Energetic and raw, Chinatown is a vibrant neighborhood with interesting history and great food.
Chinatown has a below average violent crime rate and a below average property crime rate for New York City.
A tour guide once shared the wisdom that New York's Chinatown isn't one Chinatown, but many: since the 1880s immigrants from different regions of China have staked out certain parts of this lower Manhattan neighborhood and retained their regional cuisine and customs. What looks homogenous to an outsider is actually a diverse community.
This is a vibrant, densely packed area full of old tenement housing that’s been converted to apartments, cheap Chinese restaurants, Buddhist temples, historic sites, and stores selling knick-knacks (and, oftentimes, knock-offs) that spill out onto the sidewalk. Canal Street, which was once a canal, is the busy main thoroughfare and normally jammed with traffic. While there are lots of Chinese eateries around there isn't much of a nightlife here. But hip neighborhoods like Lower East Side and Tribeca are a short walk away.
Chinatown is one of the more affordable neighborhoods by Manhattan standards, but it's by no means a cheap place to live.
Chinatown is bordered on the north by Little Italy and Bowery, on the east by Two Bridges, on the south by Civic Center, and on the west by Tribeca.
Commute:
Wall Street: 1 miles / 5-15 minutes by car / 15-20 minutes by transit
Rockefeller Center: 3.5 miles / 15-40 minutes by car / 20 minutes by transit
Jersey City: 8 miles / 25-50 minutes by car / 40 minutes by transit
Chinatown LOCAL schools
Chinatown Local Flavor 
Recognized by a number of foodie publications, Joe's does everything well but is most famous for its special soup dumplings.
This neighborhood institution has been around since 1987 and offers dozens of ice cream flavors.
Founded in 1978, this dim sum restaurant has grown into a behemoth with 800 seats. But you can still expect a wait at this popular spot.
Photo Credits: Thanks to @eaturwheaties, @anibalvecchio, @pjjazz, @mamanaszpilkach, and @savarnah for your great photos of this neighborhood!
