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I took the Chicago water taxi from downtown area to go to Chinatown. It was definitely on people's itinerary for this Labor Day weekend, so it was very busy. There are numerous shops to get jewelry, cool souvenirs, Disney plushies, also restaurants, tea and ice cream shops to choose from. It's a very busy road, there's public parking available. Streets were relatively clean but the atmosphere was great. There were a few street vendors selling fresh fruits, plants and miscellaneous.
So much to do and see! It's a smaller area, but don't let that fool you. There are tons of food spots, a variety of shops for souvenirs or unique finds, and fun pop-in stores with activities and more. As we waited for our table at Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings, we decided to walk around outside and by chance we literally stumbled upon an old-school car show. So..naturally, we joined the crowd and suddenly found ourselves weaving between classic exotic cars in the middle of Chinatown. See pictures for an old chevy with a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the backseat. Yup, you read that right. A lot of parking around the area and super easy to get to by train if needed.
We made our way on the Red Line to within a two-min walk to Chinatown Square, a two-story open-air mall of shops and restaurants with an open plaza. The gateways and storefronts and courtyard have beautiful ornate Imperial-based designs. On the plaza, you'll find some classic lions and a wonderful set of sculptures from Xiamen representing the Chinese Zodiac. We've been to several good restaurants here, and a nice candy shop, too. Oh, one more thing. Those are not $100 bills scattered here and there. It's very eye-catching advertising! Haha! But I'll take off one star, sorry, because of a lack of restful seating. One of us had some back pain the day we visited, (Nov 2025), and though there were a few low square individual seats scattered around, there were no benches or chairs that we could find with any kind of arms or backs that one could lean on to make it easier to get up again.
A unique area to come and spend the day. Walk around and shop at local shops, bakeries, candy shop,bubble tea shops and souvenir shops. There are a variety of food cuisine places to eat. The atmosphere is nice and enjoyable. A nice place to come eat and shop.
We got here around 2 on a Thursday afternoon. There is a designated parking lot with a mostly seamless online payment process. You have to get validation from a business to get the advertised low rate. Walkable streets and was semi-crowded. You have a good mix of traditional restaurants, bakeries, shops including souvenir stores. We picked up some baked goods from Chi Quon and some tea from Oriental Tea (has a restroom) We had a challenge finding a restroom as a few places didn't have public restrooms and the ones that did required a purchase. Service was okay for the two stops we made. Didn't have a chance to get lunch-next time. Overall, worth the stop to explore and for the food/shopping.
Chinatown Square is a fun place to spend the day, have some great food and walk around. Walk along a bit and be sure to look at the ground to read about what sign you are; rabbit, snake, monkey etc... It featured a lot of cultural places to visit alongside museums, Chinese architecture and sculptures. On weekends during good weather there are many people selling things alongside Chinese music and singing in the middle of the square. There are many good food option restaurants from Ramen, hand pulled noodles, Dim Sum, bakeries, bubble teas and souvenirs.
After doing some research I found Chinatown Square and quickly added to my list of places we needed to check out when visiting Chicago! The food and culture is amazing. The buildings are so beautiful there is so much to explore and take in. Make sure to add this to your list!!
Chinatown Chicago, so beautiful and wonderful place to visit and do business with ! So many beautiful arches, entrances, and beautiful gates. The animal statues are around the circle. Beautiful look out tower in the center. Such a vibrant and historical place. So special for everyone to enjoy and visit- but be respectful please! Karaoke lounges, hotels, banks, schools, plenty of homes, wonderful shopping for ant souvenir, cell phone, clothes, homeware, wonderful restaurants and Boba tea shops and dessert houses. Right off on the Chinatown exit of the Red Line
Find these at almost all of the shops/restaurants! Suuuper yummy and refreshing BUT pricey at $7-$8 per. They do sell some in boxes of 3 as well - i believe at $17, but don't quote me.
I always come here when I am in Chicago. I always find something different and become more acquainted with the business I have frequented. I enjoy all the ambience and ovas that Chicago has. Something new every time I come. It is always a great trip here, enjoying time with my daughter.
What is not to love about Chinatown Square? With delicious food and desserts, fun shopping for Chinese imports, and many other surprises! For city folk, the el will get you there real easy, though the red line can be a little weird when the sun goes down. If you're coming from the suburbs, there's a ton of street parking and a lot across the street. Cost wise, I'd recommend you take a full walk through the square first, then you'll be equipped to make the best decisions. Also, there are plenty of the major banks located within walking distance which is great because of the stores that take cash only. My only complaint is that on Sunday, most things aren't open until 10 or 11am. But there are some bakeries open early that sell a nice breakfast pastry while you wait.
This is a really fun area where you do have to find street parking or you can go to the big parking lot where you can get validation if a participating restaurant or business will give it to you and it's only $2 for 3 hours. You see the Chinese astrology monuments and there's a square where you can have live performances and parades or festivals here. There are two level restaurants and businesses throughout and it's a really cute area to go shopping and have food in.
Chinatown Square is the outdoor mall in Chinatown, and the "town square" of the neighborhood. Cool bit of trivia; it's the largest Chinese mall between the coasts. It's reclaimed railroad land, much of which has been developed in other ways as well (such as the townhomes just north of the square or Ping Tom Park a few blocks north as well). Some of the cultural events that take place in Chinatown take place in part or whole in Chinatown Square. There are Chinese restaurants here, including at least one where you can buy whole duck, bubble tea shops, travel agencies, and more. I've eaten at Lao Sze Chuan, which was good (I really like their dry chili chicken). My favorite part about Chinatown Square are the twelve statues for the Chinese zodiac. They're cool and a fun photo to take that you won't get elsewhere in the city. The twin pagodas are a great landmark for meeting up with people.
5 years ago
It's newer area of Chinatown as compared to the main strip or Wentwork Ave of Chinatown opened in the early 1990s. It's geographically located about 18 block south of the downtown area and you can take the Redline train to get to this area. It's an outdoor mall filled with restaurants, retail, a bank, beauty shops, and offices. During certain times of the year, you will see festivals in the part of the Chinatown since the center area has a lot square footage If you are in town, it's worth you time to visit and it's not as large as the San Francisco and New York Chinatown. If your scroll along much further away, the is Ping Tom Memorial Park on the riverfront. In the main area, there are statues representing the 12 Chinese zodiac animals shown in different area of the Chinatown square where this came from . These work of arts came from private donors from the Xiamen University Art Department from People's Republic of China. I hope this gives a little bit more about visiting this place. Give me a few thumbs up below if you find this interesting. Swipe left to see my other reviews and hit the thumb up below on several review if you find them interesting as well. Have a good time visiting these places. read more
This is the newer part of Chicago's Chinatown and is impressive in its own right. As you exit the metro station, it is on the right of the main Chinatown arch. This two story pedestrian strip mall features mainly rows of restaurants and bubble tea shops. All types of cuisine from all over China are represented here (Shanghainese, Szechuan, Cantonese, etc.). You will also find beauty supply shops, candy stores like Aji Ichiban and stationery stores selling stuff like Hello Kitty. Combined with the older and more classic section, this part makes Chicago's Chinatown easily one of the best in the country. read more
Being here is a close second to the real Chinatown in China. In Chicago's Chinatown square the crowded little streets are filled with North Americans and Asians and the it's the same in most of the restaurants. The zodiac plaza, found at the front entrance to Chinatown square, is pretty cool as you can read through all the different kiosks and determine what your zodiac animal is. First and foremost sits the dragon, which represents the most noble zodiac figure of them all. If it wasn't for my friend Bill M I woulda never had the opportunity to see this beautiful authentic hood near Chicago's south side. I Added bonus: take the water taxi and cruise up the river to the end of the line at Ping Tom Memorial park . Trust me you'll enjoy the adventure as most people don't ride that big yellow boat to the dead end and it's pretty cool. Then walk up through the park and meander your way through the streets till you reach the back entrance to Chinatown square. You never know your might stumble upon salsa dancing with live music in the park like we did! read more
3 years ago
Chinatown Square is a large outdoor plaza. They have a large parking lot in the back. Super dirty in the parking lot. Meters only, $2 per hour. If you come early, nothing is really open. Like typical chinatown shops, things open after 10 am. Like my last visit, this chinatown is still one of my less favorites. read more
Chinatown In Chicago is amazing! You are not in Chicago anymore. Even Walgreens is written in Chinese. There are tons of restaurants, markets, and stores here. There are also statues, pictures, churches, schools! It's everything you would want to see in a Chinatown. There's a Chinese New Years parade as well. It's held at the end of January, beginning of February. It was definitely the most memorable parade, and that wasn't just bc I froze my butt off. read more
Two things you need to know about Chinatown Square in Chicago are: 1. MingHin Cuisine - for outstanding dim sum 2. Joy Yee - for outstanding smoothies and bubble tea Those restaurants are two of several restaurants, cafes, shops, and other businesses housed in this two-story outdoor Chinese mall. This place is old and has seen better days, but it's not really any different in terms of its overall look and condition compared to other traditional Chinatowns or Chinatown malls around the U.S. (I'm thinking specifically of New York, LA, San Francisco, and even Atlanta.) There's a big square with statues of all 12 Chinese zodiac animals, two pagodas which you can climb inside of, and a large tile mural at the main entrance along S Archer. Along with restaurants and cafes/tea shops, there are beauty salons, karaoke, wireless and electronics stores, a Japanese candy store, a spa, bookstore, bank, and more. It's a neat little place to walk around and explore and it only takes up about a couple blocks. You can walk the entire outside in only 10-15 minutes. Chinatown Square is just part of Chicago's bigger Chinatown neighborhood. It's worth visiting if you've never been before. read more
I've read that Chicago's Chinatown is the third largest in the USA after New York City and San Francisco and I haven't been to neither. In Atlanta, we have a sorry, poor excuse of a Chinatown. I mainly came to Chinatown to go to Joy Yee but I was impressed with Chinatown as I got closer. There are two floors of it and I barely got to explore cause of time. The setup is cute and love all the statues of the Chinese zodiac. I didn't even get to take pics of the main entrance cause I forgot haha. Parking is across the street. We paid $10 but it goes by the hour. I would definitely come back! 14/2018 read more
I'm giving Chicago's Chinatown a 4 stars because you have to go there for the authentic cuisine and it is Chicago's Chinatown. We went for Dim Sum at Minghin Cuisine (very good). We added to the experience by taking the Chicago Water Taxi ride to Chinatown which gave us a nice water tour of the city. If you do go the water taxi way, you need to weave your way through the local neighborhoods which leads to to the back of all the restaurants and stores, find one of the entrance gates into the main square.Very small but typical Chinatown. Chicago Chinatown small and nothing special but a must go just for the cuisine. read more
Chinatown is a wonderful foodie haven to enjoy the Chinese culture and a variety of Chinese cuisines, ranging from dim sum, Mainland China cuisine, Hong Kong cuisine, Taiwan cuisine, or ABC cuisine (ABC = American Born Chinese), each with their own varieties, character and flavors. The intensity of the flavors decreases according to the above listed order. Best of all, your dollar goes a long way over here! Additionally, there are also Chinese supermarkets. So you can get your Chinese meal fix here and buy some groceries back home to spice up your culinary meals. After a meal and buying groceries, don't forget to leave with a cup of boba tea! read more
9 years ago
This is the center of Chicago's Chinatown area. It's also the touristy area. This is a long, two-story, outdoor mall. If you're wanting to shop and/or eat, this is where you head. And, to us at least, it all seemed pretty authentic. The specialty food stores have tons of offerings. And there's also several gift shops with knick-knacks for friends and family back home. And if you're looking for an authentic, or probably as close as you can get, restaurant, you should head here. read more
This place is pretty cool. There is a stage and open area that looks like would be good for shows and concerts. The open area is surrounded by Chinese zodiac statutes but is missing 3 of them. There are lots of shops in here: restaurants, gifts, medicine, hair salons, candy so make sure you walk all around. read more
8 years ago
Lot garbage everywhere I when Sunday to have noodles And look around Also to have goodies on the bakery read more
7 years ago
So many sites to see don't forget to take a photo with your friends at this Chinatown location it might just make you feel like your in the Disney classic, Mulan. It is a bit more crowded than other parts of Chicago but you won't see this just anywhere so if you are looking to make memories within your city I would say this is a great place to start. There are plenty of restaurants and activities. There are paid parking lots where you can park your car for a couple hours or all day. Tasty legends has cute rolled ice cream for those with a sweet tooth and can make for a cute date or a trip with the family. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
This was an outdoor mall in chinatown. It had lots of restaurants, shops, hairsalons, bakeries, etc. Alot of the shops were closed by the time we were done eating but it looked really cool to come back and check out. They had lots of zodiac statues and cute pagoda like staircases to get upstairs. There are lots of fun photo ops and neat shopping here. I will defintely be back this summer to check it out more. I stopped in a couple bakeries and the prices seemed very reasonable and lots of desserts i have never heard of and would like to try. read more
Coming from Washington, DC where we have a fake Chinatown (It's a commercial area of town with brands like Gap and Old Navy. It's only Chinatown because each store has Chinese characters on the sign!), I was hoping for a more authentic Chinatown experience. I left Chinatown Square a little disappointed. Chinatown Square is just a few blocks of Chinese restaurants that cater to Chicago's Chinese population, but that's it. In the center, there's a circle with all the zodiac signs and then an arch nearby. That's it. If you're a tourist, I say save the time and skip Chinatown unless you really want a good bubble tea (I recommend Joy Yee's). read more
7 years ago
I loved Chicago Chinatown! It is located near the CTA Chinatown Sration.I love the gate.I took a lot of selfies!!! read more
8 years ago
We often stop by to either shop around, eat some good Chinese food or events they have during the year. Most shops have plenty to buy, from small gifts, to fountains, clothing, souvenirs, plants, accessories and much more. There are also bakeries, restaurants and other sweet spots. Overall it is a good stop while you are in Chicago. Parking cost is usually 4 dollars for two hours paid by credit card or via cell phone with the city application. Some of the shops have a lot of things that might break so keep your kids near you. read more
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More info about Chinatown Square
2154 S Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
Chinatown
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(312) 842-9831
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Ask the Community - Chinatown Square
Hello, good afternoon, is parking okay?
Some businesses have shared parking lots, there is also a pay lot and street parking.
