Things to see in Chinatown New York

A wonderful neighbourhood to walk through is Chinatown in Manhattan. Nowadays it’s roughly located between Broadway on the west side and East Broadway on the east, and Delancey Street and Chambers Street on the north and south. Walking around this neighbourhood really feels like you’re in China for a moment. Discover the area with these things to see in Chinatown, New York.

Things to see in Chinatown New York

I have never been to China, but I can imagine that it might be like Chinatown: food everywhere on the streets (both during the day and at night), huge buckets of fish. Shops where you can buy remedies for all sorts of conditions. You can also get a massage in one of the many massage parlours, the prices are clearly visible and often very low.

You only hear Chinese and even McDonalds has translated its sign into those beautiful Chinese characters. The Hop on Hop off bus makes a stop here, but it’s usually rather crowded. You can visit the Museum of Chinese in America at 215 Centre Street. I went there and although I only walked around for 30 minutes, it was worthwhile.

A Walking Tour Through Chinatown

You can explore the streets of Chinatown on your own, but having a local guide gives you a deeper insight into the area’s history and current events. You can book a guided walking tour of Chinatown, Little Italy and SoHo to know all the ins and outs of the neighbourhood.

If you are more interested in the food of Chinatown then the Chinatown and Little Italy Food Tour is perfect for you. The tour lasts for three hours. It takes you first to Little Italy and afterwards, you’ll explore tasty Chinese specialties like dumplings and dim sum. You’ll receive a map with all the spots of the tour pointed out, so it’s easy to pay a second visit to the ones you liked most after the tour.

Fancy exploring more at your own pace? My personal walking route through Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown shows you all the highlights of these vibrant areas. Simply follow the route directly from your phone using the Eric’s New York App. You’ll be amazed at how much you can see in just a few hours, and you’ll definitely have the chance to take some fantastic photos. Open the app, select ‘walking routes’ and find the ‘Greenwich, SoHo, Chinatown & Little Italy‘ walking route.

Food and Drinks in Chinatown

Of course, you should enjoy the real Chinese cuisine which is available at a lot of places, but for a delicious Dim Sum go to Golden Unicorn restaurant on 18 East Broadway. The place is truly authentic, with Chinese-speaking waiters and Chinese menus. You might run into a language barrier, but in the end, I always manage to get some good food. One important reassurance: the Chinese locals eat here too.

Hotels in Chinatown

If you’d like to stay overnight in Chinatown and book a hotel here, I can recommend the Wyndham Garden Chinatown. Two other nice options are the NobleDEN Hotel and Hotel 50 Bowery.

History of Chinatown of Manhattan

Chinese have already inhabited this neighbourhood since 1850, but great waves of people only moved here from 1965 onwards when the immigration laws became more lenient. Now around 700,000 Chinese live in New York. Aside from Chinatown, a lot also live in Flushing (in Queens), but Chinatown in Manhattan remains the main touristic Chinese neighbourhood in New York.