As waves of immigrants began arriving in New York, the district bounded by the East River and Lafayette Street, and Chambers and Houston Streets was settled by Chinese immigrants and named Chinatown. Today, Chinatown boasts seven Chinese newspapers, 12 Buddhist temples, approximately 150 restaurants and 300 garment factories. The Chinese New Year is celebrated here on the first full moon after January 19th every year.

With over 40,000 people living in 17 small blocks, the Italian immigrants who moved into the area bordered by Canal, Lafayette and Houston streets faced severe outbreaks of such diseases as tuberculosis. Although afflicted by illness and poverty, this area was alive with the authentic smells, sites, and sounds of Italy. Today almost all that remains of Little Italy is Mulberry Street. Although many Italians have left the neighborhood, they return for family gatherings, marriages, funerals, festivals, and saints’ days.

Fun Facts:
New York’s Chinatown is not only the largest in the U.S., but is the largest Chinese community outside of Asia. It spreads across 40 square blocks and has more than 150,000 residents.

Look carefully at some of the phone booths here – they have mini-pagoda roofs.

Chinatown has the lowest crime and highest employment rates of any district in NY.

Old St. Patrick’s Church, New York’s Roman Catholic Cathedral until 1879 when it was replaced by the larger building on Fifth Avenue, is located in Little Italy.

The oldest, largest and liveliest fiesta, the Feast of San Gennaro, attracts more than 3 million people to Little Italy over an 11 day period each September.