If you’ve never been to China before and would like to get a quick taste of it whilst in New York, for example, head to Chinatown.

Around a hundred thousand Chinese immigrants live in this compact area, and they’ve made the neighbourhood their own. Chinese restaurants, markets and, above all, plenty of strange smells.

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You’ll find similar ‘Little Chinas’ in Brooklyn and Queens too, but the one in Manhattan is by far the largest and liveliest.

Right next to Chinatown is another immigrant neighbourhood, Little Italy.

Little China in the heart of New York

The history of Chinatown dates back to the late 19th century, when thousands of refugees from China fled to America to escape famine and, later, the Sino-Japanese War.

The Chinese tend to form communities when abroad, and this was no different in Manhattan, where they chose a neighbourhood in the Canal Street area that was very cheap at the time.

However, it was not until the 1960s to 1980s, during the communist regime in China, that Chinatown experienced massive migration and development. The population of Little China in Manhattan reached as many as100,000, making it, to this day, the largest Chinese diaspora in the Western Hemisphere.

The largest groups here are people originally from Guangdong Province and its capital, Guangzhou (Canton), as well as Hong Kong. In contrast, the significantly smaller Chinatown in Brooklyn is predominantly populated by people from the city of Fuzhou.

Soak up the exotic scents and sensations

The liveliest part of Chinatown can be found in the side streets running perpendicular to the main Canal Street, in the relatively short stretch between the Manhattan Bridge and Broadway.

Immerse yourself in the heart of the Chinese world and don’t just stick to Canal Street. You’ll instantly be surrounded by the aromas of traditional Chinese dishes, ubiquitous Chinese signage and the incredible hustle and bustle of street life.

Don’t be afraid to pop into one of the local restaurants and sample some Chinese specialities. You won’t understand a word of the menu, but there’s always at least one member of staff who speaks English.

Mott Street and Mulberry Street are among the liveliest streets in Chinatown.

Chinatown is popular with tourists for its cheap souvenir shops, where you can buy items such as fridge magnets for 1 usd.

Accommodation in Chinatown

Hotels in Chinatown have long been among the cheapest in the whole of New York, especially if you were prepared to compromise on quality. However, this has not been the case for some time now; local hotels generally cater only to the Chinese community and cannot be booked through standard booking platforms.

On the outskirts of Chinatown, however, you’ll still find what has long been the cheapest accommodation in Lower Manhattan: the not-so-well-reviewed U.S. Pacific Hotel *, which has shared bathrooms and toilets, but with prices around 100 usd per night.

Much better quality accommodation, with prices ranging from 150 usd to 200 usdper night (which is below average for Manhattan), is offered by the nearby Hotel Richland LES *** on the eastern edge of Chinatown.

How do you get to Chinatown?

Chinatown is located in Lower Manhattan at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge.

Nearest underground stations:

• Canal St(in the centre of the neighbourhood) – brown lines J, Z; green lines 4, 6; yellow lines N, Q, R, W
• Grand St (northern edge of the neighbourhood) – orange lines B, D
• East Broadway (eastern edge of the neighbourhood) – orange line F

Bus routes 1, 55 and 103 also run through Chinatown.

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