Chinatown

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Chinatown Central Plaza is a vibrant cultural treasure nestled in the heart of Los Angeles! This historic shopping center offers a delightful blend of traditional Chinese architecture, charming shops, and authentic restaurants that transport you to another world. Whether you're looking for unique gifts, delicious dim sum, or simply a beautiful place to stroll, Chinatown Central Plaza has it all.

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. :)

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

We have not been to Chinatown at least 10-15 years. Most of new Chines gathering town isn't Chinatown for many many years. It is more symbolic. This visit we notice less trash laying around but still some. Many places and building still pretty dated. There are many new buildings around the outer circle of Chinatown. Some very nice looking buildings and Metro station. We were just walking around to kill time and see what has changed along the years. One thing you will notice that there isn't much of decoration for Lunar New Year like it use to be. Chinatown Central Plaza seems to be repainted and upkeep. It is very nice and clean and good photo areas. There is also the famous Bruce Lee statue that can bring some childhood memories back. He was pretty much many boys' idol. We were there around sunset which is perfect since the light makes the colorful paint more vibrant and alive. This is highly recommended plaza in Chinatown for photo and selfies.

This place is a little plaza and if you're bored or if you're trying to find random things to buy then you should probably check it out. I purchased a bunch of nonsense stuff like the Asian broom, a new rice cooker, and some random things and after buying all this junk I realized they were just mediocre things and the rice cooker that I purchased was just okay. The things they have here are outdated and I really should've just purchased my items on amazon, but everyone always tells me you can search for good buys at these places. I really don't think I'd return for these so called "good buys" anymore, but it was an experience and if I ever come back I'd just window shop. I can't even give great reviews on my experience with the shop owners / staff. They literally just stare and they'll follow you around thinking you'll break something and the funny part is.... I fit in with the demographics, so not sure what the deal is at these types of places. There are definitely a lot of items that are speciality items that are hard to locate at other stores and only found around these types of stores, so I definitely can see myself coming if I needed to search for something, but I wouldn't go out of my way for the same experience.

I like stopping by here from time to time. Most of the shops sell Chinese made crap that are dust collectors to me. There are some places to stop by and browse and some good places to eat in the immediate area.

This has been one of the places that I have been coming to my entire life. In fact, they still have the wishing-well that I used to throw pennies into when I was a kid. Has Chinatown Central Plaza changed over the years? Not much. Yes, some of the shops have changed but it still remains one of those Los Angeles Tourist Meccas that everyone who lives in the L.A. area ends up at sooner-or-later and the tourists frequent all the time. What to do when you come here? There are tons of those tourist orientated shops full of all that junk that you know your don't need but you can always find that bizarre gift when you really need one. There is also a few restaurants that I would recommend but they are on the streets surrounding the Chinatown Central Plaza and I have done direct reviews for them. But, they are close-by in the area. Throughout the year there are several Chinese-based events that take place in or around Chinatown Central Plaza. Those can be fun and visually stimulating events. For the past few years Chinatown Summer Nights has been a summer event worth checking out that is held in and around Chinatown Central Plaza. In other words, there is always one reason or another to come here. Parking can be a little trying. There is, of course, street parking and you sometimes can get lucky and find a spot. There are also a few lots around the area but they are small and can be a mess to get in and out of. So, be prepared. It may take you awhile to find a place to park. But, overall this is a true must-see, must-go-to Los Angeles location. I've even shot a few movies here, as have a lot of other people. So yes, it is fun and a visually interesting place to go. Check it out!

Crowded early shopping for early Chritsmas. The pho place tried on was not bad. I will go again but qe have to hit the road to Beverly Hills before going to the airport. Busy relaxing sunday enjoy visiting family and friends. I like this plaza. Reminds me to San Francisco. Is clutter around but better thab other places.

LA Chinatown is one of those touristy places that you head to when you have family in town. It's fun and surrounded by reasonably priced restaurants. Parking can be a bit of a pain but you can take the Metro in. I really like the fact that they incorporated the existing architecture into the train station platform. I was there recently to run in the annual LA Firecracker 5K. They also hold a 10K in the same day. I would suggest visiting during the day because there may be a lot of homeless nearby. You definitely want to avoid being the object of panhandlers. There are kitschy gift shops and high end stores in the plaza. Do your homework before visiting and have a great time.

Cool place. A lot busier on the weekends. There are some pretty good restaurants around the area as well. Yang Chow is one of my favorites. Not touristy at all. Traditional Chinese food. Broadway Pho is another good spot to go to if you're into more of the Vietnamese soup thing. They also have great spring rolls.

Central Plaza serves as the heart of LA's small but active Chinatown: SEE - Vibrant, well-organized festivals for Lunar New Year and Autumn Moon holidays, complete with lion dancing, martial arts and other dance performances, Chinese cooking demonstrations (saw a chef making moon cakes from molds passed down through three generations and other chefs making traditional dishes during Autumn Moon Festival), eating contests, firecrackers, and even a rooftop beer garden - Annual Chinatown Firecracker Run/Walk/Bike/Kiddie Walk/Dog Walk (7K+ people in 2018) - Four entrance gates to Chinatown which are cool by day and neon cool by night - Bruce Lee statue - Wishing fountain - Strung red lanterns along entrance - Souvenir shops - Jazz club - Small nearby grocery and herbal medicine shops EAT - Phoenix Bakery: famous, yummy, and always churning out delicious new ideas! - Wonder Bakery: another Chinatown institution - Tian's Dim Sum: a couple blocks away - Golden Dragon Restaurant: older and popular for dinner and banquets PARKING TIPS - Free street parking a couple blocks away at LA Historic State Park - Paid parking at the new parking garage

We have been coming here since we were kids. Its a cute plaza where they have shops where you can browse and buy little trinkets. It's fun to come here at night and take cool pictures too! They also have this event every summer called China Town Summer Nights. Where people can rent booths to sale diy stuff and many different food trucks come and park in the alley. It's awesome! I cant wait to go this year!

Pros: An amazing place to do some photography! Cons: Taking photography is not allowed on the Central Plaza property... There are signs posted everywhere!!! The security guards will also follow you around if they see you have a DSLR. The night (about 9pm) I went had a mild overcast (some of the clouds were still peaking through). But unfortunately, most of the neon lights weren't turned on. It's still an amazing place to walk around in and sneak some photography. There are many red paper lanterns hanging everywhere which give an amazing contrast to the mostly yellow buildings. Next time I go I'll have to go check out some of the lively bars and packed restaurants. Check out some of my pictures I posted. -Luis

It's so clean! That's the first thing that popped into my mind when stepping into Chinatown. It's definitely a touristy place to visit. We had fun walking around looking at each building. Admiring the architecture. Cute mom and pop shops everywhere. Grab a souvenir or a bite to eat. There is a wishing well towards the entrance. It was really cool to see one of the restaurants that Jackie Chan filmed Rush Hour in. Not only was this Chinatown clean, the shop owners were so friendly. As we walked around, we couldn't help but notice how kind and happy everyone was. Am I really in Chinatown? *Here are some nearby restaurants you may be interested in: Philippe the Original, Yang Chow, Eastside Market Italian Deli, Chego Street parking available.

This place is great for photos! Definitely captures the essence of chinatown. I would say a must go either at night or day!

Nice place to walk around. Looking into different shops to see what they have. Buying things that I don't need because I cant resist the cuteness.& of course, taking several pictures and indulging on all the yummy Asian food and drinks.

Cute little plaza especially for sightseeing. There's a few shops and restaurants. But the place is so empty and somewhat outdated as well. I wish there were more life to this place, maybe some live music playing? Or some cool shops? Came here on a Friday afternoon expecting more entertainment or things to do but was disappointed. Finished exploring this place in less than 10 minutes, i think that says a lot. But the Bruce lee statue was pretty cool though!

Just really fun and nostalgic. There's a portion where you can throw coins into a fountain and there's turtles in there. I don't think that's a healthy environment for the turtles to be in though. Great shops, you can find parking nearby, and really FUN to buy souvenirs and toys for the family.

I really enjoyed walking around the little shops around China town. There's so many interesting things that people are selling in the stores and booths and stands. It was a good stroll for the afternoon and we picked a few fun souvenirs too.

I haven't to been Chinatown in many years especially the historic Chinatown Cental plaza. It bring me old memories when my parent's brought myself and my two brothers when we were very young. It's so different now throught years of time it looks the same I remember.

Loved visiting this plaza on my recent trip to LA! It had small shops with cute merch and a couple restaurants to choose from. We ended up eating at the New Dragon Seafood restaurant while there. It's a hole in the wall restaurant but I highly recommend it if you love Chinese food.

WOW! I can't believe all the times I've been to Chinatown and didn't understand all the hype until we walked into this place! It's like walking into a small business and it just opens up into this never-ending maze of deals! Shoes, clothes, cooking supplies, luggage, toys,jewellery, kids citing, sundries, linens... it's jam packed with deals to be made. Bring your haggling game and cash... And be okay to walk away if it's not exactly what you want, and you'll come back with some great deals for next to nothing! Some places were very aggressive about making a deal. Others, not so much. But you can keep moving and you'll likely find the exact same thing not far away. We seemed to get better deals in the shops not on the direct beaten path. I like toss place better than Santee Alley and DTLA. All these years I thought Chinatown was this small, depressed little street next to Olvera Street.. boy I'm glad I had a fun playdate with a friend willing to adventure, because I now understand the fun of Chinatown. Can't wait to go back!

I've been here many years ago and coming back really reminded me what I saw back in the days. Not much has changed from then til now. It's still the small, dirty, and empty place it was years ago. I like that it's the traditional chinatown; so it's good for sightseeing, but if you're expecting more than it's a let down. They have a lot of gift shops that sell random trinkets and clothing. They also have a lot of chinese/vietnamese restaurants in the area. I've been to some really great chinatowns and this one is not considered one of them, but it's definitely a site to see if you're visiting.