Mahalo travel expert Asha K. offers up some quick travel information to help you plan your visit to Chinatown in New York City.
Chinatown
New York City's Chinatown is a tourist attraction and the home of the majority of Chinese New Yorkers. Chinatown is bordered by Grand Street to the North, Allen Street to the East, Worth Street to the South and Lafayette Street to the West.
Visitors and residents alike flock to this destination for its restaurants, fish markets and shops filled with souvenirs and knickknacks.
Be aware that most Chinese restaurants in Chinatown serve traditional Chinese food, not what most Americans are used to when they order take-out. Some are so traditional that they do not even have English menus.
Chinatown is additionally known for its shops filled with all the electronics you can imagine. Make sure you bring your bargaining skills as haggling for the best price is a common practice here.
Location
Chinatown Landmarks
The Lieutenant Benjamin Ralph Kimlau Memorial Archway at Chatham Square, erected for the Chinese-Americans who perished in World War II.
The Commissoner Lin Zexu statue at Chatham Square for the Chinese official who opposed the opium trade.
The statue of Confucius in front of Confucius Plaza was a common meeting area for residents in the 1970s.
The 1815 Church of the Transfiguration is a national historic site standing off of Mott Street.
History
Chinatown is thought to have been founded when a Cantonese businessman by the name of Ah Ken took up residence here around 1858 and started to sell cigars. Unfortunately, it was not long before discrimination forced many Chinese immigrants out of the area.
By 1870, there were about 200 Chinese immigrants living between Mott, Park, Pell and Doyer streets, east of the Five Points district. The population grew to 2,000 by the time the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed. Around 7,000 Chinese lived in the area by 1900.
Today, population estimates are around 100,000 residents.
References
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