Manhattan Chinatown

A bustling district home to the largest Chinese population in the Western Hemisphere.

TravelCurious Tip

Follow the locals. Chinatown has its share of tourist traps, but you can trust the locals to know where to eat well and cheaply

Manhattan Chinatown is home to one of the densest enclaves of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere. Allegedly it all began with one man in the 1840s: Ah Ken. As the first Chinese person to permanently migrate there, he set up a successful cigar store on Park Row using the profits he earned as a landlord of a small boarding house, renting out bunks to the earliest Chinese immigrants. From such modest beginnings, Chinatown became what it is today.


Worlds within worlds

Chinatown is overwhelming — in a good way. Everyone seems to move twice as fast here, you hear more Chinese than English, and even the street signs are in Chinese. The buildings are mainly cramped tenements from about a hundred years ago, and their competing neon signs crowd overhead like a jungle canopy, flashing like fireworks. Wander the streets, in a daze, and try not to buy too many knick-knacks, live eels or square watermelons. Then, when you’ve had enough, hop over to Little Italy for a bit of the old world.


Not what it used to be (thankfully)

Columbus Park, the only park in Chinatown, was built on what was once the centre of the notorious Five Point neighbourhood. During the 19th century, this was the most dangerous ghetto area of immigrant New York, and was the starring locale in Martin Scorsese’s film “Gangs of New York”. It’s rather safer these days, you’ll be glad to hear: more tai-chi than butchery.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in New York
Little Italy
A nostalgic area full of the legacies of Italian immigrant culture at the turn of the 20th century.
Chatham Square
From tattoo parlours to Prohibition-era reform, this Chinatown intersection is full of history.
5th Precinct
One of New York's most well known precincts. It polices Chinatown and Little Italy.
Little Italy NYC
Little Italy is a neighbourhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, centred around Mulberry Street, known for its Italian population, shops and restaurants.
Mulberry Street
Mulberry Street has historically been associated with Italian-American culture & history since the early 20th century has been the heart of Manhattan's Little Italy.
Handmade Sicilian Cannoli
Cannoli are Italian pastries consisting of tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta—a staple of Sicilian cuisine.

Related Tours

Little Italy, Greenwich Village, Soho & Chinatown: Private Tour
Welcome to New York City and Manhattan - the core of the Big Apple! Made up of several cool and quirky neighbourhoods, full of iconic New York history and made famous in movies and TV series, this fascinating private tour will take you around the trendy and bohemian areas of Little Italy and Greenwich Village, Soho and Chinatown. 

 On your private tour, you will:  

  • Begin your tour in the bohemian Greenwich Village - where Hemingway, Poe and Jackson Pollack have all lived; 
  • See where the ‘Friends’ flat was, and the Washington Arch;
  • Learn about the Stonewall Riots, and see the Monument dedicated to it;
  • Visit the artistic soul of New York City in Soho, filled with galleries and art museums;
  • Learn about the cast iron facades that flank the streets;
  • See the Haughwout Building - home to the first safety elevator and the Old Police Headquarters;
  • Learn about the history of the immigrants in Little Italy and Chinatown, and how each neighbourhood has come to be a local diaspora;
  • Admire Old St Patrick's Cathedral built between 1809-1815;
  • Pass by the Ravenite Club - a famous gangster hangout - and hear some of the dramatic stories of the Mafia;
  • Stop outside Lombardi's Pizzeria - the very first pizzeria in the entire country opened in 1905;
  • Step inside Alleva Dairy - the oldest cheese shop in NYC;
  • Your tour ends in the heart of Little Italy - where your guide will happily recommend some of the best Italian restaurants and shopping areas.

Simply known as “The Village” and much loved by native New Yorkers, Greenwich Village is home to America’s Bohemian scene. Filled with artisanal coffee houses, art galleries, and chic boutiques you will see where the ‘Friends’ flat was located, explore Washington Square Park, a buzzing city hangout, and see beautiful architecture, including 19th-century brownstone carriage houses. 

See some unusual spots like the home where John Wilkes Booth spoke openly of his plan to murder President Abraham Lincoln. On your way out of the neighbourhood, you'll see Jefferson Market Library and Bleecker Street, as well as where Hemingway, Edgar Poe, and Jackson Pollack lived and worked. 

Next venture through vibrant Soho, where your guide will tell you about its transformation from its humble beginnings as a centre for the rag trade industry, eventually becoming an extravagant artist community. See Soho's unique collection of cast iron buildings such as the Haughwout Building, home to the first safety elevator, and the Old Police Headquarters— the 1909 Beaux-Arts building.
 
From there, while walking the narrow cobblestone streets in the heart of Little Italy, you will learn about Mafia hangouts, the most famous of which is the Ravenite Club. Pop into the oldest cheese shop in NYC and the first pizzeria, Lombardi's, and explore Old Saint Patrick's Cathedral. 

Journey through NYC’s Chinatown, walk along Canal and Motts Streets, the former Five Points District, and the Old Opium Den, where you will hear stories of Chinese immigrants who came to Manhattan to build a future of their own. Your expert local guide will also tell you all about the violent gangs that sprang up around them, fighting for dominance. 

Your tour will finish in the vibrant, cultural heart of Little Italy - filled with restaurants, shops and good vibes! Your guide will happily direct you to any number of eateries where you can rest and recharge before continuing to explore at your leisure. 
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