Tons of good food and parking lots. Definitely comparable to queens nyc, manhattan, Marais/paris, sf, Vegas/spring mountain and Vancouver Chinatown's. I know the sizes vary quite a bit between the ones I mentioned- but in terms of what I consider to be proper Chinatown's. I purposely didn't mention LA Chinatown but that's another story. Anyway, Chicago's Chinatown has really good food options and parking and prices are cheaper than back home in the bay so that's why I'm giving it 5 stars. I never shop, so I'm not factoring that in. Prices, food options and variety and ease of transportation and parking- top 7 in the world as far as chinatowns go- outside of Asia, obviously. I've been coming here for about 18 yrs now, and I continue to discover new, delicious food! read more

See all

Chinatown is an important landmark district because of the history and the community it allowed Chinese Americans at a time when they were being driven out of other places in the country and race laws were being passed against them. There's still a strong Chinese identity here, and though it's not called home by as many folks of Chinese descent as it once was, there are plenty who still feel a strong tie to the neighborhood (for instance, my SO's sister in law, who immigrated from China and feels a connection here). Having said that, it isn't the most pleasant place to shop. Parking can be a nightmare around here so if you don't live nearby or take the el, that can be a deterrent. Many of the stores and bakeries are cash-only businesses, and that's just not how I like to do pay--and if I do I'd be able to visit maybe one store before I'm out of cash and then done shopping. But if you want authentic Chinese food, as opposed to the Americanized version (not knocking it, since that's what I prefer) or are looking for Asian ingredients and culture, you'll find it here. read more

Chinatown's historic main stretch is along Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue; but this is ancient history. The main commercial streets in today's Chinatown are: along S. Wentworth Avenue between Cermak Road and W. 26th St. including the new Chinatown Square, (which nearly doubles the size of the old Chinatown). Over a third of Chicago's Chinese population resides in this ethnic enclave, making it one of the largest concentrations of Chinese-Americans in the United States. The only (but less densely Chinese populated are in the United States) is the famous "626" in San Gabriel California. Not only will you find spectacular Chinese restaurants and food markets in both Chicago's Chinatown and the "626", but you will also witness acts of pure Chinese Culture, untarnished by eggrolls or fortune cookies. If you crave a more touristy route, then visit one of the many "Import" shops, where you can buy where you'll find retail, restaurants, detailed architecture, and more. Pop into the colorful storefronts to shop for exotic teas, handmade ceramics, hard-to-find beauty products, unique jewelry, and more. read more

Wow I didn't know Chicago had a Chinatown. It was by chance we stumbled upon it because one of my friends live in an area without much Asian food, so we went to get some Asian food and stumbled upon Chicago Chinatown. The Chinese architectural style looks great here. There are many authentic Chinese businesses maintaining the culture. There are also a few other Asian businesses that found their way into Chinatown. It is definitely a fun place to walk around and browse. A few honorable mentions are the status of the 12 Chinese zodiac, the 9 Dragon Wall and the main Chinatown sign. I'm glad we got to stop by and see it for ourselves. read more

See all

Chicago's Chinatown has so much to do, see and offer! Spending a day here is fun, educational and an explorers Pandora's box of wonder! There's a vast array of eateries; dim sum, traditional Chinese food representing all different areas of China, bakeries, cosmetics, barbers, ancient medicine shops, candy stores and meat/butcher shops slicing of Peking ducks in the windows! There are museums, churches, shrines, memorials and monuments too! I never get tired of visiting and always have so much fun exploring and seeing things I didn't see in times previous to this visit! read more

Chicago Chinatown - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

A very beautiful place, beautiful culture and food-- there are some cons though I'll address; There are tons of gift shops that sell bootleg/fake anime merchandise, not to mention how dirty some of the stores are. The workers at most of these stores are kinda rude. I'm unsure if thats a cultural difference or just how people act nowadays. Pros are strong though with everything cheap priced, able to get things from asian culture and learn about asian culture here which is beautiful to see-- tons of restaurants with good variety, and a Gashapon store! I'd 100% go here and check it out, don't let the cons make you doubt this place read more

Chinatown is another important neighborhood as well as a fun place for hanging and eating. In many major cities these are popular tourist attractions, and Chicago's certainly is. Lots of family owned business are still in operation. Get full on tea, food, and the Asian girls. The architecture is fun to look at too. For sure the most prominent feature is the Chinatown Gate. It's a type of structure that's common in many Chinatowns and this one is fairly impressive. There's many other important architectural pieces. It's possible spending hours just walking around and looking. One must see is the Nine Dragon Wall. It's located close to the public parking lot. This is based on a Beijing wall. Most of Chinatown is along Wentworth Avenue. There's all kinds of jewelry stores, and of course restaurants. Chinatown is bigger than it looks. It has even more located on the north side of Cermak, such as the Chinatown Square, another favorite to check out. This is a large mall filled with even more restaurants and stores. read more

See all

What I immediately noticed different about Chicago's Chinatown is that there was no fish on ice for sale on the sidewalk or people buying it. I didn't see the markets in Chicago that I've seen in New York's Chinatowns, both in Manhattan or in the more sophisticated Asian community in Flushing Queens. The weather was warm, when I was in Chicago's Chinatown, so I would've thought that there would have been markets & foods for sale on sidewalks, just like every other Chinatown I've visited in the world. But, I didn't see those things here. It was just a large group of restaurants & shops that were Asian oriented, with beautiful Chinese architecture. There is a huge Asian community in this neighborhood & I guess they've become very Americanized & that's OK. I'm still giving Chicago's Chinatown 4 stars because it is exactly what it is. Every immigrant group evolves differently throughout the USA & this is part of Chicago's Asian community's evolution. I spent a lovely two days here exploring. The people were nice & friendly & always helpful with giving me directions & suggestions. You definitely know that you are in Chinatown when you're here. There were just a few elements missing, which I have come to expect in Chinatowns throughout the world. Nothing should be the same anyway, right? Every community deserves to evolve the best way that fits them, wherever they are, throughout this world. I'd love to visit Chicago's Chinatown again. I appreciated very much, my two days here. I'll be back. read more

See all

Great culture. I love to see people keep and embrace their culture moreover I love to see them share it with others. read more

See all

Ton of restaurants, shops, and more. Great place to come and explore. Parking isn't so great however the shops and restaurants make up for it. You can find pretty much any and everything you want and a lot of things you don't need here. Definitely a cool place to sight see when in Chicago. read more

Chinatown has has a unique and lively business for local Chinese shopping from cafes, dim sum and tea shops down the streets of Cermak and Wentworth which is just outside of downtown. If you want a quick get away from downtown, take public or a taxi to go for a hop, skip, and jump to this area. If you are from out of town or just haven't been here, you need to visit. The are two sides of the Chinatown - an older and yet now clean area and the newer side - Chinatown square. Take a quick preview on Yelp to see the restaurants in the area or just preview a few of mine. If you have a moment, give me a few thumbs up below if you find this useful along with swiping left to see my other reviews. Keep looking through my profile and information and see what place you can visit. We come here every few weeks and I can't get away from this area. read more

Chicago Chinatown - Far away shot around the red line and newer area of Chinatown. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Chicago's Chinatown is definitely one of the best ones in the country. I do not know the official numbers, but as someone who has been to almost every major U.S. city, it felt like the third biggest (after the ones in San Francisco and Manhattan). It is easily accessible from downtown with a 20 minute ride on the red line metro line to the Cermak stop. As as soon as you exit the station, it is right there. This Chinatown is actually made of two sections. On the south side is the older part, with many restaurants, bakeries, banks, and supermarkets. This section feel like a classic Chinatown that has been around for decades. On the northwest side is the newer part which is basically made up of a huge two story outdoor strip mall. This part also has many restaurants and stores but they were more recently constructed. You will find a greater percentage of younger people here, and this area feels more like the modern malls in China. read more

Chicago Chinatown - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Chinatown is fully open and totally full of tourists and visitors. Everyone is wearing masks there's plenty of parking and it is a delight to be there. read more

See all

Japan once tried to take "Chinadown", but this is unrelated to that. Although you could say it's sort of related in a roundabout way. Speaking of roundabouts, aren't they way better than traffic signals? Right? I didn't realize Chicago's Chinatown was so extensive and exciting until my most recent trip here when I parked and properly explored and it was a real eye-opener. Parking is very very very difficult much like the one in Manhattan although maybe not quite as bad. There are massive crowds and three or four different centers of this Chinatown. You can definitely explore here for days and days and never quite see everything. My favorite stuff in this Chinatown is Xi'an for food, and nearby Taipei for Bubble Tea. read more

See all

Chicago China Town is getting old. Most of newest restaurant and business are moving to the suburbs. Not many Chinese are living there. It use to be one of the good China Town if you live nearby with walking distance. The red line CTA light rail will take you there. It always some hidden gem there. Some of the restaurant is actually underground. Wentworth Avenue is still the Main Street with the gate. Sometimes they organize some festival to stimulus the town. I hope they don't let Japanese or Korean restaurant take over. I love to walk on China Town for many reasons. The biggest is the food. You can get a cup of boba, oriental Bakery, bowl of hand pull noodle and more. I believe the biggest reason for the China Town go down hill is the parking, the high price parking turn away local to make the regular visit. This need to change. read more

Chicago Chinatown - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Big shoulders in Little China! Chicago's Chinatown is a sight to see! This place is super authentic and legit. Walking around through Chinatown, be sure to check out the Nine Dragons Wall, a big archway, the gateway to Chinatown, so many little hole in the wall shops, and taste what Chinese food really tastes like. This ain't no Kung Fu Panda stuff, this is the real deal. There's so much to see and do. Just sitting around and people watching is a treat- people come around with fruit stands and sell coconuts, pineapples, and other exotic produce from little stands. The souvenir district of Chinatown is a whole jumble of imported stuff from China packed in with tiny restaurants. Be sure to check out the library- it's like a Chinese cultural center where you can see the art and get a good view of the place. The food options here are endless. I usually go to where the longest wait is and what looks busiest, with a few exceptions. I've heard that this is the third largest Chinatown in the USA. read more

Its Chinatown. It isnt huge, a collection of a few streets. The architecture, the statues, the chinese zodiac statues, the two story tiers of businesses. Its old and historic. A trip to chicago isnt complete without a trip to Chinatown. We always need to get some good Dim Sum in, and stop at a few Bakeries. We stop for rolled ice cream, bubble tea, a visit at the KPop store for the little sister and just walk the streets. i will say that Wentworth street has gotten a lot of new businesses in my opinion. They have definitely revamped some store fronts and brought in some new business. But it still has the lived in chicago feel. read more

Why such low ratings? For an AMAZING area. We came on a cold day and toured many stores and food places. It's a great part of town, and really gives you an authentic feel. Everyone in the area is extremely nice, and there's a lot of shops. I will say go to multiple shops before you chose something because you Amy find the same souvenir next door for half the price. Overall it was an amazing area, with a great cultural feel. read more

See all

Conveniently located. The most eye-catching part of this Chinatown is the library. It looks very new and was a great place to stop and rest during our short excursion to Chinatown. There are many places for drinks and little street snacks. I like that the bubble tea shop we went to had a window to serve patrons from the outside as well as a full dining area. The old-Chinatown area felt more like the NYC Chinatown I am used to . The new Chinatown area has shops a bit more spread out. There are quite a few gift shops which are great for souvenir shopping. Prices are way more affordable compared to the Navy Pier. I like the rolled ice cream shops and new things they are adding into this Chinatown. Parking can be tough, but the Red Line runs through Chinatown. read more

everything dirty, polluted, food no good, staff not wearing gloves, who knows if they wash their hands? Nobody spoke English, all responses , yes vely good. Stay away from that place, if you want to stay healthy. Been their many times, always the same, staff is rude, constant miscommunication and terrible diarrhea after visiting. read more

The first time my sister and I came to chicago we didn't visit chinatown, but this time around we decided to stop by. It's pretty small, but there are still plenty of places to visit. We used the cta to get there and it wasn't a difficult ways and not too far. We got there pretty late and it seems most of the stores and restaurants were getting ready to close at the time. This place doesn't stay open late on the weekends. The area itself is very old and houses more traditional shops, but you can find more modern places around the area too. It's definitely a fun way to go exploring in the area. I'm sure I'll be back in the future. read more

"Talents that are not shared are not talents." Said today's fortune! Between that cookie and John D's expectations, I'd better whip out some writing skills worthy of a Nine Dragon Wall! Be certain to check it out at Wentworth & Cermak. Guess how many dragons there are. Hint: it ain't just nine. This is my childhood Chinatown! We'd taken a class field trip here - circa Fourth Grade - and we all bought the requisite teacups, chopsticks and holders. I'll never forget looking out a second floor smudgy window, through the delicate cups and onto the bustle below. Having since had the opportunity to visit many other cities' Chinatowns, I now realize that the "bustle" is very tame compared to NY or San Francisco, for example. (Chinatowns where I'd NEVER consider driving to/through.) Here, I actually never even knew there was a parking lot until recently! I've always found street parking, but more commonly, I'm on the L which is why... I'll forever associate Sox baseball with fried rice and Mongolian Beef. (Red line - CTA, one of the many convenient ways to get here- see my tip.) I've shopped the shops, (koi goldfish on canvas, anyone?), eaten the food and seen the sights. Chicago's Chinatown...it has been my good fortune. read more

See all

This place is popping only during the day. Around 9pm it starts looking more like a ghost town. By 11pm nearly every place is shut down excluding a few hit n miss places. For as big as Chicago is it's actually a very small place. If you plan to visit, definitely go during the day if you want lots of options. There is a street with many restaurants then a bit north, about a 5-10 min walk away there is another area that's covered and has two levels. Don't cancel your trip to Asia to come here. Also I would put it low on your to-do list. Hot during the day in summers. Dress appropriately. At night when it's cool everything is closed! read more

The Red Line has a stop in Chinatown making it very convenient to public transportation. There's the original Chinatown that encompasses the 5-6 small blocks down S Wentworth Avenue from the L station. The streets are desert during the day except for that one corner where some of the older women sell vegetables grown from their backyards. Chinatown Square Association on the other side of the L stop by Archer Avenue is more developed and catered to the younger crowds. It's an open two-level mall with restaurants, cafes, and shops. They also have a plaza on one end with 12 statues of the Chinese zodiac. I think I spotted only one Chinese supermarket here, maybe two. Overall, definitely NOT worth a visit unless you're craving Chinese food. read more

See all

My favorite place to go. It's a good size (not too big or too small) with plenty of restaurant and shop choices. It's always busy on the weekends no matter the holiday and finding parking is cut throat but the weekdays are fine. It's definitely an authentic place to visit especially for outside visitors. ADVICE: if you park here, ask for parking validation when you eat at a restaurant (most restaurants validate). If you don't ask or forget, then you pay full price for parking ($10 +). And of course, you can use the L red line to come here. read more

See all

This is a great area to spend a few hours eating. Everything there is Chinese. From the food to the products. The weird thing is that everything there is made in the USA. I kid! But great places to eat and go get some Dim Sum! read more

It's a lot smaller than I was imagining. And quiet. Good selection of authentic places to eat and everyone was really friendly. Now that I've been there, I'm good... no need to go back. read more

I think it is a good place to enjoy for locals and also take visitors to, especially if they are from Europe or other parts around the world where Chinatowns are not as common as here in the Northern America. They do have many really good and affordable places to eat in Chicago Chinatown and it kinda allows you to get a feeling of being in Asia within the city of Chicago, so I would definitely recommend the visit. I have been here several times and keep coming back, the food is just too good. read more

It's pretty basic. I don't really recommend it for tourists because it's not worth much time and is very small.

I have been to many of the Chinatowns in the United States and I will say that this one is probably my least favorite. It was a few years ago when I went but I doubt much has changed since then. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this city. However, I was sorely disappointed by their chinatown. It is very, very small (about 2 blocks) and there's barely anything worth sightseeing. Yes, the buildings are traditional looking and beautiful. There's even a big and beautifully designed entry sign to welcome you to Chinatown, but it's nowhere as promising as it looks. There were only a handful of businesses, mostly restaurants and trinket shops. You could drive through the entire place within seconds. It would take longer to cook a cup of ramen noodle than it would to walk thru this entire place. Honestly, I really wanted to like this place but unfortunately I left very disappointed. I do not recommend this Chinatown. read more