San Francisco - Chinatown

San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest and largest Chinatown in North America. This neighborhood is one of the most popular tourist attractions in San Francisco.

You can easily spend few hours just walking here, exploring the streets and alleys, browsing the shops, the food markets, eat in local restaurant and enjoying the unique atmosphere.

We will probably start our visit in Chinatown coming from the south, Union Square direction, or from the north, walking from little Italy and the north city piers.

 

If you are coming from Union Square the first thing that you will see is the picturesque Chinatown Gate on Grant Ave.

This famous Dragon Gate is the official entrance into Chinatown and from this point you will get in immediate transition from the downtown into Chinatown.

The two tall Chinese looking building Sing Chong and Sing Fat facing each other at the intersection of Grant and California marking the center of Chinatown and were built right after the San Francisco earthquake in 1906.

You can walk one block up to Stockton Street where the local Chinese residents do their shopping, interesting to walk here and see the different food types that are offered to customers in open-market stile stores.

 

Do not miss Portsmouth Square that is the people center of Chinatown. This small plaza is a favorite spot for locals hang-around. Every day you can see here many locals playing on improvised carton boxes Chinese games and card plays.

 

When you explore Chinatown, you can see interesting murals in different locations.

 

You can fide here the first place that “invented” fortune cookies.

The small and not impressive Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is still operating and located in Ross Alley.

 

From Chinatown we can go to Union Square and the downtown area or walk north on Grant Avenue until you reach the junction with Broadway and Columbus Av.

From here you are leaving Chinatown and entering North Beach neighborhood and the Italian streets of the city.

 

 

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