It's hard to pin down Chinatown's exact boundaries, although the broad strokes of its geographic dimensions are clear enough. But while Chinatown is inarguably somewhere on the lower-lower East Side of Manhattan, running from the Bowery to Lafayette Street and Houston Street to the Brooklyn Bridge, it is also one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in Manhattan.
Though best known for its Chinese restaurants and shops, Chinatown is also home to a bustling multicultural scene, including a host of popular nightlife spots. And Chinatown is always expanding and continues to develop as its own unique community.
While still unmistakably Chinese in its culture, Chinatown is now as much residential as a commercial, and home to a burgeoning crop of luxury rental apartment buildings. While many of the old tenement-style structures that once defined the neighborhoods architectural look remain, new construction luxury rental apartment buildings continue to rise on Chinatown's eastern edge..
Little Italy, similar to Chinatown, is known for its culturally-specific restaurants and cafes. This small area of the neighborhood is mostly commercial and packed to the brim with tourists most days, but it's still a great place for New Yorkers to find delicious, authentic Italian food.
