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Chinatown, New York City

Chinatown - New York City
Chinatown
by Deborahtnc
Chinatown tips and photos posted by real travelers and New York City locals.
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Chinatown: Visit the Chinatown in New York!
  • Tip Rating:
  • jumpingnorman
  • Updated By jumpingnorman on June 7, 2009
  • New York City Page by jumpingnorman
  • Chinatown, NY - New York City
    Chinatown, NY
    by jumpingnorman,
    2 more photos
    June 6, 2009 - We just finished walking the Brooklyn Bridge going from east to west and saw the City Hall of New York, and the map said Chinatown was nearby...I asked 2 Chinese ladies on a bench the direction and they said just follow "Central St".

    True enough, my DNA relatives (I am partly Chinese myself) did not lie...before me were several Chinese restaurants and bargain stores after a short walk. Shirts were being sold for just $3, and great caps for 3 for $10 -- but I came here for the food! It was notable that there were also lots other Asian restaurants, like Vietnamese.

    But this Chinatown is supposedly the biggest Chinese enclave in the USA --- bordered by Chambers Street to the South, East River to the East, Broadway to the West, and Canal Street to the North....that's a huge area. And I saw many more restaurants that iwanted to check out in the next few days!

    There's really not much Chinese architecture as in other Chinatowns -- maybe there is a Chinese pagoda somewhere that I missed? Well, I just like walking around Chinatowns because of my heritage....

    And if you do get lost, not to worry --- subway entrances are accessibly situated...

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  • Directions: Canal Street stop. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area.
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    Chinatown: Great place to look for chinese herbs!
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  • FRONA
  • By FRONA on July 16, 2004
  • New York City Page by FRONA
  • Chinatown - New York City
    Chinatown
    by FRONA
    Chinatown began as a small community of Chinese immigrants seeking work in the West so that they might send home wages to their families still living in the motherland.
    At the turn of the century, Chinatown was isolated and controlled by secret neighborhood organizations collectively known as "The Tongs." Some of the Tongs simply brokered loans within the community; others, such as the "Hip Sing," had formed criminal organizations. Doyers Street was well known as "the bloody angle," where gangs often carried out retribution against their enemies. The Tongs made a truce in 1933 which brought peace to the streets of an agressive Chinatown.

    By 1940 the area had become home to many middle-class families. During the post-war era, businesses and immigrants from Hong Kong brought new wealth to Chinatown. Today, over 80,000 Asian Americans who trace their roots back to the East call Chinatown their home.

    The neighborhood is known for its excellent Chinese cuisin, but its highlight is the Eastern States Buddhist Temple at 64b Mott Street. Inside the Temple, visitors will be delighted by the sight of 100 golden Buddhas shimmering in the candlelight.

    The frequent festivals and parades, as well as the galleries and curio shops create a celebration of Chinese culture that is well worht a visit.

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  • Directions: Canal Street stop. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area.
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    Chinatown: NYC's Chinatown
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  • Gypsystravels
  • Updated By Gypsystravels on January 16, 2008
  • New York City Page by Gypsystravels
  • Musician performing at a square - New York City
    Musician performing at a
    square
    by Gypsystravels, 1 more photos
    Chinatown is a great place to spend a few hours wandering the streets. You can get a great feeling of the Asian community if you just walk around. If you are looking for that special Asian item, you will find it here. If you love to cook, you can find every single item under the sun for that great Chinese meal.

    I love walking around and visiting their many restaurants and shops.

    PLEASE NOTE: Do not come to Chinatown to purchase any of those "knock-off" items. It is illegal and if you are caught you may be fined.

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  • Directions: Canal Street stop. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area.
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    Chinatown: A thriving and still expanding immigrant community
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  • Christophe_Ons
  • By Christophe_Ons on April 8, 2004
  • New York City Page by Christophe_Ons
  • Chinatown - a colourful blend - New York City
    Chinatown - a colourful
    blend
    by Christophe_Ons,
    4 more photos
    If you're not in the mood for Asian cuisine, you're in the wrong area. Chinatown is famous for its restaurants and hectic street life. But there are also galeries, antiques and curioso shops, and Oriental festivals.

    This Chinese immigrant community used to be isolated from the rest of the city, financed and controlled by its own secret family organizations - The Tongs; and it was the scene of bloody gang wars until 1933. By the 40's it was home to many middle class families; and immigrants and businesses from Hong Kong also brought postwar prosperity to the community. Currently more than 150.000 Chinese Americans live in its many tenements and high rise buildings, and many of them work in this concentrated and very self-sufficient area.

    Food is everywhere. Vendors sell wonderful snacks. The markets on Canal St sell some of the best fish, fruit and vegetables in the city. Mott Street is lined with Cantonese and Szechuan restaurants.

    Canal Street is also infamous for its counterfeit (and illegal) designer goods, and you will find shops with inexpensive, one-of-a-kind Chinese import goods all over the place.

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  • Address: Area around Mott / Canal Street
  • Directions: Subway : Canal Street stop. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area.
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    Chinatown: Chinatown
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  • pedmar
  • By pedmar on September 27, 2008
  • New York City Page by pedmar
  • Chinatown New York - New York City
    Chinatown New York
    by pedmar
    the largest chinatown in the US, many good eateries, the art Chinese at its best,and great shopping area. fondly remember Canal Street going to Chinatown

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  • Address: Canal Street lower Manhattan
  • Directions: Canal Street stop. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area.
  • Website: http://www.chinatown-online.com/index.html
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    Chinatown: Chop Sticks anyone!!
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  • scottishvisitor
  • Updated By scottishvisitor on June 13, 2006
  • New York City Page by scottishvisitor
  • Run Down China Town - New York City
    Run Down China Town
    by scottishvisitor
    China Town is a bit run down (excuse the pun) we visited with a tour on a Sunday & most places were shut but we did get to see inside one of the many temples. China town has a lot of nteresting old buildings as well as lots & lots of restaurants & shops.

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  • Directions: Canal Street stop. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area.
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    Chinatown: Walk Around Chinatown
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  • bct341
  • By bct341 on April 11, 2004
  • New York City Page by bct341
  • Chinatown Market - New York City
    Chinatown Market
    by bct341
    Of course, Chinatown has great restaurants with just about every asian cuisine and culture covered. But it is also nice to just walk around Chinatown and feel the ambiance and the vibrancy of this area of manhattan.

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  • Directions: Canal Street stop. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area.
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    Chinatown: Chinatown
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  • bct341
  • By bct341 on April 11, 2004
  • New York City Page by bct341
  • Chinatown - New York City
    Chinatown
    by bct341
    New York City’s Chinatown, the largest Chinatown in the United States—and the site of the largest concentration of Chinese in the western hemisphere—is located on the lower east side of Manhattan. Its two square miles are loosely bounded by Kenmore and Delancey streets on the north, East and Worth streets on the south, Allen street on the east, and Broadway on the west. With a population estimated between 70,000 and 150,000, Chinatown is the favored destination point for Chinese immigrants, though in recent years the neighborhood has also become home to Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Burmese, Vietnamese, and Filipinos among others.

    Chinatown is a tightly-packed yet sprawling neighborhood which continues to grow rapidly despite the satellite Chinese communities flourishing in Queens. Both a tourist attraction and the home of the majority of Chinese New Yorkers, Chinatown offers visitor and resident alike hundreds of restaurants, booming fruit and fish markets and shops of knickknacks and sweets on torturously winding and overcrowded streets.

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  • Directions: Canal Street stop. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area.
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    Chinatown: New York's Chinatown
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  • pigletsmom
  • Updated By pigletsmom on March 1, 2004
  • New York City Page by pigletsmom
  • photo from www.chinatown-online.com - New York City
    photo from
    www.chinatown-online.com
    by pigletsmom
    Chinatown is located in lower Manhattan and is near SoHo and Little Italy. It is a fascinating neighborhood filled with old world tradition.The streets are filled with mysterious restaurants, seafood markets, souvenir shops, and asian delis. The area is designed with lots of asian inspried architecture, colorufl decor, and neon signs. The shops and restaurants tend to flow onto the street. I always feel like I'm on a movie set when I'm in Chinatown. One of my favorite places to visit in the city.

    Food tip: Step into one of the many chilnese delis and ask for sticky sweet rice cakes. They are white, cut in squares, soft, and gooey. I'm addicted to them, and have to buy them by the boxload when I'm in New York.

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  • Address: Lower Manhattan
  • Directions: Canal Street stop. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area.
  • Website: http://www.chinatown-online.com/
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    Chinatown: I don’t speak Chinese!
  • Tip Rating:
  • mindcrime
  • By mindcrime on July 28, 2008
  • New York City Page by mindcrime
  • seafood market in Chinatown - New York City
    seafood market in Chinatown
    by mindcrime, 4 more photos
    Usually the district of the Chinese community outside of China is called Chinatown wherever it is, in Europe, the United States etc and works as the actual working community for them. Believe it or not more than 200.000 people from china live at this district of NY! Because of some Hollywood kung fu films I saw as a kid I wanted to see the area that some of the actors play at!

    All the stores here target to Chinese people as customers, the newspaper are in Chinese etc Of course, the area isn’t just an ethnic ghetto and it is very popular among the tourists too, at least the central part along Canal street where you can find many souvenir shops and a lot of seafood markets (pic 1) where old Chinese ladies go to shop some weird sea creatures that smell bad! :). There are also many markets that sell traditional herbal medicines (no I didn’t try any…) and a lot of street vendors everywhere with some strange exotic fruits. Try to avoid the imitation sunglasses, perfumes and handbags. You’ll find then at the Chinatown of your city too :)

    I walked for a while in the small streets and I barely met with any other than Chinese people, we drunk something at Hon Café where nobody couldn’t understand in English that I just wanted a milkshake so I drunk something else!

    Then we returned back to the small alleys and visited the central park of the area which is the Columbus Park. The Chinese community gather there for socializing. I noticed many ladies under their colorful umbrellas chatting and playing cards (pic 3) and the men in different tables playing an unknown to me domino game (pic 4). Some interesting points to see here are the two Buddhist temples I saw, probably there are more but those are the ones I already had info for.

    The first one is the Eastern States Buddhist Temple (pic 2) located at.64 Mott street. It was full of visitors looking strange at the dozen of small Buddhas. The second temple is the Mahayanna Buddhist temple located at 133 Canal Street. It’s the largest one and it has a 5m tall golden Buddha in the main hall (pic 5) and a souvenir store. There’s no entrance fee and I enjoyed more because there wasn’t any other visitor inside.

    Some streets have a lot of Vietnamese restaurants in case you know the difference between them (I don’t! I was confused with so many hanging ducks around!). It’s the first time in my life I see so many people eat with chopsticks and I also noticed a lot of Karaoke bars that probably will be full of people in the night.

  • Address: Chinatown, Manhattan
  • Directions: Take the train to Canal street. From there, proceed by foot through Canal Street and explore the area. Chinatown has Little Italy at the north after Canal Street.
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