Chinatown is a sensory overload in the best possible way. The streets are narrow, the signs are in Chinese and English, and the smell of roast duck and dumplings fills every corner. I’ve never walked through Chinatown without eating something — the neighborhood practically demands it.
History
New York’s Chinatown began forming in the 1870s after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 restricted immigration from China. The first Chinese immigrants to settle here were mostly Cantonese-speaking men who worked on the Transcontinental Railroad and in laundries. They clustered around Mott, Pell, and Doyers Streets, creating a self-sufficient community with its own banks, newspapers, and social organizations. Doyers Street, known as “Bloody Angle” for its history of gang violence in the early 20th century, is one of the only curved streets in Manhattan’s grid. After immigration laws were relaxed in 1965, Chinatown expanded dramatically, absorbing parts of Little Italy. Today it’s one of the oldest Chinese ethnic enclaves in the Western Hemisphere, with over 100,000 residents speaking primarily Cantonese, Mandarin, and Fujianese.
Features and Highlights
- Mott Street — the main thoroughfare lined with bakeries, restaurants, and herbal medicine shops
- Doyers Street — the historic curved street home to the original Nom Wah Tea Parlor, open since 1920
- Columbus Park — the neighborhood’s central gathering spot with tai chi, mahjong, and chess players daily
- Mahayana Buddhist Temple at 133 Canal Street with its giant golden Buddha statue
- Canal Street’s bustling sidewalk markets selling everything from silk robes to electronics
- The Museum of Chinese in America on Centre Street chronicles the Chinese-American experience
- The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory at 65 Bayard Street serves flavors like lychee, taro, and black sesame
Visitor Tips
Come hungry and bring cash — many of the best restaurants are cash-only. The best dumplings in the neighborhood are at Tasty Dumpling on Mulberry Street or Joe’s Shanghai on Pell Street. Visit on a weekday afternoon for a more relaxed experience; weekends are packed. The gift shops on Canal Street are a good place for inexpensive souvenirs. The neighborhood is walkable and best explored on foot. The J/Z train to Canal Street drops you right in the middle of everything.
Cultural Impact
Chinatown represents one of the most successful examples of an immigrant community maintaining its cultural identity while integrating into American life. Lunar New Year celebrations here are among the largest in the world outside of Asia. The neighborhood has been featured in films like Kill Bill, The Last Emperor, and countless Wong Kar-wai productions. For anyone who has stood atop the Empire State Building – New York City and looked down at the city’s patchwork of neighborhoods, Chinatown is one of the most visually distinct — its low-rise tenements and packed streets stand out against the towers of Midtown. A visit pairs naturally with the Statue of Liberty ferry terminal area or an exploration of nearby Manhattan, New York City neighborhoods that tell the immigrant story from different eras.
Location and Contact
- Address: Bounded roughly by Canal, Worth, Baxter, and Allen Streets, New York, NY 10013
- Coordinates: 40.7158° N, 73.9972° W
- Neighborhood: Open 24/7 — shop and restaurant hours vary
- Official Site: Visit Chinatown NYC
- Wikipedia: Chinatown on Wikipedia
CONTACT US
For more information or to visit us, here are our branch addresses:
- Branch 1: Naungayan Building, Aala Road, Barangay Mankilam, Tagum City, Davao Del Norte
- Branch 2: Sobrecary Street (In front of Velox Gas Station), Tagum City, Davao Del Norte
- Email: gracezelguerra22@gmail.com
- Phone: 09460480491
- Business Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (PH Time)
- Facebook Page: Visit our Facebook Page