The cluttered, untidy streets of Chinatown can be brash and overwhelming, but with the right attitude their fluorescent lights and kitschy spirit can also be a hoot. Home to roughly 125,000 of New York’s 400,000 Chinese inhabitants and almost as many faux designer accessories, Chinatown has been steadily expanding in recent years, keeping its title as the largest Chinatown in the western hemisphere. With twice as many people per acre as the rest of Manhattan, this area is not for those who suffer from claustrophobia. It’s a jumble of market-style shops, restaurants, fish and fruit stands. Pagoda-style storefronts pour out onto the sidewalks of Mott, Bayard and Canal Streets. Buddhist temples, the Museum of Chinese in the Americas, a Confucius statue and the oldest Roman Catholic church in town are packed in here, too. Bring your earplugs in January and February during the celebration of the Chinese New Year; although fireworks were officially banned under the Giuliani administration, you #146;ll find no shortage of them amid these bustling streets. At the north end of Chinatown and increasingly crowded out by its neighbour, Little Italy hosts a ten-day festival in September to honour the patron saint of Naples, San Gennaro. The restaurants on Mulberry Street tend to be touristy and tacky, with most true Italians having long since moved elsewhere, but if tinselled streets and strong espressos appeal, stop here for a break from the bargain shopping. Further up the road, trendy Nolita springs out of Little Italy, with happening cafés and some of the city’s best boutiques. SightsChinatown Canal and Grand Streets, between Broadway and The Bowery. Subway J, M, N, R, Z, 6 to Canal St. The colourful pagoda-style storefronts aligning Canal Street are the most popular destination for shoppers hoping to take home some discounted goods. Bargain-hunters will enjoy the extensive collections of counterfeit designer handbags, fake Rolexes, bootleg CDs and DVDs, unique Asian imports and pop-culture kitsch, not to mention jewellery, T-shirts, pashminas, dishes, paper lanterns, slippers, toys and just about anything else you might want. Further north at the markets on Grand Street, Chinese-Americans and other savvy New Yorkers shop for fish, fruit and vegetables. Snow peas, spices, dried foods and seafood of every sort add to the general chaos of the narrow sidewalks. Countless restaurants serve up dim sum and Cantonese and Szechwan delicacies at affordable prices, while nightlife options include clubs and karaoke bars. Bordering Chinatown to the east is The Bowery, a broad and dusty street lined with a smattering of speciality shops. In its heyday, before Times Square made its mark, this street was the heart of the city’s glamorous theatre district. At the junction with Worth Street is a monument for the Chinese-American soldiers of World War II, while at No18 is the oldest row house in Manhattan, built in 1785. Note the Romanesque facade of the former Bowery Savings Bank at No130. Built in 1894 by Stanford White, the gold-leafed interior is deluxe with a capital D. You can salute the statue of Confucius in the plaza just off The Bowery before browsing the many peculiar shops and restaurants that fill the small, sinuous area around Pell, Mosco and Doyers Streets. West of Mosco Street is Columbus Park, where locals practise tai-chi and place wagers on the game of mah-jongg. The Eastern States Buddhist Temple (64 Mott Street,T1-212 966 6229) is an incense-infused shrine with some significant Buddhas. Museum of Chinese in the Americas 70 Mulberry St, 2nd floor, T 1-212 619 4785, http://www.moca-nyc.org, Tue-Sun noon-5pm. $3, students and seniors $1, children under 12 free. Subway J, M, Z, N, Q, R, W, 6 to Canal St. Recommended for those who want to see more of the area than fake Gucci handbags, this small museum consists of two rooms shaped in the style of a 15-sided Chinese lantern, containing interesting exhibits on Chinese immigrants around the world. Check out the permanent Family Portraits display, put together by photography students at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the ‘Where Is Home?’ exhibit, which shows the evolution of New York’s Chinatown and explores issues of migration, women, faith and home. The museum also offers an informative tour of Chinatown at 1300 on Saturday and Sunday for $10. Church of the Transfiguration 29 Mott St, T 1-212 962 5157. Subway 4, 5, 6, J, M, Z at Brooklyn Bridge. Incongruously sited amid dim sum restaurants and souvenir shops and offering a quiet reprieve from all the chatter outside is New York’s oldest Roman Catholic church. A Georgian structure built in 1801, the church started as a place of worship for the many Italian and Irish immigrants in the area but now hosts the largest Chinese-American congregation in the country for masses in Cantonese and English. The Saint of All Immigrants, Mother Frances Cabrini, set up a school here in 1899. Little Italy between Houston St, Canal St, Lafayette St and The Bowery. Subway J, M to the Bowery. The electric lights and al fresco dining of Little Italy are best enjoyed during the 10-day Feast of San Gennaro in September , at other times the area retains little of its original Italian charm. Southern Italians first made this part of New York their home in the 1850s but today the area seems to be struggling to keep its roots alive. Although you’ll still find the best pizza in the city on Spring Street at Lombardi’s , and Mulberry Street is fun for a coffee and a gelato, unfortunately most of the restaurants are tourist traps; better Italian food can be found elsewhere. Mulberry Street will be familiar to many from The Godfather movies; it features in the christening scene in part one and as the setting of the Genco Olive Oil company. Film director Martin Scorsese grew up on Elizabeth Street but, like many other Italians, he has long since left the neighbourhood. Many New York Italians now live in areas outside Manhattan, particularly parts of Brooklyn around leafy Cobble Hill. Nolita From Houston St to Grand St, between Lafayette St and the Bowery. Subway J, M to the Bowery. The northern part of Little Italy between Spring and Houston Streets is known as Nolita (north of Little Italy), where cutting-edge designers have boutiques and old-time locals mingle with trendy Downtown-types. Undoubtedly one of Manhattan’s coolest spot these days, the area resembles SoHo in the 1970s, with a similar sought-after grungy appeal. Explore the shops and restaurants and soak up the fashionable atmosphere, particularly around Elizabeth and Mott Streets. This area is at its best around brunchtime or when SoHo becomes too crowded. Old St Patrick’s Cathedral at 263 Mulberry Street, built in 1815, has now been restored after a fire. This is where John F Kennedy Jr’s memorial mass was given after his death in 1999.
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