give you that few other cities can...
a quick snap from Grant & California St. ---------> Leave a Comment
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