My parents brought my three younger brothers and me to Chinatown Central Plaza almost every weekend when we were young kids. Now in my older age, I don't frequent this place as much. L.A. Chinatown Firecracker 5/10K Run/Walk & Bike Ride event has been held here for the last 48 years in celebration of Lunar New Year and in support of the L.A. local communities. I participated in this event for the past 3 years starting with the 2024 Year of the Dragon. I intend to participate in this event every year from here on out. It's such a fun and festive activity for all ages. Come join us! Most of the original business shops have closed. A few of them still remain. It's not as crowded as it was back in the days. Still nice to stroll through the walkways to reminisce the good times. Some of the buildings exterior appears to be original. The colorful Chinese gateway entrance is a bit dated. Hope they restore it soon. A visit to L.A. must include a visit to this iconic plaza. May you find great restaurants and good shops. Enjoy a peaceful morning with a hot cup of coffee or tea from Thank You Coffee, a delightful egg tart from Wonder Bakery, plus a light and crispy sugar butterfly aka danzan from Phoenix Bakery, while sitting at the bench and people watching. End your afternoon with a nice walk around the plaza and its surrounding area. Don't forget to snap a beautiful selfie with our famous Bruce Lee (statue). Have a wonderful visit! P.S. Will post photos later. Thank you. read more

An outdoor shopping plaza and gathering place for the Chinatown in Los Angelese. When one thinks of a historic Chinatown in a major city, this sort of architecture and view is what someone would expect. Unfortunately, there are many vacant store fronts, with still visible signs of historic restaurants, since long closed (e.g. Hop Louie). It looks like Golden Dragon Gifts shop is still operating, though closed when we came on a Sunday. There is an area filled with coin operated kiddie rides (cars, panda bears, etc)...will be back for that once appropriate. read more

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I hit Chinatown Central Plaza with the family! We were out in downtown Los Angeles for the morning and decided to stop by to walk around. It was a hot day, so walking around outside didn't last for too long. We quickly found the food court area and migrated that way. I just wanted some shade from the sun. It was beating down on us hard that day. This is such a fun area to visit. Love the culture and feel here. Very unique and worth a visit! We eventually made out way over to Howlin' Ray's for some food. We didn't really do any shopping. I think we were just too tired and drained from being outside in the heat all morning and afternoon. read more

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Nice to see a little bit.of Chinatown left. Hope this place survives and Chinatown will still be a part of Los Angeles. read more

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Pretty much what I expected--an outsider's glimpse into a culturally rich, commercial attraction. The Bruce Lee statue is especially well done, with impressive detail and a sense of originality that makes it worth the stop on its own. The shops are interesting, though largely filled with the usual tourist tchotchkes, and the eateries are fairly typical. That said, I really enjoyed the architectural replicas, which add character and a sense of place. Overall, it's a nice, free stop slightly off the beaten path and an easy way to spend some time exploring. #tysadventures26 #lachinatown #bktybackontheroadagain #bruceleestatue read more

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I visited Chinatown recently, and it felt a lot quieter than it used to be. There aren't as many shops or food places as before, so the area didn't feel as lively. One thing I did like, though, was seeing the Bruce Lee Statue. It was nice to see and definitely the highlight of my visit. read more

Chinatown Central Plaza - Shopping Centers Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Super cute and great sites to see. Great place to get qipaos / cheongsams for unbeatable prices. Fun to browse and there's lots of personality around every corner. read more

I've been to other Chinatowns, but this one is just average. I was hoping there were more stores to explore and restaurants. Everything just seems so old school with the products they sell. I don't see much anime stores and boba places. We ate at Full House and the food was actually pretty good. I do advise to park in the garage called blossom. We parked there for about 1 hr 30 mins and only paid $2. The lot does tend to get full so better arrive early. Overall, not much to see experience but great to check out once in a lifetime. read more

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We've been to Chinatown many times and we saw all the changes. They used to have a lot of authentic Chinese restaurants there but now they have a lot of fusion-style shops and some unique restaurants to attract tourists. I like it this way though because if you want to try authentic Chinese food then you may go to San Gabriel Valley such as Monterey Park, Alhambra, San Gabriel, etc. Many shops in Chinatown Central Plaza have changed but we like the architecture and lanterns there. They usually have some big events during the Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. There's a Bruce Lee commemorative statue found in the Chinatown Central Plaza. It's a nice place for pictures, walking around and shopping and there are many places to eat. The lights and decorations are beautiful at night. read more

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chinatown LA is small, and on a Sunday night, not much was going on, except some people lighting small fireworks and some photographers taking their shots. there was some traffic all shops are small, and there are restaurants, stores and souvenir shops. there is different selection and value, but most is average budget. read more

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Very close to the train and such a gem in China town. It is a must to stop by here and check out all the shops. It truly feels like a little town in China that sells Asian trinkets, clothing, jewelry, art, and much more. There is also a Bruce Lee statue you can take pics with. If you need a restroom, be ready to bring two quarters and go to the door near the fountain. Otherwise, there are restaurants nearby. Very cool place for pics as well. Cute as part of a nice stroll and date. read more

Chinatown Central Plaza - Shopping Centers Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This year for Father's Day, my son planned an outing as a surprise. Michael had me guessing the next adventure as he weaved toward downtown. I made a number of wrong guesses but I did finally sort of guess our destination: Chinatown to take in a summer DJ concert by our former neighbor and KCRW host Jason Bentley getting the large crowd dancing in the Chinatown Plaza as the sun went down. We danced amid popping streamers and got to meet Jason's wife and three young children in attendance. Jason's mother Susan who lived next to us in Westchester with her husband Steve and younger son Will who was Michael's age, was there but unfortunately we didn't see her. Will plays in a rock band and I gave him his first paying gig when I threw a block party and Will and some of the other neighbor kids performed. I had not been to Chinatown for a number of years and I didn't remember this large plaza maze looking so good. We wandered around Chinatown popping into a cool bar admiring the lights and talking to some of the vendors. The music was great and Chinatown sparkled with a large enthusiastic crowd. Michael's surprise was a hit that I thoroughly enjoyed for Father's Day. read more

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Amazing place with beautiful lanterns and architecture! I look forward to returning. There is a great bakery and coffee shop nearby and also decent restaurants for a good price. read more

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I went to Chinatown Plaza for the Dragon Festival full of shops, live "Dragons" , poppers and puppet dragons. Full of life, people and culture. I always love the chinese culture and make sure to eat at the restaurant that the movie "Rush Hour" was filmed at. Excellent Food. The people were amazing! Everything was so cheap !! Go there if you go to Downtown Los Angeles they have everything! read more

My friend and I had fun rediscovering old Chinatown while shopping for Mah Jong. We found the game and enjoyed meeting the vendors while browsing for good luck, prosperity happiness and health. read more

These days, I only come out here to run the LA Chinatown Firecracker 10k to celebrate the lunar new year. The start and finish line for that race is right on Broadway. On Sundays, there's free street meter parking in the surrounding area. If you don't want to deal with the traffic or parking that comes with driving, you can always opt to take the Metro light rail as there's a station right across the street. There are several shops selling various wares in the plaza as well as a bakery and a decent burger place, Burgerlords. Also we sure to check out the Bruce Lee statue and the Sun Yat-Sen statue. read more

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It hasn't changed much in the last two (few?) decades. It still has the same stores, the same eateries, the Bruce Lee Statue on the corner is pretty cool. I can almost feel the history and nostalgia in the air. While I appreciate (and maybe even love) that old-skool vibe, I have to agree with a few of my fellow Yelpers here: it does need an upgrade - but nothing to make that old-skool feel go away. Just general clean up, maybe, make the area pop a little bit more and make the experience even more memorable. A little paint could definitely make a huge difference. For now, it's still cool kinda walking through here. Still love those mom-and-pop stores with hundreds of different kinds of trinkets (both for locals and tourists alike.) But I do have hopes that one day, there will be improvements. Until then, I still look forward to future visits. :) read more

We visited on a Sunday afternoon before seeing a show at the Ahmanson Theater, so it was pretty quit. This was nice as there was no crowds to maneuver and almost no waiting anywhere. Still, for a first-time visitor, it was pretty cool. There are a lot of stores that honest, all have the same things, but there's enough uniqueness in each of them you'll still want to take a look around. Most of them are pretty small with as much merchandise stuffed in as they can. For the most part, everything is fairly inexpensive. I got the feeling you might be able to barter some, but we didn't try. There's plenty of food/snack options. Most were pretty American though, like Gelato (which I guess is really Italian). We found a nice little sit-down restaurant across the street that we liked. They have a restaurant that has live Jazz I want to visit sometime, but it was closed when we were there. I can image parking is a real pain on busy days. We found a nice lot on the southwest corner of the plaza that was easy to get in and out of. You have to pay of course, and there's no such thing as validated parking. Regardless, it would be fun to visit this area on a festival weekend. I'm sure the energy is crazy! read more

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Went to LA Chinatown on a weekday for lunch. The place is eerily quiet which is sad. Great picture spot for Media Influencers but sad for store owners as there are no tourists to keep the shops potpourri shops open. Restaurants, jewelry shops, bakeries, small grocery stores were open but not crowded. LA Chinatown just like the LA Financial District and other downtowns have been devastated by the COVID epidemic and remote work. A lot of history at this locale with many movies filmed here - hopefully there will be a recovery. read more

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If you're taking friends around for a tour of LA, make this a stop on your sites to see in LA. This place has so much charm and is gorgeous during the day and night. I came here in the morning while headed to Thank You Coffee and it was a beautiful thing to see all the stores opening up and the vendors getting ready to start their day. There's great food to be found simply by just walking around here, or a grab a cup of coffee and sit down on the benches and just people watch. Either way, Chinatown in LA is historic and is a must if you're visiting LA. read more

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Most of the shops and restaurants were closed. The place is worn down. We spent less than 30 minutes there. Not worth the drive.

I love coming here more than DTLA to be honest. It's a hidden gem and there is food everywhere. 10/10 prices are cheaper, it's a lot more organized and family friendly. Lots of plants and nick nacks. read more

If you're looking to walk around and buy random stuff. This is the place! A lot of hustlers working here and I respect that. They will work with the prices. This place have fake and real jewelry, clothes from under wear to jackets, a lot of random Knick knacks. If you're looking for unique Christmas gifts, this is also the place for it. They have two stories of stores. Bottom level consists of home essentials and live plants. Very friendly people all around just trying to make a living. There are a lot of restaurants around here too. You can grab drinks like boba while shopping/walking and they sale street food as well. It's pretty fun here. A lot to see! read more

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I have been here several times over the years. There are a lot of shops to wonder in and out of and a huge enclosed area full of vendors. You can almost find anything here depending on what you are after. My grandmother loved coming here and buying tchotchkes. There are places to get a snack or have a sit down meal. There are different bakeries in the area. Plan on walking a good bit. So wear comfortable shoes. There are plenty of local pay to park lots around. Just find one that looks good to you! read more

It crazy how things can change for the worse. All in a blink of an eye or months as in this case. Covid has had a major impact for Chinatown. Walking throughout the area, you do noticed that it's not the same as it has been. Tons of retail and restaurants have had closed. Either still from covid or permanently as consumers are not out and about. Even trying to find a place to eat during the week was pretty slim to none. Whole shopping centers that normally has store all around has now been a an empty plaza. Give it take one or two that maybe still be open. On the main strip, it's basically quiet. Stores that are open tend to be opened later than usuals and closed earlier. The strip where they normally have night events is now basically a ghost town. Only one stores was open when I walked through it. It's not the same anymore. Or maybe it was just a Monday. Hopefully the weekend is different and stores are opened then. But just to get the vibe of nothing being open was pretty eerie as Chinatown is always hustling and bustling with tourists and locals. This pandemic has changes everyone's life, hopefully this place can get back to normal somehow. Slowly but surely, I hope. read more

Chinatown Central Plaza - Shopping Centers Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Decorations are nice but this plaza is so lackluster compared to the Japanese Village Plaza across DTLA. There isn't much foot-traffic so it's a very quiet area. Only a few stores and food places within the plaza but it isn't all that exciting. I feel like there is a lot of wasted potential here, this place could definitely have a huge transformation read more

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Well this is the closest I will get to experience China! So much wonder to explore from the basic Jasmine soap bar to all kinds of supplements. To the nights of the Chinese New Years with a Dragon parade celebration to the Funk nights Festivals. I say take the metrolink from OC to LA. Just bring comfy shoes+sunblock and lots of cash especially for the parking. I usually park at the B of A parking lot and they charge all day parking I think $15 but take $20. It is best to pay to park then get towed away or a ticket. Just saying keep it simple. Lots of shops with loose teas to everything you can imagine in the kitchen wear. Best place to take pix if you are photographer. We usually have a lot of fun! Just make it an all day activity with the kids. Lots of cheap trinkets! read more

Chinatown Central Plaza - Shopping Centers Near Me - Los Angeles, California

One of the smaller Chinatowns I've visited and I was surprised. It was a Monday so it was very quite throughout the plaza. There are a few restaurants and shops to visit and bakery. I went to one bakery for boba however they had ran out of boba so I left. All in all not much to see. read more

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A good place to find lots of interesting trinkets, browse and enjoy Chinese food. This was my 2 time being in Chinatown after living in the United States for over 40 years; not a fan of LA traffic. Note: Bring a hat and sunblock. Of course, some money to spend as well. Have fun browsing around! read more

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I have been wanting to write a review of this place but somehow my brain wasn't working every time I try. Not because there's nothing to write about this place but on the contrary, there's so much to write about and I just didn't know where to start. The review finally came into reality one hot summer Sunday afternoon when I got tired of walking around downtown so I decided to hang around here. I was actually surprised how many people sit at the benches and gather by the plaza as children run around and play with their poppers. There are two wishing wells here on each side of Hill St. So many gift shops and art galleries to visit. A statue of Bruce Lee can also be found here. And what's Chinatown without dim sum? Yes, there's a lot to choose from along with traditional Chinese restaurants everywhere. What I admire most here is the architecture of the buildings. So much intricate details painted in vibrant colors mostly of red and green. It's so beautiful to see during daytime but even lovelier at night when the lanterns are alight. Chinatown Summer Nights is held here every year and I recommend for everyone to check it out. read more

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Not much going on in this plaza. There were a few souvenir stores open. The stores just had the typical tourist souvenir. There was one bakery, but not many selections. Maybe time of day? Overall everything look to be closed or vacant. read more

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The attraction is definitely not here. came with my friends on the weekend and it was quite dead. there was barely anyone walking around. after your enter the 'china town' plaza, its just gift shops filled with souvenirs and Knick knacks. i guess i was expecting food, snacks, bobas, etc. but it was just shops. if you been in one, you've been to them all. its nice to take a photo at the entrance w/the lanterns behind you. but it nothing like little Tokyo or ktown. read more

Chinatown Central Plaza - Shopping Centers Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Chinatown Central Plaza is an iconic place for LA, especially its night time image with all the cool lights on. It's a great ad for our city. The plaza isn't big, but it has many cute store, all indie w. fun, inexpensive merchandise, there are various restaurants - from traditional to newer, wonderful bakeries and cool places where you can grab a snack or a drink. There are more and more art galleries, the art scene is very lively, more celebrations, fun hip events - like the fun Summer Nights. I always like the Chinese New Year's, it never gets old. They also do tour, check their site. The bathrooms are kinda hard to find, not always open, parking can be a bit difficult, especially finding a spot on the street, but there are lots and a subway stop close by which is my favorite way of getting here. Nice walking area, great for shopping, dinning, learn from another culture. It's an older part of town. I always enjoy walking through the Plaza, the center of LA Chinatown, smaller than the San Francisco's, but with plenty of charm and uniqueness. Great place to bring visitors from out of town to show them another slice of LA. It's also a fun place to roam around if you're an Angeleno, it could be a great outing. Great spot to get cool photos, I love the pretty red lampions floating above, the colorful signs and lights. It's a nice setting, romantic and timeless. read more

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Do your research before coming here. While I was walking around, the area seemed kind of sketchy with people starring at my boyfriend and I, very few asking for money. As we were looking for a place to eat, many of the small restaurants had a B rating and very few with a C. Luckily we found some places that had A ratings. The experience was okay overall. All we did here was eat, window shop, and took some pictures of the architecture. Many visitors who come here mainly take photographs, and you can spend maybe an hour here taking pictures. Also, this area had a very bad smell. I came during the summer and I am unsure if it always smells like that. read more

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This is a nice little plaza in the heart of Chinatown. It has multiple businesses including souvenir places and food offerings. An unexpected statue of Bruce Lee is located there as well parking - metered, free before 8AM read more

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Built after Old Chinatown was leveled to construct Union Station, the New Chinatown Central Plaza on Broadway in Central LA sits on top of the former site of the Little Italy neighborhood. There is a dispute whether this town center design was the brainchild of Hollywood moguls desiring to provide an idealized version of the Shanghai Bund for tourists, or the Chinese merchants who needed to attract commerce to their businesses and offer local Asian residents a place to conduct their affairs. Today it consists of a few wide streets leading to a town square where special civic events and celebrations are held. The buildings are certainly Chinese style, with businesses in the first floors and living quarters above. Since its inception, many of those enterprises have left the city for the nicer/safer climes of the San Gabriel Valley (Diamond Bar, Rowland Heights, etc.). What remains overlooks statues of Sun Yat Sen facing off against Bruce Lee. The stores sell mostly tourist trinkets, and the remaining restaurants have varying degrees of worthiness. Although I have traveled to LA many times and conducted extensive business with Chinese clients, this was my first visit to Central Plaza, or Chinatown for that matter. All my work was done in the SGV, and this visit purely a vacation stop for the family to enjoy some local color. Sadly, both sites have seen better days, and there is little to attract tourist dollars, except a few old style restaurants clinging to traditional ways. They can be interesting and have decent kitchens, but as with almost everything else, the better alternatives are farther east in the valley, where the money is. I'm not saying going here is a waste of time, rather, understood in the proper context, it is possible to appreciate historically and culturally how all this came to be. It is a result of social policies and economic forces that pushed groups of people from their homes and relocated them to less valuable real estate, over and over again. Who has the last laugh depends on who's asking and their point of view. read more

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This place has not changed since the first time I came here when I was a teenager. I fondly remember the fountain where you can make a wish and try and throw your coin into one of the small pots or jars, such as "prosperity." Although new statues have been added, overall, it has not changed much. Strange how most Chinatowns in different parts of the country have the same "feel," even though they may be laid out differently. For some strange reason, I always feel like visiting this area when the weather is 90 degrees or above. There are two particular stores in general that I visit each and every time I come here. I like all the small knick-knacks sold on the shops. Yes, it is very touristy here. There is both metered parking on the street and paid parking lots. read more

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LA Chinatown is currently going through renovation which is much needed. Love the Asian decorated buildings. It appears that some of the same shops and restaurants are still there. I remember coming here as a child and visiting as a young adult to get boxes and boxes of dim sum and pastries. Some of the old parking lots are now gone and replaced by banks. We were lucky to get parking on the street, but it did not look too plentiful. I think that most of the Chinese population have moved to other parts of the LA area; San Gabriel and Monterey. Though I have good memories of LA Chinatown, I think San Francisco may be nicer to visit nowadays. Nevertheless, since one of my "kin" was a founding father, I give 4 stars for the creation of a community for like minded peoples read more

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I went on a Thursday afternoon and there was not much going on. Maybe 3 stores were open and everything else was closed. Parking was a bit difficult to find, but there is a parking lot about a block down. I think because of the pandemic nothing is really open. Nice to see for a little, I was there about 15 mins and than left. read more

Chinatown Central Plaza - Shopping Centers Near Me - Los Angeles, California

All right. I'm giving this review as a model who is looking for interesting places to shoot. And Chinatown Central Plaza is a good one ! There are several nice spots you can find, depending on the lighting off course. Better to go in the morning or during the sunset. In my opinion, just to hang around there would be alright. By the way, there is a pretty good lunch/dinner place called "Blossom Vietnamese Restaurant". Other than that, there are some stores selling Chinese goods. In general, did I feel being in China for a moment ? Absotively ! It has it's own vibe. Me and my photographer took some good shots there. Check it out. read more

Chinatown Central Plaza - Nice background - Shopping Centers Near Me - Los Angeles, California