My parents brought my three younger brothers and me to Chinatown Central Plaza almost every weekend…read morewhen 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.

An outdoor shopping plaza and gathering place for the Chinatown in Los Angelese. When one thinks…read moreof 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.

drove To Chinatown for posted opening hours. No one there…read more Neighboring store employee said sometimes he comes very late Or not at all. Best advice. Call to confirm before wasting time

Really cool little shop with a bunch of unique Chinese gifts and antiques. Lots of interesting…read morestuff to look through, and everything feels pretty special. The owner is super nice and welcoming too, which made it even better. Definitely worth checking out!

Small store, I have been passing by it a million times while in Chinatown. I never checked it out…read moretill my last visit during the New Year's celebrations. I got a couple of gifts here, a bracelet (nice selection) and a cute dragon toy/puppet (I kind of want one for myself) for friends who couldn't make the parade. Cute merchandise, fun to browse, decent customer service, prices are very reasonable. When in Chinatown, have some shopping fun!

We stopped here, to buy fans for my shop. Helen was very helpful, not pushy, and friendly. I found…read moreseveral more fans, inside that I wanted to buy. She also allowed me to try each fan, if they're quality is approved, and functional. After I was done, she gave me a discount, and a Free Good Luck gift, to hang on my door! When visiting Chinatown, we will stop here again.

Small, unassuming gift shop type store. We bought an affordable souvenir "Little Tokyo" tee here…read morebecause we just love this wonderful area and wanted a shirt to represent that love. Thrilled about this purchase and happy for the existence of this small business shop in DTLA. Come browse their stuff and support this cute spot.

Fun, cool, funky store in Little Tokyo. They have a bit of everything: home decor, nice, local…read moresouvenirs if you're looking for something cool, vinyl, clothes, music. The space is small, a tad tight quarters, but prices are decent and service is good, people working here are nice. More off the beaten path store with an eclectic mix of merchandise.

THE famous Olvera Street, THE birthplace of Los Angeles. Here's what to expect…read more ACCESS To get here you can drive but be sure to prepare to look for parking (street or parking lot) however if you can do public transportation, great stop if you have a layover at Union Station. The marketplace isn't huge so all places are accessible via walking. VIBES Los Angeles is known for its diversity and this is part of the reason why, it's a different feel from the rest with the history brick pathways, market stalls, and sounds of Mexican music or scents of Mexican food to create a lively and nostalgic atmosphere. It wasn't a place to shop but a place to learn as you'll pass by historic landmarks and museums here and there. The stalls have choices you can select from - handmade goods, candies and other souvenirs. Whether you're looking for handmade crafts, traditional food, or simply want to soak in a piece of Los Angeles history, there's something here for everyone. OVERALL EXPERIENCE The people I encountered were welcoming, and many of the vendors were happy to share stories about their products and traditions. TL;DR OVERALL 4.5 Stars. What's not to love. Great selections, fair prices, and a beautiful atmosphere. Olvera Street isn't just another tourist attraction--it's a cultural landmark that tells the story of where Los Angeles began. Despite all the new skyscrapers and freeways, this city was built on generations of history, culture, and community. When in El Lay, definitely stop by. TIPS * Take your time exploring the artisan shops and who knows, you might catch a performance or two.

Olvera Street is in Downtown Los Angeles, right across from the train station. It is open year…read moreround but many of the shops close when it rains and many of the outdoor shops close at dusk in the winter. It is about 3 blocks of fun. Kids love it and it is fun for the whole family. Parking is for a fee. It is just fun. All of the eateries are great, are favorite being La Luz Dia. It is not the oldest restaurant there, but it is great. The shops are fun and have cool gifts from Mexico. This is an historic district and should remind you of when all of California was part of Mexico. It is safe and you will have a great time. Have fun. Any place you choose to eat will be good. They have fine dinning and street tacos. Most of the places serve alcohol.

Los Angeles Chinatown is a hybrid of classic Cantonese Chinatown, commercialized China Town, new…read moreimmigrant South East Asian, Vietnamese Asian Town and the new rejuvenation of "Hipster" elements, a modernization and removal of antiquated tradition. Chinatowns were originally Chinese Ghettos, the designated regions where White America would allow Chinese laborers (and subsequently their families) to live. Typically undesirable lower socioeconomic regions. It became commercialized in the late 1960's through the 1970's as a tourist attraction, a cultural curiosity of sort. New York and San Francisco had, has and have a more "authentic" if there is such a description "Chinatown" with East/West coast snobbery towards those Cities over Los Angeles' C-Town. Chinatown is still kind of dirty 'tho, much as New York's and San Francisco's that on a hot humid day you can smell the overrun of sewage stench along the curbs of the streets. It's not quite as filthy as Seattle and Honolulu Hawaii's Chinatown 'tho. Parking can be difficult, but they have ample paid parking lots, and is also off of a public metro transit system. It's nearby Little Tokyo (aka Japantown) as well as kind of close to Dodger's Stadium, Downtown LA, Crypto (aka Staples) Centger, LA Live, the Financial District, the Garment District, etc. So, as a tourist or local running errands, there's many stops along the way and perripherally adjacent. If you crave Chinese Food however, I'd recommend the SGV San Gabriel Valley or The OC, Orange County area of Irvine as great alternatives or greater destinations for dining. If it's visiting something historic, this Chinatown is gritty and a nice experience during the day. The nightlife is mediocre, 'tho if you're driving and want food past 11pm, Chinatown has some really good eats! There is a "Bruce Lee" statue for a photo op for visitors as well as a sitting statue of Sun Yat Sen in the townsquare area. Golden Dragon Restaurant is a good place for authentic Dim Sum. There's an annual Chinese New Year Parade (Lunar New Year, typically sometime in Jan-Feb annually) held here too.

THIS IS CHINATOWN?! (3 stars)…read more Not going to lie, I'm use to San Francisco's Chinatown so coming here it was like "this is Chinatown?" It's really rundown and I feel could have potential is the right businesses and attractions were put in place. 1) if was so easy to find parking - yes, in LA, and in a Chinatown. 2) the streets were empty with a few local elderly walking around but packed in areas where there were groceries being sold 3) not many attractions to look at. I kind of felt sad for this part of down. It has a great view of downtown LA and prime for development but it feels like a washed up and forgotten area.

Wishing Glory is one of several souvenir shops in Chinatown Central Plaza. It looks like there was…read moreanother souvenir shop there with a different name. It's one of the smaller souvenir shops. They sell lucky cats, dishes, swords, parasols, lanterns, jewelry, lion puppets, good luck charms, ben wa balls, Bruce Lee figurines, messenger bags, etc. I wasn't too impressed with the selection but my nephew bought a lantern there. Things are cheap. The chopsticks and pens were $1 each. His lantern was $4.

I moved into the area a few months ago and slowly I've been making my way into the small…read morebusinesses, I had seen this place on Yelp and thought it looked like a cute store to visit. I went in yesterday and there were 2 employees there, no one greeted me. It was silent and awkward as I was the only one in there. Also, the photos are from a few years ago and it looks like the aesthetics of the place had changed a bit from what I was expecting. They had a variety items from sage, to cards to clothes but nothing caught my eye.

Lovely store, sewers right on location, very cool. For sure stop in if you're in the area or make a…read morespecial trip like I do!