Chinatown
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone:
- Cross Street:
- Hill Street
Editorial Review for Chinatown – by Mary Weatherup
The Scene
With a slew of avant-garde art galleries now populating Chung King Road, Chinatown has reemerged as yet another "in" L.A. neighborhood. These days, the kitschy tourist attraction doubles as a scenesters playground on nights when galleries host concurrent openings. Even with the new influx, you'll still be able to uncover steals on imported Asian wares or track down bona fide shark's fin for that special soup recipe at dozens of shops and grocers.
The Goods
Sparse spaces like Diannepruess Gallery and China Art Objects, which usually showcase just a handful of works by local
artists, dominate the pedestrian-friendly Chung King Road. The famed Wishing Well located in the central pagoda-style plaza on Broadway awaits spare change to hit targets labeled "Love," "Health" and "Money." But Chinatown's biggest draw may be its delectably authentic dim sum. Grand restaurants like Empress Pavilion and Ocean Seafood overflow on weekends with eager diners.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
User Reviews for Chinatown
11/26/2007 Posted by jhoolko
Heading over to Chinatown to visit the galleries, eat some great food, and just look around is one of my favorite things to do in LA. Most of the galleries are open from around 12-6, Wed-Sat and some of them take some searching to find. But once you find them, they're a really great and unique way to spend the day. If you've had your fill of independent contemporary art, stop into one of the local restaurants or better yet, the grocery stores. They have all kinds of things you're not going to find at your local Ralphs, and often at very good prices. If you want to do even more wandering, the little shops around Chung King Rd. and the surrounding streets have fun, cheap toys and trinkets to buy, along with the additional illegal baby red-eared sliders. It's certainly not San Francisco or New York, and at times, it's hard to ignore the oddities like abandoned storefronts, empty pedestrian streets, and frequently defunct lanterns hanging overhead, but it's all part of the charm in this neighborhood that's like nowhere else in L.A.
Pros: Unique atmosphere, free contemporary art viewing, and great Chinese food
Cons: Sometimes it's a little too quiet
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