Right, so it doesn't have the beauty of San Francisco's or the cozy fit of London's, but it's got a dark, sexy vibe all it's own - right out of Raymond Chandler and Roman Polanski. Most of the best restaurants (Yang Chow, The Empress) are open lunch through dinner. And some are open all night. Best on a cool weekday... more

We expected something amazing since we'd heard all about LA's big Chinatown and everything. We got there and all we saw were dirty, littered sidewalks and homeless people sleeping on the ground. There were some stores, but they were closed. The whole section of the city just looked run down and not very authentic. We ate at a restaurant off... more

My wife and I went tonight (on a Friday night at 7:15), and practically every shop was closed. Then we looked around for a place to eat, and we passed about 8 restaurants before we found one with an "A" rating. Everywhere else that we saw had a "B." Fortunately the metered parking on the street doesn't require feeding after... more

I'd say this is average, having been to several large Chinese communities, Chinatown is much more geared towards the "tourist" types than those who want to visit a more authentic Chinese community (which can be found in Cerritos, Alhambra, Rowland Heights etc). That being said, Chinatown LA does have some thing to offer- knick knacks, imitation swords (do not buy... more

For a Chinatown, L.A.' s is pretty well-scrubbed- not a bad thing. I recommend taking the Gold Line trolley to get there. The area is very pedestrian-friendly, with historic restaruants like Phillipe The Original, Ocean Seafood (the best in my opinon) and myriad others to try. There are at least three huge indoor shopping plazas with great bargains on clothing,... more

I've been to the Chinatown in Boston, New York, San Francisco and Seattle, in addition to the one in L.A. Of the five cities, I like L.A.'s least of all. Chinatown in L.A. is too much like Los Angeles in general----defined by the automobile. The neighborhood is sliced up north-south by wide, busy arterial streets that make you feel, as... more

I love Chinatown and go there often. Give yourself an afternoon to wander in and out of the maze of shops. Everyone is friendly and it's a great atmosphere, and kids love it, because if they have $5 in their pocket they can go home with a bunch of treasures. You can get great gifts such as beautiful robes and... more

Chinatown was incredible! The shops were amazing and had a lot of weird and nice things to see and buy! There's a nice bakery shop at the very entrance of the main area. Very nice prices on EVERYTHING!! Not to be missed! I will definitely make it a must on my next trip and won't leave it for last like... more

I live in Los Angeles and always enjoy the atmosphere of China Town. Besides having hundreds of Chinese restaurants from which to choose, there are hundreds of tiny, interesting shops! There are many lovely and unusual gift items imported from China...all at a good price. The main street in Chinatown is Broadway...if you go further North on Broadway, you will... more