How to Tour Chinatown in New York City
Put yourself in the middle of Chinatown and you’ll almost feel as if you’ve been transported to Asia. The sights, sounds and smells of Chinatown can result in sensory overload, and the crowded winding streets can be confusing. However, a little planning coupled with a sense of adventure can make your tour of Chinatown one of the highlights of your New York vacation. Plan to come away with a full stomach and a bag of souvenirs.
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Instructions
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Start your tour at the corner of Center and Canal Streets (take any subway with a Canal Street stop) and walk west two blocks. By moving southward and westward you will find yourself wandering through the middle of the Chinatown neighborhood. Don’t be afraid to let yourself get lost in the maze of streets--who knows what you may discover.
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Make stops along the way to sample all sorts of Chinese delicacies. Instead of a meal, you might want to just treat yourself to a sort of “progressive dinner” by taking advantage of all the take-out opportunities. Bakeries are everywhere, so stop and pick up a Buddha-shaped cookie or a tiny egg custard tart. You’ll no doubt run across one of the Egg Custard King establishments along the way. Bakeries also feature savory offerings; try a pork bun or two. The tiny shop called simply Fried Dumpling on Mosco Street (only one block long) offers you the opportunity to see two women busily creating the delectable bite-size dumplings.
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Shop as you walk; you’ll see everything for sale from live turtles to knock-off watches. Items you might want to consider for gifts (or for yourself) include teak trays, jade jewelry, mah jong sets (although they are no longer made of ivory), oriental-style jackets and slippers, rice bowls and chopsticks.
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Take some time to walk through some of the food markets selling mountains of fresh fish and vegetables you won’t be able to name. Although the customers and shopkeepers will most likely be speaking Chinese, if they aren’t too busy, clerks will try to answer your questions.
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Consider a stop at the Museum of Chinese in the Americas, located on Mulberry Street at Bayard (on the second floor). You’ll find some fascinating exhibits, and the admission price is nominal (see Resources below).
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Tips & Warnings
Buy--at the beginning of your tour--one of the large fabric or woven shopping bags for sale at many little shops.
Refrain from hefty spending on items touted as “antique” unless you are an expert on Chinese antiquities.
