I Survived Chinatown, And All I Have to Show For It Is This Lousy Backscratcher!
Written: Jan 01 '03
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Pros: Heaven for junkies, cheap stuff you can't find anywhere else, culture, delish food
Cons: Dirty, litter, crowded, you'll end up getting junk you don't want later, non-English-speaking areas
The Bottom Line: Your guide on how to survive New York City Chinatown.
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| nycgrl's Full Review: New York City |
First, the Dirt on Me
I'm first generation Chinese-American, live in Brooklyn, New York, speak Cantonese and go to Chinatown on a regular basis. I think it's a spectacular place, which is why I hope everyone who visits New York give Chinatown a chance too. The area I'll be describing in most of my opinion is the Canal Street subway station area, and down from there too.
The Boring Stuff
Chinatown, NYC (the largest one in the US of A, mind you) is located in lower Manhattan, walking distance from Little Italy, NoHo, SoHo, the Lower East Side and if you've got the feet, the Financial District (Wall Street) and the site of the former World Trade Centers. Grand Street is accessible through the S shuttle, which you can take downtown from 42nd Street Grand Central. However, I would recommend that tourists take either the R, N, W, Q, Q express, J, M, Z or 6 train and get off at Canal Street, a much more tourist-friendly area. Chinatown is roughly 2 square miles loosely bounded by Kenmore and Delancey streets on the north, East and Worth streets on the south, Allen street on the east, and Broadway on the west. I would recommend you go to Chinatown on a day that's not rainy, too hot or too cold because you'll be spending most of the day outside walking around.
"For the love of Pete" DON'Ts for Chinatown Shopping
*No doubt you will see plenty of street vendors selling various things, and keep in mind, you will probably get what you paid for. Do not ever, buy the videos, which will probably be just the movie illegally taped while it played on the theatre screen. It'll most likely be staticky, jumpy, cut off parts of the screen and hard to hear.
*Don't buy batteries, especially if they're like 8 for $1. These batteries either won't work, or they'll leak horribly.
Street Deals that are Steals (horrible pun)
*NYC souvenirs, such as T-shirts that say NYC, are perfectly fine to buy on the street, and most cost 3 or 4 for $10.
*Bootleg CDs are usually a good deal too, if you don't mind that the inserts that usually appear at the front of the CD are usually just the title sheet. The CD is probably burned, and plays decently. Most vendors charge about $5, but if you buy more, you could probably haggle the price down.
*Keep in mind if anything is cheap and designer labeled, it will, 99.99% of the time, be bootleg, but for those who don't mind, it's not a bad deal.
*If you see a backscratcher, I completely recommend it. For under $2, it's made of wood and looks a bit like a big fork hooked around the tines. For the person who has everything!
Do I REALLY need an electronic flying cow?
Use common sense, as I hope you'd use everyday anyway, when shopping at Chinatown. A lot of the things are really nifty, neato, and "gosh-I've-never-seen-that-before", but stop to think if you'd REALLY need it, or at least continue to appreciate it in the future.
C'mon Haggle... You Know You Want to
If you're buying something on the streets (unless it's food)or in a souvenir shop on Canal street, or any souvenir shop that doesn't have a cashier but just a person accepting money for purchases, don't be afraid to haggle. Most of the prices they give you are way too much, and just to get money from unknowing tourists. Suggest what you're willing to pay, and work with the new price the vendor gives you. If you don't know if it can go lower, say "I don't know, I could probably buy it next-door for less" (which is probably true, because most souvenir stores sell the same thing as the last), make a doubtful face and start walking away. If a new price isn't offered, that's probably the lowest it can go. Try to haggle especially if you're buying two of the same thing. Don't waste your time haggling if it's under $2. Oh, and did I mention that almost all shops at Chinatown, DON'T CHARGE TAX?
For Die-Hard Sanrio, Morning Glory or Anime fans
For them, I'd recommend visiting the basement level of Elizabeth Centre on Elizabeth Street. Just ask a shop employee on Canal Street, and they'll point out the direction.
So You're a Little Lost
Don't panic if you get lost. If possible, ask a policeman how to get to where you're going. If not, try to find a non-tourist-looking person who seems to know English and ask them. If you can't find an English speaking person either, just say the street you want to go to clearly to someone working inside a store. Most of the street names in English sound about the same in Chinese. If you're taking the subway, wander freely but remember the way back to the subway station, and you're fine.
Some Useful Chinese
You can speak to most of the employees of souvenir shops and food places in English, especially along Canal Street where the majority of tourists visit. Most however, will only know the the extent of answering the price of something. If you speak either Mandarin or Cantonese, I recommend you use it. "Thank you" in Mandarin is "xie xie ni" which sounds a bit like "sheh sheh nee" or in Cantonese, it sounds like "mm goy si(pronounced like the word sigh)". And of course, the always handy "Where's the bathroom?" is "Xi shou jian zai na li?" in Mandarin which sounds a like "Shee show gen tsie na lee?" Most store vendors would understand "Where's the bathroom?" though, but not necessarily the Chinese shoppers.
Getting hungry?
Buying food on the street is perfectly safe, or at least as safe as it was to buy hot dogs at the cart outside of Central Park. If you're going into a restaurant or bakery, an employee usually knows enough English to take your order (the menu has the English translation after the Chinese dish). The food is usually cheap, so get something you know you'll like, and something new to try too. In most restaurants, you leave a tip on the table (10% is fine), and pay for your check at the counter. Before 2 PM, you can get "dim sum" at most restaurants, which are mini-dishes for around $1-$2 a dish for a variety of things, from shrimp dumplings to beef meatballs, that are wheeled around in carts for you to pick. You should probably wipe your plate, cup and eating utensils with a napkin before using it. For Jewish tourists, the meat is most likely not kosher, so stick with the still-good vegetarian dishes. If you see something someone else is eating that looks good, don't be afraid to point it out the waiter and ask for it too.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year falls around February 1st in 2003, I believe, and you can probably see the traditional "dragon" being marched up and down the street with drumming and )non-dangerous) firecrackers exploding everywhere. Be sure to check it out if you're in NYC around this time.
Look Like a Million Bucks
For real, but inexpensive jewelry, walk down from Canal Street to Bowery Street, where there are several blocks of just jewelry stores. Most of the employees know English, point out something in the case you'd like to see and you can haggle down the price on a purchase. No tax either.
Stuff to Expect
Especially around the fish market area (not Canal, so don't worry), the ground will be pretty dirty, and let's face it, fish don't smell that great either. In the Canal Street area, you can basically expect the floor to be as clean as it is in other parts of NYC.
And of course, Basic Safety in NYC
New Yorkers are wonderful people, and most won't take advantage of tourists, but don't give them the opportunity.
*Don't keep wallet in back pockets.
*Wear messenger bags, etc, with the strap across your chest, and not just hanging on your shoulder.
*Be aware that noisy situations may be staged to take your wallet/purse.
*Keep your purse/bag in front of you on the subway.
*Try not to wander around the city all alone, or go to deserted alleyways (which is crying out to be mugged and/or worse, if you've seen horror movies).
*Sure, this is safety related. Go to the bathroom before going out. Most Chinatown restaurants won't let you use their bathroom unless you buy something, and that's not fun.
*Look both ways before crossing, even if it's the right light. Some NYC drivers are pretty crazy.
To Learn More about Chinatown:
http://www.chinatown-online.com/nychinatown
http://www.artsandmusicpa.com/travelpanyc/chinatown.htm
http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm (subway map of NYC)
I hope you have a safe and fun visit to Chinatown and NYC (the greatest place in the world!) if you choose to go, and thanks for reading! Happy New Year everyone!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
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nycgrl
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Location: New York, New York
Reviews written: 26
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Heard about that new pirate movie? It's rated AAARGH. Laugh now.
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