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New York City’s Chinatown is the country’s most famous, containing the highest concentration of Chinese inhabitants in the western hemisphere – at least 150,000 Chinese residents in a roughly 2 mile-square area. Chinatown is also probably the most eclectic area of Manhattan. With its booming fish and fruit markets and colorful souvenir shops, Chinatown impresses visitors as an exotic and very lively marketplace. For residents, it offers an affordable lifestyle with cheap and ethnic eateries, inexpensive shopping and convenient transportation. Most buildings are turn-of-the-century residential walk-ups and cast-iron buildings, but there are also a few recently built and/or modernized apartment buildings with elevators and additional amenities.

Over the recent years Chinatown has expanded and spilled over into other neighborhoods, and now borders on Delancey Street to the north, East Broadway to the east, Broadway to the west, and Chamber’s Street to the south.

Little Italy, for instance, has essentially been taken over by Chinatown, and now remains only somewhat distinguished by its architecture and touristy restaurants but lacking its former atmosphere.