Today, Chinatown continues to thrive 150 years later as a place to live for several hundred thousand Chinese and as a top San Francisco tourist attraction. San Francisco’s Chinatown is truly a unique experience. Walking down busy thoroughfares like Grant Street, Stockton Street and the many side streets and alley ways has the most authentic feeling of Hong Kong anywhere outside Hong Kong. You can try a real Cantonese deli with roast ducks hanging in the window, have great dim sum, shop at a chinese grocery store and many of the Chinese goods, clothing and novelty stores. While there are lots of imported Chinese goods from foods, home goods and antiques, Chinatown is also San Francisco’s best kept shopping secret. You can buy clothing, luggage, and San Francisco souvenirs at rock bottom prices. For example in January 2009, some of the shops are selling San Francisco postcards 10 for $1 and Alcatraz and other San Francisco logo T-shirts for less than $4 each!
If you are planning a visit to San Francisco, your visit would not be complete without a trip to Chinatown. If you are unable to visit, please look at some of our photos of Chinatown that we hope you enjoy.
One of the many discount stores along Chinatown’s Grant Street
Chinatown’s many shops, restaurants and grocery stores is reminiscent of Hong Kong.
Old signs like this one for a Chop Suey house give Chinatown its unique character
This old neon sign is just like the ones in Hong Kong.
Here is an old custom dress shop
Sign at the Poultry Fish store in Chinatown
A great angle of the detail that is put into the Paper Lantern style lamp posts in San Francisco Chinatown.
Old style chinese architecture can be seen throughout San Francisco’s Chinatown