"Get Off the Main Street" Chinatown Tip by riorich55

After we had checked into our hotel and walked 2 block up California to tour Grace Cathedral out next venture was to start walking down toward the wharf area past Chinatown. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday and when we entered Chinatown the town was just buzzing with activity not of tourist, but the Chinese community.

We walked through a couple of the streets and then happened upon Portsmouth Square Plaza between Washington and Clay Streets. This is where the real action was. Most of the pictures from Chinatown this day were taken in the park. There were a number of different card games going with both women and men. They were segregated groups and while you could see the women's game going on up close there were so many men around the men card games you really couldn't get close enough to see what was being wagered in each game.

They also had a live band playing traditional Chinese music. A few days later we went back through the same area and it was very quiet as the men and women who were there on Sunday enjoying there day off were I'm sure hard at work.

So my advice is if you really want to get a good flavor for what Chinatown is all about venture a little bit off the beaten path were all the stores catering to tourist are and go the parks and churches in the area where the "real" community works and plays.

Address: Bordered by Broadway, Bush, Kearny, Stockton sts.
Directions: Ornamental gate at Grant and Bush intersection.
Website: http://www.sfchinatown.com/