Chinatown / Leather District, Boston, MA

Former site of 19th- and 20th-century garment and leather manufacturing plants, Chinatown/Leather District is a densely populated section of Downtown that has historically housed Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants.

The area still has a strong Chinese influence, with numerous dim sum restaurants and Asian food markets scattered throughout and the iconic Chinatown Gate hovering over the entrance near the intersection of Surface Road and Beach Street.

In the late twentieth century, rampant crime and prostitution in an adjoining stretch of land often dubbed the “Combat Zone” threatened the vibrancy of the neighborhood, but grassroots movements and new residential development have led to a building boom that has attracted a diverse population from artists and musicians to urban professionals looking for a cheaper alternative to Beacon Hill.

Hundreds of inexpensive restaurants – many open late, which is a rarity in Boston – make it easy to stop by for a quick bite after a night of barhopping Downtown, while several of the city’s hottest clubs all operate in Chinatown/Leather District, bringing in a swankier crowd looking to dance the night away.