CHINATOWN
Chinatown has always been one of The City's most popular tourist attractions. It has been called "quaint," "picturesque," and other terms that help people forget that it's a slum with more neon lights than usual.
There are really two faces to Chinatown. Grant Avenue is designed to appeal to tourists, with its giftshops and restaurants. Less glamorous (but more fun) is the rest of Chinatown, where the actual Chinese population lives and shops.
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Text and photographs (excluding those in public domain) © 2003-
THE CHINATOWN GATE
Designed by Clayton Lee, Melvin H. Lee and Joe Yee back in 1970. (Grant Avenue & Bush Street)
THE FLAVOR OF CHINATOWN
Throughout the neighborhood, both the streetlight and streetsigns have taken on a
distinctly Chinese attitude. And, of course, there are the pagoda-
PORTSMOUTH SQUARE
A place for old men to hang out. There’s also a monument to the author of Treasure Island and Kidnapped.
JACKSON STREET, AT GRANT AVENUE
The vibrant heart of the neighborhood.
OLD ST. MARY’S
The biblical quote about “flying from evil” was meant to be seen from the brothels (now long gone) across the street.
SAM WO
This longtime San Francisco favorite recently closed. It wasn’t the best restaurant in Chinatown, but it certainly was the narrowest. You entered through the steamy kitchen, continuing up the stairs to the tiny dining room on the second floor. But the prices were unbeatable, and it was open until 3 AM!
LI PO
A dive bar in the absolute best sense of the term.
PRODUCE MARKETS
Take my advice: skip the giftshops and get some fresh bok choy.
DR. SUN YAT-
Beniamino Bufano’s highly stylized statue of the Chinese revolutionary stands in St. Mary’s Square.
KITCHY GIFTSHOPS
Sadly, this is all the Chinatown some people ever see.
THE CHINATOWN PHONE COMPANY
In the early twentieth century, this bank was the Chinatown Phone Company, where the operators sat on wooden barrels and were required to memorize every phone number in the neighborhood.
