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Chinatown, San Francisco

Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California

Description

San Francisco has the oldest Chinatown in North America; it was established in 1848 and is centred on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street, covering an area of roughly 800x400m. The annual Chinese New Year parade is a major draw and tourist highlights include Dragon Gate, Saint Mary's Square (with a statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen), Tin How Temple (oldest Taoist temple in SF), Portsmouth Square; and the Sing Chong and Sin Fat buildings.

Access & Transport

Montgomery Subway station and 'Market St & 2nd St' are 2 large public transport hubs just 2mins walk to the south. The PM cable car also runs along Mason St on the western side of the neighbourhood and the C line along California St on the southern side. Finally, there are several bus stops in Chinatown itself.

Instructions & Recommendations

If you enjoy Asian / Chinese food, this is a good place to go at lunch or dinner time.

Meta review

Online reviews from travellers can be summarized quite easily as follows: interesting historical aspects with an atmosphere different from the rest of the city, lots of restaurants and stores but nothing really special to see except for those who have not yet seen a 'Chinatown'.

Environmental & Social

Urban environment with practically no green space. The area's commercial activity enables the preservation of old buildings and customs

Conclusion

SF's Chinatown is quite large and a good place to discover for shoppers and urban explorers. It also has the benefit of being within walking distance of several major sights. Beyond that, it has a limited appeal.

Key positive

Good place for souvenirs shopping and Chinese food

Centrally located

Key negative

Nothing very interesting for tourists

Suitability

No restrictions

About this Rating

TYPE

Onsite

RESEARCHED IN

Updated in July 2023

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 20m

est. visit time:1h 15m

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightOk

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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