Chinatown in Seattle is a small but interesting area to explore. There are a bunch of Asian restaurants, bakeries, and shops, plus some cultural spots too. I love Asian cuisine and all Asian cultures, so it's nice to walk around and grab a boba tea, dim sum and some shaved ice for dessert! read more

Past weekend there was a Chinatown market festival. It was packed, lot of food vendors, and homemade crafts to browse. Friends and I bought some food which was a bit in the pricier end but decent. We took our food to eat elsewhere since the market festival was crowded. Pros: -near transit center and a short walk from transit to the stadiums during game day -lot of local Asian shops, restaurants, boba -hosts local events Cons: -can be a bit sketchy at night with homeless people -sometimes there's folks doing car racing meet ups, it can get lively but also feels unsafe read more

Chinatown-International District - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My wife and I stumbled upon Chinatown-International District while having lunch at Tendon Kohaku. It was pretty cool to just walk around during the day to see the various stores and businesses. [From the web] "The Seattle Chinatown-International District (CID) is a historic, multicultural hub located just south of downtown Seattle. It unites three distinct cultural enclaves--Chinatown, Japantown, and Little Saigon--and serves as the vibrant cultural heart of the city's Asian American community." read more

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Chinatown International District is a small Chinatown in Seattle, but it's worth appreciating after hard hit during Covid pandemic years. It's still a walkable and small Chinatown worth exploring with good authentic foods and shops trying to survive in business. Yes, 5th Avenue King Street CID train station exit makes it even more convenient to get here. Any tourist can walk 3x4 blocks in Chinatown and still grab good products at a Japanese grocery store here. Note, food and beverage prices aren't the cheapest in Chinatown though, but there's value during each visit. Chinatown restaurant services seem ok and still good for dine-in stops. People fear going out these days due to violence and vandalism here, but Chinatowns in America are worth it. There's not many seniors walking around and streets look dead/not a whole lot of traffic even during weekend operations. I think Seattle, Washington's political leaders need to do more to protect Chinatown communities and nearby Asian districts. Seattle Chinatown still has its own charm. Cake shop and Yummy bakery are very small tiny cake pastries businesses and they look like they may get shutdown due to nobody walking around Chinatown anymore. Hong Kong Cantonese restaurants and dim sum spots are all mostly legit here. Thank God they still have grocery stores and Chinese herbal medicine stores. Everything looks pretty dead. Plenty of room for improvements in future. Good place for photos though. Autumn in Chinatown is beautiful. read more

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The Seattle Chinatown spreads over several blocks, an excellent destination to experience the Asian culture. It is only few minutes walk from the King's Station. There's a beautiful Chinatown gate on South King Street and 5th Ave intersection. Most of the street signs also have both English and Chinese plates. We also saw few dragons being attached to the poles. It was mostly clean. We saw a lot of restaurants, supermarkets, bubble tea stores, comic stores, theater, museum in the area. There were murals and statues of historical figures. The Hing Hay park had some artifacts and a hang out spot for the locals. Early morning around 10am there wasn't much crowd, and most of the stores were still closed. But around noon, the area was a lot more vibrant. We dined at a dim sum restaurant and also went to TP tea. Prices were decent in both places. read more

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Sightseeing in Seattle, Washington... After our shopping trip in Portland, Oregon, my niece and I tried to decide what to do next and where to eat. We agreed that we both had never seen Seattle's Chinatown yet, so we went! There were several restaurants and boba shops. In general, it was clean and relatively safe. There were other people walking around on a Sunday afternoon - we weren't the only ones... haha! We found the beautiful Gate, Chinese characters on street signs, a dragon on a lamp post, and other cool features! We look forward to returning on a Sunday again when metered street parking is free! read more

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It's very dead on Sunday morning. 2 guys playing ping pong in the park. And some people hanging out in the park.Restaurants and grocery shops were open (10am ish). The murals were vibrant and colorful. You can see it almost every block. Cool dragon features at the front. The gate is a good photo spot. We had Dimsum at a restaurant. It was good. Staff were nice. Also visited Uwajimaya. Price looked decent. Overall the place felt so lifeless. I think if we came at a different time it would be more people more actions going on. read more

Sadly, Seattle Chinatown seems to have a quite of changes over the years. There is not much to do. There are stil Chinese markets, restaurants, bubble teas and bakeries. So, it's worth checking out and supporting the community. My partner and I enjoyed the food there and went to a bookstore (Kinokuniya Seattle) and a Japanese market (Uwajimaya Seattle). We also visited "mom and pop's" bakeries in the neighborhood. I wish there were more stores. Hopefully community will build up again. read more

My colleagues and I took a stroll around the area and saw so many restaurants that we wanted to try if we had more time in Seattle. Sadly, it was a bit far from where we stayed for our business trip so we didn't get to have any business lunches or dinners here. I'm definitely coming back next time to visit Seattle for pleasure to check out some of the local businesses! We did grab boba nearby at TP Tea and it was great! There was a park that caught our attention. It had a really pretty Chinese structure. There were people playing ping pong and exercising. The area was clean and well kept. read more

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The quiet Sunday morning I visited, there was absolutely nothing going on. A ghost town. But it may be because of the current turmoil or the World Cup. Maybe a few shops open but almost no customers. But vagabonds and possibly druggos aplenty. I didn't feel safe. Glad there were Lime scooters and bikes lying about. Don't have to nervously wait for a Lyft/Uber to arrive. Just quickly hop on a neon green ride and book it outta there. Keep your phone charged for such hasty needs. read more

Childhood: When I was a kid my parents dropped me off at my grandma's place in C-ID. We'd have Ginisang Kamatis at Itlog for breakfast then she'd take me to the park on 7th & Lane St. I would climb on the Sand Dragon and run around with the other kids. House of Hong was THE restaurant back in the day. We'd park under I-5, I would jump out of our Chrysler minivan, run to the House of Hong parking attendant, and ask for a parking token. Once seated in the restaurant, push carts with Har Gow, Shumai, and Baked BBQ Pork Buns would roll by and we'd point to the dishes we wanted. Before leaving the restaurant, if it wasn't too busy at the register, I'd ask the old man for candy. He would smile and give me 1 Dum Dum lollipop. Uwajimaya used to be located on the NW corner of 6th & Weller. This was around the time I started to collect Hello Kitty stuff. My parents would buy me origami paper and I would make paper cranes. Sometimes I would bring origami paper to school and my friends would make stars and other fun objects. Adulthood: Fast forward many years later, in my early 20s I joined the Downtown Seattle workforce. Gen X and Baby Boomers were my co-workers and a lot of them took me under their wing. One of them became a good buddy of mine. He told me about a Vietnamese sandwich spot off Jackson called Saigon Deli. I took the #7, 14, or 36 (whichever bus that took me to 12th & Jackson first). I always ordered a chicken sandwich. They make the best Bánh mì in the area. Unfortunately, Little Saigon has been hit hard with sketchy characters. I hope the businesses in this area get the attention, help, and resources they've been asking for. I want to see this neighborhood return to the vibrant community it once was. Shoutout to Pho Bac Súp Shop and Hello Em. They've been holdin' it down. The Filipino American Kiosk and Nihonmachi Alley are some places to learn about the roots and people of C-ID. Visit the Wing Luke Museum for a deep dive of history, learn about Bruce Lee, book a neighborhood tour, and visit their gift shop. Art is everywhere: On sidewalks, on light poles, on walls, buskers in the park, and poetry on the light rail station stairs. Bilingual streets signs were installed within the past 10 years. The movie "The Paper Tigers" was filmed in the C-ID. Hing Hay Park is an outdoor meeting space for the community. Event announcements are posted to the community board on King & Maynard. Celebrations include the Lunar New Year, the blooming of Cherry Blossoms at Kobe Terrace Park, the Seafair Parade, the Night Market, and much more. C-ID is a transportation hub. The Weller Street Pedestrian Bridge connects the Stadiums, Pioneer Square, Amtrak, and Sounder Trains to the C-ID. Sound Transit and Metro buses stop at 4th & Jackson or 5th & Jackson. The light rail station also stops in the neighborhood as well as the First Hill Streetcar. Goods, services, restaurants, and residents make up this neighborhood. Whether you grew up here or it's your first time visiting, you're bound to find something new. read more

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Seattle's Chinatown International District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. Many sushi, dim sum and noodle shops including bubble tea and karaoke too! Easy to get to by taking the Light Rail (train). read more

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I have been to all the major Chinatowns in the United States and several others in other countries. Seattle's Chinatown rates as a very average one. Yes, you can still find some restaurant, dim sum, bakeries and groceries here. However, this Chinatown is not particularly big, seemed fairly empty, and many of the storefronts here were deserted. It is not the usual bustling Chinatown you may be used to. It is better than nothing of course. read more

Chinatown-International District - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Seattle's Chinatown-International District is a Chinatown that is much more for locals than for tourists. The emphasis is food - restaurants, groceries, bakeries, and the like. There are limited spots for "fun" shopping, like the touristy kind in San Francisco Chinatown or the home/family kind like in Richmond area in BC (outside of Vancouver). C-ID has roughly 3 key portions. Chinatown and Nihonmachi (Japantown) are the originals, west of I-5; Little Saigon is east of I-5. Together, they form International District. So, let's break the review in two parts. A) For Locals Lots and lots of good food - from restaurants, to bakeries, to Chinese BBQ, boba tea shops, and grocery stores like the massive Uwajimaya. There are a few home items shops, some things can be found inside grocery stores like Uwajimaya and Viet Wah. There are normally events throughout the year that drawn tons of visitors. (Not now due to COVID) B) For Visitors and frankly for Locals too Wing Luke Museum is a local gem; be sure to join the tour! They were having rotating Bruce Lee special exhibits, too. In the Chinatown area, stop by the gate, check out the lighted red sculpture (at night) at Hing Hay Park, and look for the three pavement artwork on Maynard Avenue. In Nihonmachi, look for the WWII antiques outside of Panama Hotel, see the old photos on the benches on Maynard Avenue, and see the artwork on the wall of Nihomachi alley. There are lots of signs about the area's history on the "wrappers" at street corners. read more

Chinatown-International District - Found on pavement - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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One of the first things I noticed was the street signs in 2 different languages. Then I saw the Padoga and the cute dragons on the poles. There are so many amazing foods here and the market is amazing! read more

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Things have changed so much for this international/chinatown district over the past 10-15 years. Now, I'm sure a lot of my readers are saying "Well yeah, everywhere has changed...duh", but this neighborhood has decreased its restaurants by at least half and it seems like it's deserted. just like all major cities, there are going to be homeless people (duh), but it was interesting to see them hang out by just the Link station. This district is super quiet, and it is disappointing to see it deteriorating. read more

Check out Chinatown while you are in Seattle. It is a bit small of a Chinatown when you compare it to other Chinatowns in other large cities in the United States. Still, it is worth a visit. We parked at their large public parking lot. Then we walked around. Ate a lot. Took some photos. Then we were out of there. Several hours was all we needed, but you can finish exploring Seattle's Chinatown in less time. read more

I can't help to think that Covid had a little bit to do with this, but With that little bit of optimism there was also no places for it either... If you've ever been to Chinatown in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles... You'll definitely be disappointed by Seattle. Minimal choices of restaurants, Chinatown is supposed to have cheap good food and I didn't find any... Also where are all the little cheap import souvenir shops, tea shops and fish markets? No bakeries, no street vendors selling sugarcane sticks... Also it was very difficult to tell where it began and where it ended... read more

Chinatown-International District - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is not a brusting Chinatown. The only bursting store is Fuji bakery, which has a line but people too forever to order which make it longer. There is a food court in a center with supermarket there.. while not all are open but good enough to walk around. Chinatown is scatter, on the street, extended to Vietnam area/town. I actually wouldn't called it Chinatown or Vietnamese town.. Empty and about 25% are open. Expensive to live here. read more

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We went during Night Market 2021. Popular stalls were the bubble tea. It's like any farmers market or street fair. We didn't see much of the entertainment but I liked the 2 that we saw - drummers and Chinese "yo-yo" We wanted to try some dumpling places that were best rated - unfortunately dough zone had a 90 minute wait and A+Hong Kong was closed. I find the area a little small compared to San Francisco's Chinatown where there is so much to look at and you can get easily lost. read more

When the street signs are in English and Chinese, you know that you're in the Chinatown District. When the shops are selling Chinese herbs and all sorts of holistic healings and accupuncture, you know you're in the China District. And when there's a huge friendship arch, you know you're in Chinatown. What's great about Seattle's Chinatown is that it's really the "International" district. Not just Chinese here, you'll find Thai and Japanese and Korean. Restaurants, grocers, bookshops. Awesome. read more

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Much better Chinatown even compare to itself a few years ago! Seattle area and the Chinatown in Seattle are all better than before! The Chinatown - International District in Seattle is clean, organized, and comfortable. I am really enjoy walking around the area and have a meal there. I have tried a noodle/congee restaurant and a bakery cafe in Chinatown. Both very good! I have checked the reviews for many restaurants by Yelp. I have found good reviews for a lot of restaurants in the area too! This is one of the best Chinatown in the United State. It may be not as big as the one in San Francisco or it maybe not as many as restaurants like the one in New York. But I like the Chinatown in Seattle much better! read more

Chinatown-International District - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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So cool, the little food court in there is what you didn't know you needed. Traditional, appropriately priced, and good as hell. Plenty of options including family style hot pots and such read more

I love the Chinatown-International District neighborhood. There are many charming aspects to this culturally significant neighborhood, and is accessible for all to enjoy. The ID is such an easy neighborhood to walk around in, and is reachable for all to get to. Close to light rail and many bus stops, there's plenty of public transportation options, in addition to street parking and private parking lots. Once in the neighborhood, there are blocks of businesses that can be reached by foot. As mentioned, there are blocks of businesses, and I love that the majority of them are small, family-run businesses. I always love exploring the area and finding new places to discover, as well as revisiting my favorite spots around here. For authentic bites of Chinese, Japanese and other diverse cuisines here, there's much to choose from, at affordable prices. I've found many different restaurants and have tried new foods while exploring the many eateries here. Easy to do a food crawl here! The neighborhood also has many annual, fun events that the neighborhood business improvement area puts on. I've learned a lot about the area because of the events I've attended here, from happy hour walks, showcasing participating businesses, to large festivals, drawing in hundreds of attendees. There is a lot to love about Chinatown-International District! read more

Seattle Chinatown is a small district located on the edge of the main downtown area. Very small Chinatown. Not many souvenir shops. Home to a lot of the popular Seattle restaurants though. Very empty in the afternoon. Not eventful like other major city Chinatown's. read more

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Honestly I just wish it would've been bigger. I was hoping for more street vendors and more open streets to walk down. But really it's just restaurants, which isn't bad at all, just not what I was expecting. Still worth doing and I'm happy we went there. The food is amazing. read more

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This neighborhood loves to party! Throughtout the year, major events take to the streets and celebrate all kinds of happenings. A few not to miss LUNAR NEW YEAR: Lion Dances typically start with firecrackers and Taiko drumming. In other words -- they are loud! Bring headphones or step away with young kids who are sensitive to noise. DRAGON FEST is another top event here (A highlight is the $3 food tasting walk, where you can nosh on nibbles from 40 restaurants). Yet another is THE NIGHT MARKET and MOON FESTIVAL. I visited Chinatown many times - for grocery, food and for the Dragon Fest. From Chinatown, you can walk up S JACKSON ST. to an area called Little Saigon, where there are many Vietnamese eateries. The walk back down S. JACKSON ST. was nicer as you'll be able to see the snow cape mountains on a clear day. While not the biggest Chinatown - I still enjoyed it. But there are a couple of real gems worth checking out. 1) UWAJIMAYA: Asian Supermarket supreme with prepared foods and great gift ideas. 2) DAISO: directly across the street from Uwajimaya. A Japanese chain where almost everything is $1.50. 3) DONNIE CHIN CHILDRENS PARK: renovated in 2012. It includes a bronze dragon and other sculptures kids can climb, and a big play structures too. 4) PINBALL MUSEUM: which is more of an arcade than museum. 5) WING LUKE MUSEUM: Learn about Bruce Lee and local history. 6) Newly expanded HING HAY PARK: is also a great place to chill. 7) Dozens of great restaurants. Take picture of the DRAGONS on the light poles. Street signs are printed in English and Chinese. It's worth taking a trip down here and strolling around! A note about safety: I only go during the day and I avoid walking near King St. Station or under I-5. But really, use your common sense. read more

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Hands down, best neighborhood in Seattle. No complaints at all. This neighborhood has the most culture, the best food options, and they best businesses. Definitely my favorite Chinatowns I've ever been to. If you want a great place to visit in the city I would 11/10 recommend. read more

Chinatown-International District - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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It's a cute little nice neighborhood. Walking around, you hear Cantonese chatter and watch signages in different languages. We took the bus and got off at International district. The bus stop was rough, but walking up is a little hilly nice neighborhood full of grocery stores, restaurants, medical offices and other cool things. The district was dominated by Chinese and East Asian food. There are quite a few good ones. My favorite might be the little park filled with giant chess and ping-pong table where a lot of local elders hang out. read more

Chinatown-International District - Chinatown signage - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I have to been to this Chinatown many many times. I mean it looks like a Chinatown because it has the Chinese pillar gate and the lions. But this Chinatown is super small and you really don't know if it is Chinatown or not or just an artwork of the Chinatown pillar gate. So there are a few good Chinese restaurants here. Things in Chinatown are not expensive. There is a huge supermarket and a few small ones as well. Parking can be a pain. Only thing is that its close to Safeco and the Centurylink field, which means that when there are games or event parking would be a pain. I am not too much of a fan of this area. There are homeless people roaming around at night time. Also the bolt bus stops here. It is convenient to get to as well because the monorail train stops in Chinatown. read more

Chinatown-International District - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Chinatown is a great area in Seattle. The best Chinese food in all of Seattle is here. This is a must see neighborhood to checkout while visiting Seattle. The Lunar festival is held in February every year. Visiting in the summer usually means the streets are crossed off to vehicles because of the huge amount of humans walking around and generally some kind of entertainment playing. Check out the shops, especially the original Japanese bookstore, Kinokuniya. There are many paid parking lots and paid street parking as well. read more

I'm surprised that Seattle's Chinatown/International District has such an average rating. Compared to the Chinatown's I have visited so far (such as the heavy tourist Trap one in San Francisco and the one that should not be named in Portland), the one here should be one of the MUST SEE places in Seattle, especially if you are Asian. Sure, the Chinatown/International District in Downtown Seattle is very, very small. I agree that I wouldn't really even call all of it much of a Chinatown since the entire neighborhood tries to encompass everything that is exotic an Asian into a block. However, for what it's worth, this neighborhood is perfect for shopping, eating, and exploring. For example, once you get off the soundlink/bus to this neighborhood, you are going to be spammed with life from all cultures. You can head off and get Vietnamese food at the Vietnamese district. Or how about grab some groceries at Uwajimaya. How about some porridge at Mike's Noodle House or some cheap dim sum at Dim Sum King. Whatever you want to do at the Chinatown-International District, it's going to be a good time and it's going to be cheap. Don't be turned down by how small the neighborhood is. It's quality over quantity here and everything you find in the Chinatown community is going to be amazing. Shop well and prosper, read more

Chinatown-International District - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This isn't your SF/NYC Chinatown, but it's the best in the PNW! I mean, if you've seen PDX's two Chinese restaurant radius known as "Chinatown," you know that Seattle's petite Chinatown-International District is the one that reigns supreme. The food is a big draw to this place. If you are looking for affordable plates and snacks, the ID is a great place to get your food on! From bubble tea to dim sum to pizza (?!), you're sure to find something you like. If you are looking for reading material, check out Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore connected to the Uwajimaya building! Great AAPI-run cultural institutions and organizations are based out of or around the International District: Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Densho, Japanese Cultural and Community Center, just to name a few! Most importantly, this is one of the main gathering places for Asian Americans and very new Asian immigrants in Seattle. In some communities in Seattle, some Asian Americans and Asians are still treated like perpetual foreigners or "un-American," but here, Asian Americans can truly just be. read more

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How could I even "review" the Chinatown as a whole? I have been to different Chinatown at SF, LA and some on the East Coast. Initially I did not like this Chinatown as much because I think the one at SF is more original and "authentic". But over time, I think this place grew on me and I think I am able to understand its development a lot better as it is closely associated to many historical events and memories. Restaurant/food here is generally good. Although some restaurants are over-rated I think and you really have to ask the locals and find out which restaurant serves really good food and are cleaner than others. The Wing Luke museum is free on the first Thursday and third Saturday of each month that offers very informative stories about the history and legacy. There are plenty of grocery stores located on each block. Also some good bakery and bubble tea places. They also host some cultural festivals/events throughout the year such as Chinese New Year and other holidays. read more

Chinatown in Seattle was really dirty and had a stench unfortunately on the day I was walking through. There was not a lot of activity going on and most businesses seemed closed even though it was around 5:30 pm on a Tuesday afternoon on a nice summer day. The gateway to the neighborhood was nice and decorative; however, the hustle/bustle compared to other cities was just not present and it hardly seemed like a Chinatown except the occasional scent of Asian spices and writing in different languages everywhere. read more

Chinatown-International District - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ehhhhhhhhh . Wanted to visit as I love Chinatown's, usually. Well this one was up there with it's charm as one of the worst C.T I have had the displeasure to visit which was in Vancouver. It was dirty and honestly there was nothing there. Stores seemed in distress and not a lot was open. Well let me mention that this was just a few hours ago and it being a Sunday maybe that's why ? Anyway I will definitely not recommend this place to visit. read more

Just enough grit and grime to pass as an acceptable Chinatown in my opinion, take a walk through stop in some random shops form an understanding why for me this area was pleasant and had Just enough grit. read more

Deteriorating Chinatown. Homeless camps everywhere. Dirty and graffiti almost on every street. Poor business owners have to put up pieces of ply wood to prevent break in or graffiti. I noticed few business have moved or closed probably due to covid or crimes in chinatown. Anyway, we bought what we needed and left chinatown. It feel unsafe. read more

Oh man, the food. The extremely affordable and delicious food--both in the hole-in-the-wall joints and the Asian marts--is what keeps bringing me back. Food quality over fancy decor and presentation, that's the motto. However, Chinatown is a very confusing place. No one seems to follow the rules of four-way stop signs. I've seen at least one illegal parking job every time I've ventured here. People cross the street on a whim, forcing you to be very alert as a driver. Driving here is like a real-time puzzle game: if you survive all the obstacles, you're rewarded with dim sum! read more

Well I overall really like this area since I live here. The food is unreal if you love Asian food. My only issues are the high amount of bums, and the bad drivers in the area. The Asian stereotype is in full effect here. It is pretty much white knuckle driving as soon as you approach the area. Things to look for: 1. people all over running in the streets 2. Total 4-way stop confusion with either total negligence of stop existing or waiting forever and not paying attention. 3. total illegal driving maneuvers U-turns in middle of road or using allies as shortcuts 4. The worst and most common one to me is car parking everywhere but legal places. Cars parking in the middle of the road so they can grab takeout or parking in allies blocking traffic. read more