San Francisco's Chinatown is the second largest in the U. S.
San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest Chinese community on the West Coast, and the second largest Chinatown in the U. S. next to New York City's settlement. One hundred thousand people live in Chinatown, almost one eighth of San Francisco's entire population. The heart of San Francisco抯 Chinatown is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in North America, with over 30,000 people living in twenty four square blocks. In fact, if all of San Francisco were as densely populated as Chinatown, the city抯 population would be over four million! The Chinatown you see today was built after San Francisco's 1906 earthquake and its architecture is an odd mix of Edwardian fundamentals and Chinese details.
Things to see in Chinatown
Chinatown is about eight blocks long and has two long main streets, Grant and Stockton. Grant is the more tourist-oriented street in Chinatown, particularly on the end nearest Union Square and the Chinatown Gate. Stockton is home to many Chinese markets and stores. It's easy to give in to the urge to just shuffle down Chinatown's Grant Avenue, buy a few Chinese souvenirs or t-shirts and miss the real Chinatown. It's not far away, but you do have to pay attention or you'll miss it. Between Grant and Stockton, off the major cross streets, are Chinatown's alleys. Don't miss them, they are the essence of San Francisco's Chinatown.
Grant Avenue Sights
Starting from Bush Street:
Chinatown Gate: Grant Ave at Bush. The gate is a 1970 addition to the Chinatown entrance. It defines the transition from Union Square. Beyond the gate you will see the Dragon Lights, the ornate street lights that were added in 1925 as Chinatown began to be a serious tourist attraction.
St. Mary's Church: Grant at California. This old church blends Chinese heritage with the Gold Rush. Its granite foundations came from China and its bricks came "around the Horn" with the gold seekers.
Chinatown Kite Shop: 707 Grant Avenue. If you like kites or need to buy souvenirs for children, this is a worthwhile stop. Kites sell for $8 to $40 and some are very unusual.
Eastern Bakery: 720 Grant Avenue. Opened in 1924, Eastern Bakery is the oldest Chinese bakery in the United States and it produces more moon cakes than any other Chinese bakery in the country. Moon cakes are made with different fillings, melon is the lightest, lotus seed is very rich. Small cakes cost 75 cents and make a good dessert or snack.
Wok Shop: 718 Grant Avenue. They have a large selection of knives, cleavers, woks, and chopsticks. If you buy a clay pot, they will give you free recipes. If you aren抰 sure about clay pot cooking, try the Bow Hon restaurant at 850 Grant first. If you like oriental food, you can buy a nice pair of chopsticks for yourself here. They also have a small but very interesting selection of Asian cookbooks.
Portsmouth Square: Kearny Street between Clay and Washington (one block down Clay off Grant). Savor the Chinese culture and reflect on history. You will almost always find old men playing elephant chess (a form of civilized warfare), with many others gathered around watching. In the afternoon, there are women watching their grandchildren play. You抣l find many wonderful faces for photographs here. Across Kearny, you can see an old hotel advertisement on the side of a brick building. Too bad those aren抰 today抯 hotel prices! City Guides tours start here on Saturdays and Mondays.
Ten Ren Tea Shop: 949 Grant Avenue. Picking a Chinese tea can be a bewildering experience. There are so many kinds and different brands and grades of the same kind that one can become incapacitated by the choices. Ten Ren helps by giving samples of many of their teas. The staff is knowledgeable but sometimes you have to ask a lot of questions to pry information out of them. Special visitors sometimes get to participate in a Chinese tea ceremony.
Poultry shops: Grant between Pacific & Broadway. There are a couple of shops along here that sell poultry to the Chinese in the traditional way - alive. This is a subject of much controversy in San Francisco and shop keepers are very sensitive about it. You can draw your own conclusions. If you have a camera with you, don't use it here.
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