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Party Earth Review A labyrinthine explosion of smells, people, stores, and activity, Chinatown is a bustling enclave that feels like a genuine slice of Hong Kong. Visitors may notice that typical rules don’t apply in this neighborhood, where... ... read full review
Borders Broome Street and Delancey Street on the north side; Broadway and Lafayette on the west side; East River Drive on the south and east sides
New York, NY 10013
6, J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z: Canal Street; B, D: Grand Street; F: East Broadway
All hours
Chinatown / Nolita, New York –
A labyrinthine explosion of smells, people, stores, and activity, Chinatown is a bustling enclave that feels like a genuine slice of Hong Kong.
Visitors may notice that typical rules don’t apply in this neighborhood, where tourists openly haggle with counterfeit handbag vendors on Canal Street and ancient grandmothers aggressively shove their way into impossibly crowded subway cars.
By day, the bustling streets are full of Chinese locals going about their business, visitors on walking tours, and curious outsiders perusing the pungent fish and vegetable market on Hester Street and wandering down narrow alleys to marvel at the tenement architecture and gold signs in Hanzi characters.
Those who need to relax or cure an ill will find plenty of massage parlors and acupuncture centers, while foodies can get their fix at top-quality eateries like Peking Duck House on Mott or stop in for dim sum at Golden Unicorn.
By night, the neighborhood becomes a party thoroughfare as the edgy downtown runoff from the Lower East Side bar scene and in-the-know young professionals hit trendy hidden hotspots like Apothéke, while residents pack into the numerous karaoke bars.
A city within a city, Chinatown merges East and West to create a New York experience like no other.
Chinese locals, tourists, bargain hunters, foodies, and edgy New Yorkers of all ages.
Dance parties at Santos Party House (96 Lafayette Street), swanky cocktails at Apothéke (9 Doyers Street), and karaoke at Asia Roma (40 Mulberry Street).
Many traditional massage parlors and acupuncture clinics like Fishion Herb Center (107 Mott Street), Foot Heaven (16 Pell Street), and Relax Foot Spa (202 Hester).
Walking tours available; see Explore Chinatown for more information.
Notable restaurants and eateries include Oriental Garden (14 Elizabeth Street) for dim sum; Joe’s Shanghai (9 Pell Street) for dinner; Tasty Dumpling (54 Mulberry Street), Tearrific (51 Mott Street), Saigon Café (369 Broome Street) for báhn mì, New Malaysia (48 Bowery), and Xe Lua (86 Mulberry Street) for Vietnamese cuisine.
Vary by venue, but all price ranges covered. Average prices: dumplings $1–$5, dinner $15+/person, dim sum $20+/person, tea $2+. Walking tours $18–$25.
Anything goes: sneakers, fanny packs, and house slippers to suits, trendy outfits, and avant-garde fashion.
Any night for a lively scene and a manageable, not-too-hectic, crowd.
The Lower East Side neighborhood borders Chinatown and offers excellent restaurants and bars, including Barrio Chino (253 Broome Street) with a Chinese/Latin food mix and GalleryBar (120 Orchard Street) for a mix of art and dancing.
Chinatown User Reviews