A Quick Guide to Chinatown, New York City

NEW YORK CITY, U.S.A. Manhattan’s Chinatown is home to the largest concentration of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere. As such, it is a popular destination for those looking to experience the best of two worlds: New York and China.

Getting to Chinatown:

Basically, there are three options: by foot, car/taxi or subway. The walking distance or the taxi price will obviously depend on where you are coming from (and how much traffic there is). For the subway, check out this useful Chinatown subway map.

Where to eat:

In Chinatown, as pretty much everywhere else in New York City, you’ll find the usual McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts. Personally, I recommend the $1 Chinatown eating walk, which allows you to visit 10 restaurant (within a distance of about 1.7 miles). At each stop, you can get something for $1 or less.

Where to shop:

Getting hold of the name of a specific store can be a bit difficult in Chinatown. In fact, you might find yourself in one being closed down (with you inside) when the police comes around looking for fake goods. In general, if you stroll along Canal Street, you’ll find the typical clothing and jewelry shops. Keep in mind that many of the shops in Chinatown prefer cash only.

If you are a movie buff, then you should visit Posteriati (239 Centre Street). Here, you’ll find more than 9,000 film posters from different time periods and genres. New books and posters arrive every day. The prices can get expensive because the items are rare (the lowest priced item I saw was $25 and the most expensive, a few hundred).

What to see:

Chinatown is more than shopping and eating dumplings. Those interested in learning more about the actual culture can visit the Museum of Chinese in America, also known as MOCA (215 Centre Street). MOCA was founded in 1980, and since then, has housed numerous exhibitions about Chinese heritage and the experience of the Chinese in the U.S. With a student ID, the entrance fee is only $5. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Thursdays from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Chinatown, NYC