I generally avoid obviously touristy places when I travel, but there’s a good reason they earn that distinction in the first place: People like them. Chinatown is not only a tourist magnet; it’s a densely packed city neighborhood that definitely merits that overused adjective “colorful.” And whenever I’m in San Francisco I make it a point to spend some time there.

One of the coolest things about San Francisco neighborhoods is how they merge together, and Chinatown is no exception. Walk up Grant Avenue from the corner of Market Street, and for four blocks you’re surrounded by tall skyscrapers and brand-name retailers, a typical downtown urban landscape. But at the corner of Grant and Bush an ornamental gate—dedicated in 1970—arches over the street, the symbolic entryway into a self-contained and rather different world.

One doesn’t really need a planned itinerary to “do” Chinatown. For one thing, it’s compact. The two main north-south thoroughfares are Grant Avenue and Stockton Street. Between them run east-west Pacific, Jackson, Washington, Clay, Sacramento and California streets. You’ll also want to check out the narrow alleyways that run parallel to Grant and Stockton.

Grant Avenue is tourist central, where you’ll find a multitude of shops selling everything from cheap plastic Buddhas to fine jewelry, and more restaurants than you can shake a chopstick at. Intertwined dragons coil around old-fashioned lampposts, buildings have ornate tiled roofs and the numerous storefront signs are a mix of Chinese and English. Bright red and yellow banners flutter in the breeze. There are lots of photo ops, and cell and camera-toting visitors (me included) are constantly dashing into the street during a momentary lull in traffic to snap a quick shot.

It would be easy to spend all day leisurely wandering up and down the nine blocks of Grant between Bush and Vallejo streets, but I have a couple of recommendations. For shoppers and souvenir hunters an all-purpose stop is Peking Bazaar (826-832 Grant Ave.). It has everything from silk kimonos to porcelain smoking pipes to plush panda dolls. A few doors up, Man Hing Imports (839-843 Grant Ave.) carries imported items like Chinese vases and bird cages. A more global selection of art—marble statues, bronze mermaids, candelabras, antiques—is displayed at Michael Fine Art and Antique (400 Grant Ave. near the Chinatown Gate). It’s fun to browse here even if you don’t buy anything.

Stockton Street, a block west, isn’t as touristy as Grant, but it’s every bit as fascinating. For a full Chinatown immersion experience I suggest strolling along Stockton on Saturday, when locals do their grocery shopping. Muni buses lurch to a stop and disgorge streams of passengers. Box after box of produce is unloaded from double-parked trucks. Grocers hustle back and forth arranging the merchandise in wooden bins while matriarchs inspect it with a discerning eye. And the air hums with the intriguingly alien sound (to my ears at least) of voices speaking Chinese and most likely a host of other languages and dialects.

At the meat markets you’ll see rows of skinned ducks hanging in the window, their brown skins glistening, as well as whole fish and sundry animal parts that are unidentifiable unless you’re an expert in such culinary matters. I’ve always been intrigued by the baskets filled with what look like dried shrimp, although not intrigued enough to actually sample them.

Of course you’ll want to get something to eat. For an on-the-run snack, try the Golden Gate Bakery (1029 Grant Ave. between Jackson Street and Pacific Avenue), famous for their egg tarts—flaky pastry surrounding a smooth custard filling. Loyal customers swear by these signature treats. The bakery also offers almond cookies, various types of buns (pork, pineapple) and moon cakes that get their sweet taste from lotus seed paste. Expect to wait in line at this bustling spot, and bring cash. 

If you have a yen to watch fortune cookies being made by hand, head to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory on tiny, tucked-away Ross Alley, which runs parallel to Grant Avenue between Jackson and Washington streets. Workers position the fortunes and then drape hot dough over steel rods to get that distinctive fortune cookie shape. Free samples are offered, and you can buy a bag of fresh cookies to go.

Herb shops are another Chinatown specialty. They’re located primarily along Washington and Jackson streets. The Great China Herb Co. (857 Washington St.) is an old-fashioned apothecary that carries a huge variety of raw herbs for home remedies. Even if you’re feeling perfectly healthy, step inside just to inhale the aroma of ginseng and tea leaves.

Don’t leave Chinatown without a walk down Waverly Place (parallel to Grant Avenue between Washington and Sacramento streets). The picturesque buildings along this narrow street include several temples. Every floor of the Tien Hau Temple (on Waverly at Clay Street) has a different look; it’s a little jewel of a building. The temple itself is on the top floor (you’ll have to climb three flights of stairs), and has some exhibits about Chinatown’s history.

Here’s one final tip: Don’t drive if you can help it. Street parking in San Francisco is hard to find in general but particularly so in this congested part of the city. The #30 and #45 Muni buses run up and down Stockton Street. You can also get to Chinatown on the Powell-Hyde Street cable car line. The public parking rate at the Portsmouth Square Garage (733 Kearney St. between Washington and Clay streets) is $3 per hour up to eight hours, or a flat rate of $27 for more than eight hours.  

Click on the map to locate Chinatown in San Francisco with TripTik Travel Planner

All photos by Greg Weekes Related blog: Dim Sum Delights