Chinatown: New York’s Chinese neighborhood

What to Know About Chinatown

• Manhattan’s historic Chinatown sits at the southern tip of the island. It’s wedged between the Financial District to the south, the Lower East Side to the east, SoHo and TriBeca to the west, and Little Italy to the north. Over the years, the neighborhood has steadily expanded into Little Italy and the Lower East Side.
• Manhattan’s Chinatown was founded in the 1850s when the first Chinese immigrants arrived. Records from Ellis Island tell us about the first officially registered Chinese immigrant. He was a merchant named Ah Ken from Canton who arrived in New York in 1858 and opened a cigar shop on Park Row.
• The Chinese population grew quickly, reaching 2,000 people by 1882. That year, President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, banning Chinese immigration. The law wasn’t repealed until 1943, when quotas were introduced. The neighborhood continued to thrive after that.
• Today, Manhattan’s Chinatown is home to roughly 100,000 people, according to New York City statistics. Chinatown functions as a city within a city, with a central organization called the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) that oversees community affairs in coordination with City Hall. The CCBA oversees about 60 other organizations, including the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

What to See in Manhattan’s Chinatown

1/ Canal Street

• Exit any subway stop on Canal Street and head toward the East River: you’re in the heart of Chinatown. The atmosphere changes instantly. Signs and advertisements are in Mandarin. English is barely visible. Listen closely: Mandarin is the primary language here.
• Along Canal Street, you’ll find countless typical shops, including traditional Chinese groceries and herbal pharmacies. There’s plenty for tourists too—souvenir shops stocked with made-in-China goods.
• Don’t miss the striking pagoda-style buildings. The imposing Eastbank stands at the corner of Canal and Centre Streets. Another example sits at the corner of Canal and Mott Streets, with architecture that recalls old Beijing.

2/ Mahayana Buddhist Temple

• The Mahayana Buddhist Temple is located at 133 Canal Street, not far from the Manhattan Bridge. Don’t hesitate to step inside. The temple transports you to China, with a large smiling Buddha waiting to greet you.
• To the side, you’ll see the traditional ancestor wall, which honors the deceased. The scent of incense fills the space with a unique atmosphere. Yet you’re just a short walk from Wall Street and the global center of finance.

3/ Doyers Street

• To truly experience the neighborhood and see how locals live, venture beyond Canal Street into the quieter side streets that tourists often miss. My favorite is Doyers Street, which I describe in more detail in this article.
• The street is emblematic of the gang wars that bloodied the neighborhood in the 1930s. You can easily imagine the ambushes that took place here.

4/ Confucius Statue

• Though the Bowery is particularly noisy, make the detour to pay respects to the small Confucius statue. The Chinese sage is honored here in New York.
• Reflect on one of his famous thoughts about travel: “The greatest traveler is the one who has made a journey around himself once.”

Where to Eat in Chinatown

Hungry? The neighborhood is packed with great small restaurants. You’ll see many displaying roasted ducks in the window. Prices are reasonable, and hygiene standards are fully American. Here are some well-established spots:

Wo Hop

• This Chinese restaurant opened in 1938, making it the second-oldest still operating in Chinatown. It remains a classic. Try the chop suey and other Cantonese specialties.
• Address: 17 Mott Street, Chinatown, New York.

Great N.Y. Noodletown

• Despite its very New York name, this restaurant serves some of the best stir-fried noodles in the city. It opened in 1981 and its reputation is well-earned. The storefront with roasted ducks is quintessential Chinatown.
• Address: 28 Bowery, New York.

Chinatown During Chinese New Year

• The neighborhood takes on a special character during Chinese New Year in New York. This colorful and lively celebration happens each year between mid-January and mid-February.

Chinatown in Photos

Video of Chinatown’s Atmosphere

To get a feel for the neighborhood, here’s a video shot in the park along Forsyth Street. Tip: watch the little girl in yellow without a balloon in the middle of the screen and count how many baskets her friends have.

Map of Chinatown

New York’s Other Chinatown

• Want to learn more about New York’s Asian communities? There’s another Chinatown in the city. Head to Queens to discover New York’s largest Chinatown. This other Chinese neighborhood is home to more than 230,000 people.