Chinatown Los Angeles: Where to Eat, Explore, and See Art
What Makes Chinatown Worth Exploring
Chinatown is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, centered on Broadway and Hill Street north of the 101 Freeway. The neighborhood mixes legacy Chinese American institutions with a growing gallery scene on Chung King Road and an anchor that most visitors overlook: Union Station, the city’s transit hub, sits at Chinatown’s southeastern edge.
Where to Eat and Drink
Philippe The Original at 1001 North Alameda has served French-dip sandwiches since 1908. It claims to have invented the sandwich. The communal tables, sawdust floors, and nine-cent coffee are part of the experience.
Yang Chow at 819 North Broadway is a Cantonese restaurant known for slippery shrimp. It has been on Broadway since 1977.
Phoenix Bakery at 969 North Broadway has made strawberry whipped-cream cakes since 1938. It is a Chinatown institution.
Endorffeine at 727 North Broadway in Far East Plaza serves specialty coffee. Now Serving, also in Far East Plaza, is a cookbook shop and tasting room.
Arts and Culture
The Chinese American Museum at 425 North Los Angeles Street documents the Chinese American experience in Southern California, housed in the last surviving structure of the original Chinatown.
Charlie James Gallery and the Institute for Art and Olfaction are both on Chung King Road, the narrow pedestrian lane that has become DTLA’s most concentrated gallery row. Human Resources Los Angeles on Cottage Home Street is an artist-run space with exhibitions and events.
Landmarks and Transit
Union Station at 800 North Alameda is the main rail terminal for Los Angeles, with Metro Rail, Amtrak, and Metrolink connections. The 1939 Mission Revival building is worth visiting for its architecture alone.
Health Services
Chinatown Service Center Community Health Center at 767 North Hill Street provides primary care and social services.
Getting Around Chinatown
Metro L Line (Gold) stops at Chinatown Station on North Spring Street. Union Station connects to every Metro Rail line. The neighborhood is walkable from Civic Center and a short walk from Little Tokyo across Alameda Street. Bunker Hill is uphill to the south along Grand Avenue.