Being the second largest of it’s
kind in the United States, Chinatown is always on the
list of things to do when coming to San Francisco.
Chinatown is the quickest trip you will ever make to
Hong Kong's present and past. A residential area includes
authentic markets and fantastic / inexpensive restaurants.
Parking here is particularly unavailable so consider
taxi's & buses. You can enjoy a great (& filling!)
meal in a Chinatown restaurant and purchase imported
wares. Take a trip to the Far East in Chinatown!
The reality of Chinatown is that there are two Chinatowns:
One belongs to the locals, the other charms the tourists.
They overlap and dance with each other, drawing more
visitors annually than the Golden Gate Bridge.
Most
Popular Sites
Chinatown Gate: A gloriously decorated
gate marks the entry to Grant Avenue's Chinatown. It
was unveiled in 1970, and helped secure the street's
status as the neighborhood's center. Once you're past
the gate, you'll see elaborate 1920s streetlights sculpted
to resemble golden dragons lighting the way. Grant Avenue
and Bush Street.
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory:
Here, tucked inside a storefront on tiny Ross Alley,
some 20,000 fortune cookies a day are handmade by two
women, each manning a conveyor belt of what look like
miniature waffle irons. The factory opened in August
1962, and though there are other fortune cookie bakeries
in the city, this is the only one where the cookies
are still made by hand, the old-fashioned way. Anyone
is welcome to stroll in and watch the cookies being
made, sample a cookie, and pick up a bag of 40 for $3.
The factory is open seven days a week, 7 a. m. to 8:30
p.m.. Admission is free. But if you want to take a photograph
- and how could you resist? - a sign by the front asks
for 50 cents. 56 Ross Alley, (415) 781-3956.
Waverly Place: A picturesque street
full of sights and smells to overwhelm you. It is also
the nexus of temples in Chinatown, including Tien Hau.
Parallel to Grant Avenue and Stockton Street, between
Washington and Sacramento streets.
Best Time to Visit
For deep immersion into Chinatown, be sure to examine
the many produce and live markets that line Stockton
Street (between Columbus and Broadway) on a Saturday
afternoon. That is where the locals do their shopping,
and Saturday is the busiest day.
Untrained Western eyes may find the sight of live turtles,
chickens and other animals peculiar, but the markets
are definitely interesting. Coupled with the clogged
streets and the shouting matches over bok choy, they
make for an all-day attraction.
Exploring the pocket-size side streets at night is
another great way to run into something unforeseen.
Dive bars in Chinatown are small, dark and moody,
with locals playing dice and visitors wandering in
with curious looks on their faces.
