Chinatown, New York, guide: The best of the neighborhood

Chinatown, New York, is known for food, but the busy nabe has other attractions too. Here’s our guide to the best restaurants, bars, shops and things to do.

NYC neighborhood guides

Photo: Roxana Marorriquin

Take a walk in the area south of Broome Street and east of Lafayette, and you’ll feel as though you’ve entered not just a different country but a different continent. Mott and Grand Streets are lined with stands selling exotic foodstuffs such as live eels, square watermelons and hairy rambutans, while Canal Street glitters with cheap jewelry and gift shops. Here you’ll find restaurants representing the cuisine of virtually every province of mainland China and Hong Kong, plus Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese eateries and shops. As Chinatown—New York City's largest Asian community—continues to grow, it merges with neighboring Little Italy and the Lower East Side. To gain cultural insights, stop by the Museum of Chinese in America.

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