Chinatown

The largest Chinatown in the United States - colorful, noisy and exotic, with over 300 restaurants.

New York City’s Chinatown, the largest in the US, is located on the lower east side of Manhattan. Although mainly a Chinese population, it has in recent years become home to a variety of other groups including Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Vietnamese.

Firstly, a little history into its origins. Chinese workers came to America in significant numbers from the mid-nineteenth century. They were either lured to the Pacific coast by the gold rush or brought by labour brokers to build the Central Pacific Railroad. As the gold mines were depleted and the railroad reached completion, the availability of cheap Chinese labour became, as is often the case, a source of tension for the resident white labourers, who believed the Chinese would take their jobs.

The subsequent violence and discrimination drove the Chinese east to larger cities, where job opportunities were in greater supply and the population already diverse. New York was chief among them.

However, as a result of both racial discrimination and self-segregation, Chinese immigrants tended to group together and Chinatown was born, developing an infrastructure of governing associations and businesses supplying jobs, benefits and protection. When the immigration quota was raised in 1968 it experienced a vast population boom, becoming the vibrant, bustling district it is today.

Present day Chinatown is a riot of colour and movement, tightly-packed yet covering an increasingly large area. Going towards Chinatown via Canal Street is an amusing, if hassled, introduction. Consistently crowded, the street is lined with knock-off designer goods and eager salespeople.

Nearby Grand Street holds a mass of diverse food produce shops while Bowery on the east side is row upon row of extravagant lighting shops, banks and temples. Both a tourist attraction and the home of the majority of Chinese New Yorkers, Chinatown offers both visitor and resident a plethora of restaurants, food markets, foot and shoulder massages, and (fake) luxury goods.

For a slightly different pace, and less jostling, Columbus Park to the south of Chinatown is a haven for residents to hang out. Teens play basketball while older groups huddle tightly around tables playing chess, possibly involved in some illicit gambling. Down Doyers Street, avid cocktail fans can find Apotheke, a hidden jewel, where white-coat wearing 'mixologists' rustle up the most intricate and original cocktails in New York .

There are many good eateries here, filled with Chinese people - a good sign - but to save the hassle of navigating the myriad restaurants, Joe's Shanghai on Pell Street is one of the best Chinese restaurants in the area and named as such by the New York Times, among others.

For complete refuge from the chaos, there are several Buddhist temples in the area providing a safe haven, as well as a more reflective glimpse into Chinese culture.