Itās the middle of a New York City summer, and heat is coming from every possible direction; cars, subways, bicycles ā even your newly single next door neighbor.
You thought you could do without an air conditioner this summer (hey, those Con Ed bills get pricey!) but you were sadly mistaken. Now youāre forced to sleep with the window open, but the car alarms and odor provide an unbearable concoction.
Realizing thereās no hope for sleep you go down to your local bodega, get a premium $1 coffee, and proceed to take the first drag of last nightās cigarette and prepare for another interesting day in Chinatown.
Fighting For Sidewalk
Although New York City is a melting pot, these days it seems the only thing in that pot is very expensive ingredients. And almost no matter where you go in New York, you feel like youāre in New York.
This isnāt the case in Chinatown, which is one of the most unique places in NYC.
Here itās actually possible to feel like youāre in China, or at least the NYC version of what Chinese culture becomes on the USAās East Coast.
Noise usually starts around 6am, which is a perfect time to start construction (said no one, ever). The streets are littered with spit, vendors, food crates, trash and people. Lots of people. Hey, who needs coffee, when you can have an 80-year-old elbow waking you up?
Itās no secret that the area below Delancey Street is a whole other world through every sense. Where one sees a mix of restaurants in the East Village and the Lower East Side, practically all the food here originates from theĀ theĀ Cantonese and Fuzhounese cultures. Street and store signs are all in Mandarin, the official local dialect. You can walk down the street and get lost in your head because you donāt understand the language (unless you speak Mandarin or Cantonese). If youāre an adventurous eater, youāll have an easy time finding menus you canāt read, though being pleasantly surprised (and sometimes confused) by whatās brought out to you.
Have you visited #NYC's #Chinatown? Here's why you should #travel Click To TweetI speak from personal experience, living there myself. Being in a place where you canāt read or understand the language, you learn to live on your gut-feeling and cheap dumplings. Once you get the hang of the neighborhood, you find out that everything you need is right in your immediate vicinity. There were weeks where I never left Chinatown because everything was in armās reach. That might sound lazy to some, but in the winter I felt like I won the lotto.
Home Away From Home
The Chinatown that exists today started to come into fruition around the late 1800s. Being faced with discrimination from the West Coast, Chinese immigrants moved to the East Coast in search of a better life. During this time, a lot of small businesses started popping up on Mott Street. Once the immigrants became established, they started bringing over family members from their home country, and Chinatown began to grow. A lot. When you walk into some of the local apartments itās like human Jenga. I didnāt know ten people could live in a room, though I also didnāt know I could have a pork bun for breakfast.
In America we are shipping people off to the elderly home at 38, with no qualms about it. In Chinatown there is no such thing. Iāve seen people who clearly graduated high school during the Great Depression, still living with their family. At first I thought it was solely a respect thing. But after studying more closely, I believe that all the experience that this person has gained over their lifetime has made them an extremely valuable family member. Itās like having an encyclopedia that is related to you.Ā They are by no means a neglected member of the household, they are running the show. Bosses. Day after day, I saw the same four elderly women with a mouth full of gold teeth, dictating operations of their section of the neighborhood. These women were no taller than 4ā9″, but I wouldnāt want to get on their bad side.
The City’s Mistress
During the day Chinatown is a hustling, bustling, working-class neighborhood. But at night, debauchery becomes the norm, and itās exquisite. Stores and marketplaces that operate as regular business from 9 to 5 turn into raves and dance spots at night. These parties are not advertised, but somehow fill to capacity. The wild behavior is kept inside the venues, so you wonāt see loud drunks in the street yelling at their Uber driver. And unlike many neighborhoods in New York, I donāt see gentrification taking over Chinatown.
So if you want to escape from the city without actually leaving it, head below Delancey Street. Just remember to trust your gut-feeling; āmassage parlorsā are not usually open at 3 am.
#NYC's #Chinatown is so much more than food. Here's why #NewYorkCity Click To TweetEating In Chinatown
Of course, I know every Chinatown visitor has one main priority: the food. To an outsider, navigating foreign signs and getting lost in what feels like another country can be overwhelming, and may even induce culture shock if youāre not prepared. In order to make sure youāre prepared for your Chinatown trip, I recommend grabbing a meal and a drink at:
- Nom Wah Tea Parlor: Known as Chinatownās first Dim Sum restaurant, this tiny nook located on Doyer Street also serves shrimp dumplings, rice rolls, and their famous āThe Originalā egg roll.
- Vanessa Dumplings: This busy Eldridge Street spot serves some of the most delicious, inexpensive dumplings in Chinatown. Their sesame pancakes will surely delight your taste buds.
- Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles: Another tiny nook located on Doyer Street, this restaurant takes pride in creating some of the best noodles in Chinatown. This is my personal favorite restaurant in Chinatown.
- Dim Sum Go Go: Located in the heart of Chinatown, this vegetarian-friendly restaurant has an array of dim sum to choose from.
- Perking Duck House: Located on Mott Street, this elegant restaurant makes patrons feel at ease. From scallions to pork buns everything is tasty on the menu, and their duck is exquisite.
Afterward, walk off the calories with a walk over the Manhattan Bridge and take in the views for the ultimate NYC experience.
Have you lived in / visited Chinatown in New York City? Please share your experience in the comments below!Ā
Recommended:
5 Fascinating Tours That Support Locals In NYC [Blog Inspiration]
Lower East Side (Then and Now) [Great Reads]
Clever Travel Companion Pickpocket-Proof Garments [Travel Safety]
Eno Edet
Latest posts by Eno Edet (see all)
- This Is What It’s Really Like To Live In NYC’s Chinatown - Sep 27, 2016
- 5 Must-Have Cultural Experiences In Punta Cana - Sep 13, 2016
- My Mother’s Land [Travel Poetry] - Aug 23, 2016
I would have never imagined I could go to a dance rave in Chinatown. Thanks for the tip! Wonderfully cozy article. Will move there.