People &
History
Chinatown is as multifaceted as the people who call it home. It’s a rich and fascinating blend of cultures, languages, religions, and food—a place that brings people from all over the world together into a dazzling community.
Faces, Faces, Faces
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History of
Chinatown
We can trace the roots of Chinatown to the storied Five Points neighborhood of 19th-century NYC, a densely populated part of Lower Manhattan where many Irish, Italian, Jewish, and Chinese immigrants settled. As the Chinese community faced rampant discrimination, they moved farther downtown and formed more tight-knit and self-reliant communities to secure jobs and housing—eventually opening schools, forming social clubs, and starting newspapers. Over time, Chinatown became home to people from a wider swath of East Asia as well as everywhere from the globe, adding a new sense of energy and vitality to this one-of-a-kind neighborhood.
Created in the late 1890s, Columbus Park is one of the city’s first major urban parks. A gathering place for people of different cultures and ages, Columbus Park hosts a wide variety of events.
Erected in the early 1960s, the gateway-like monument honors and remembers the Chinese American lives lost during World War II.
Completed in the early 1900s, the Manhattan Bridge is the youngest of the three NYC DOT East River suspension bridges. Connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan, the bridge serves as a main entrance to the Chinatown District. Fresh produce, Interstate buses, and small businesses can be found alongside the Manhattan Bridge.
Located on 133 Canal Street, the Mahayana Buddhist Temple is the largest Buddhist Temple in New York City. Home to a 16 foot gold Buddha statue, the temple serves the Chinese Buddists in the greater New York area.
Built in the late 1970s, Confucius Plaza was the first public-funded housing project created for Chinese Americans.
Opened in 1903, the Chatham Square Branch of the New York Public Library is the Third Carnegie branch library built in New York City.
Home to a unique collection of books, reports, documents, videos, and other materials in languages like English and Chinese, the Chatham Square Library serves as a cultural and civic center for the Chinatown community.
Located at 25 Mott Street, The Church of Transfiguration was built in the early 1800s. Erected by the English Lutheran Church and later sold to the Roman Catholic Church of the Transfiguration, the church served as a place for new immigrants. Today, the church continues to serve the local community, offering masses in Chinese, Mandarin, and English.
The District
Chinatown New York City is the biggest in the United States, with the largest concentration of Chinese in the Western Hemisphere. It is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. With an area covering two square miles, Chinatown is home to a resident population estimated at 150,000. Manhattan’s Chinatown is loosely bounded by Lafayette, Worth, Grand and East Broadway streets.
- We maintain about 220 sidewalks in the Chinatown BID service area.
- People speak about 10 different languages in Chinatown.
- We have about 2400 individual businesses in our district.
- We have 10 subway lines serving the area.
Chinatown New York City is the biggest in the United States, with the largest concentration of Chinese in the Western Hemisphere. It is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. With an area covering two square miles, Chinatown is home to a resident population estimated at 150,000. Manhattan’s Chinatown is loosely bounded by Lafayette, Worth, Grand and East Broadway streets.
Be a part of our community.
参加。
From the Lunar New Year Parade to the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, Chinatown is a tight-knit cultural hub that invites New Yorkers and visitors to share in a rich sense of living history, all year round. Grab some boba, buy a souvenir for a friend, sing some karaoke, and stay a while.