Chinatown, New York City
New York City's Chinatown ranks just after San Francisco as having the largest Chinatown in the Western Hemisphere. The area began to grow as more and more Chinese immigrants moved to the East Coast and settled around Mott, Park, Pell and Doyers streets, but it truly exploded after the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which opened the doors to more Asian immigrants. Aside from being home to somewhere between 120,000 to 160,000 residents, Chinatown has become a popular tourist destination offering landmarks such as the Chatham Square's Lt. Benjamin Ralph Kimlau Memorial archway, the Mahayana Buddhist Temple and the Museum of Chinese in America.
Chinatown is also home to over 200 restaurants that offer guests a taste of regional cuisine from Cantonese to Szechuan. Visitors can enjoy roast duck and shrimp-and-pork-filled dumplings at East Corner Wonton, or try something truly unique such as sliced pork knuckles and deep-fried quail legs at Chanoodle. The area is also well known for its shopping, with stores such as Chinese American Trading Co. and Kam Kuo selling authentic Chinese food, clothes and jewelry. Canal Street East in Chinatown is also notable for its large collection of vendors selling knockoff sunglasses, handbags, DVDs and more in addition to small gifts such as T-shirts, souvenirs and perfume.
For a chance to see all Chinatown has to offer, guests can take various tours of the area such as Renaissance Tours group tours and the Enthusiastic Gourmet's unique food tour. The Museum of Chinese in America also offers Saturday Walking tours. Tour hours and prices vary. Most street vendors operate daily from around 9 AM to 6 PM. For more information on Renaissance Tours: 212-964-2386
For more information on Enthusiastic Gourmet: 646-209-4724
For more information on the Museum of Chinese in America: 212-619-4785 ext. 104
