Let me start off with a confession: I have lived in Philadelphia for two and a half years, and until earlier this month, had never stepped foot in Chinatown. That’s right, I said it. Sure – I was intrigued by the promises of bubble tea and supermarkets filled with cute little odds & ends I shouldn’t be buying, but I was just, so . . . intimidated. Where would I go? How would I know where to eat? Would I be able to navigate by myself? Would I be in the way?
With the nearing start of Chinese New Year (this Friday!), I thought it was about time to expand my horizons and venture to the other side of the arch. I enlisted the help of Philly’s resident Chinatown expert, Albert Lee, to host our “#ChinatownUncensored” tour, grabbed my two best girlfriends, and off we went!
I invite you to come along with with us on our tour. First stop . . .
Chinatown Arch (10th & Arch Streets)
At the gate, we also got our first glimpse of these little street designs. They mean prosperity, and are all over the town’s sidewalks.
KC’s Pastries (109 North 10th Street)
Gyration Boutique (125 North 11th Street)
Asia Supermarket (143 North 11th Street)
After about an hour and a half of exploring, our day was off to a great start!
A big thank you to Al for showing us all of the places to be in Chinatown. Stop back later this week for part two of our day (bubble tea, dim sum & more shopping, of course)! If this made you crave some exploring yourself, you can get all the details on Philadelphia’s Chinese New Year celebration plus more from the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation.