Exploring Chinatown

On Friday evening, Wife and I were feeling adventurous – and hungry. After quickly discussion our options, we decided that we would spend an adventurous evening exploring the sights, sounds, and, most importantly, the food, of Chinatown. Most of my life, I have been relatively close to a “Chinatown,” but there is something special about with what we find here in Manhattan. It is said that there is nothing quite like Chinatown. As one commentator wrote, “It is loud, noisy, and dirty, but it represents the real New York, not the Giuliani/Bloomberg Disneyfied version of it.”

New York City’s Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in the United States—and the site of the largest concentration of Chinese in the western hemisphere. Chinatown encompasses approximately two square miles. With a population estimated at up to 150,000, Chinatown is the favored destination point for Chinese immigrants. Historically, unlike many ethnic areas of immigrants, Chinatown was largely self-supporting, with an internal structure of governing associations and businesses which supplied jobs, economic aid, social service, and protection.

Needless to say, Wife and I had an absolute blast exploring the streets, shops, restaurants, and bakeries. Our strategy for dinner was simple: stop at lots of places and eat small portions at each one. Before the night was over, we shared several portions of fried pork and chive dumplings, baked dumplings, boiled dumplings, sesame pancakes, bean-paste balls, sweet rolls, unique chocolate and strawberry cake, and iced cappuccinos. Impressively, while we ate until we were more than content, the entire evening wound up costing just under ten dollars. When we returned home, we both agreed that it was a great evening.