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

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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

Chinatown Square - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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All the times that I've been here, it's always been very quiet and not a lot of foot traffic. If you're looking for something to do and like to window shop or souvenir shop, this is the place. read more

Really wished my city had a Chinatown Square like Chicago's. It's great area for shopping, restaurants, culture, and life. Usually when I visit Chicago, we find ourselves here to either go to the grocery store or visit one of the many excellent places to eat here. What's also great is that there is a red line stop very convenient to everything. Chinatown is also a destination for Chicago's marathon (~mile 18) it's great to see all the people in the streets and running underneath the giant iconic chinatown gateway. There's usually something going on, or just mill around the giant square with the new year animals around. My favorite photo of my dad is with him and the year of the rabbit. read more

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

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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

Chinatown Square - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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

Chinatown Square - West gate. - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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

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I've been to Chinatown in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco to name a few but didn't realize how nice and so many stores and restaurants were in the Chicago Chinatown. read more

i love looking around while walking, i seen so many cute stuff on display and i definitely recommend to anyone who wants to see it for the first time! 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

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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

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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

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Nice time with my wife the first time. The second time was with my best friend and that was too short lived. Lots of people, beautiful culture and scenery. read more

Lot garbage everywhere I when Sunday to have noodles And look around Also to have goodies on the bakery read more

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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

Chinatown Square - Don't forget to take a photo with your friends at this Chinatown location - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

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This place is located in chinatown and you can see it after you exit the cta. There are plenty of places to go eat and drink. The sister and I got some lunch and dessert here. It's not a large center, but they still got lots to explore. The area itself is decently clean and doesn't carry an odor, but what chinatown can really be called chinatown without that distinct chinatown smell. I've been happy with this place so far so I'm sure I'll venture back here when I get the chance in the near future. read more

Cute and fun place to spend a few hours! I wish I had the stomach and cash to grab a little something to eat from every restaurant there because it all smelled and looked amazing!! Plenty of walking around to do; there are several streets of shops and restaurants. The train comes from the city to across the street from where the square begins so transportation to and from is very convenient. A little dirty here and there with overflowing trash cans but definitely still worth exploring! read more

I loved Chicago Chinatown! It is located near the CTA Chinatown Sration.I love the gate.I took a lot of selfies!!! read more

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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

Chinatown Square - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So i have it on several authorities that while I appear 10000% White/Anglo/Americana (w no dance moves to prove it, though I *can* jump!) that I do in fact have more Chinese/Asian in me than most Asians themselves....and I'm only taking opinions from those who are exclusively non-ABC, true 真的 as it were. So it would stand to reason that I have nothing but love for Chinatown Square. A cadre of some of China and Eastern Asia's 'Best Of' Restaurants reside in this ares as do the many shops, grocers/markets, boutiques, tea purveyors, and general merchandises as you would expect. I'd have to recommend a visit during Moon Festival time but really, anytime is a good time to come to CTown Square. Maybe that's why it feels like coming home when stepping off the Red Line at that Cermak-Chinatown stop near 22nd and Archer. #love read more

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

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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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Off of Cermak Road, my birthplace, the mirthplace of a country boy. Only toys, no parks , the whole world in 2 City blocks. I growed up here , left at 12, visited years later, it's so small..... read more

The only things that I could say about Chinatown Square, the Chinatown area, and the streets from Chinatown, is the bad things. Yes, the bad things! One of the bad things that I'm so disappointed about Chinatown is the people in there. Not just any people, it is the people that me and my family like to call it: "Beijing People"(or people that speaks Mandarin). Last time, I had witnessed a Beijing man with a red and black jacket, walking at front of me on one of the street. He just looked back and stare at me with a feet away for a second, then turn back to front and keep walking. About 10-30 seconds later, he looked back and stare at me again, and turn back to front and keep walking again. Then again, about 10-30 seconds, he looked back and stare at me, and turn back to front and keep walking (THE 3RD TIME). This man already stopped being racist or what he was doing to me after he just crossed to the other street. After a few minutes, I was like: "What the F is wrong with him?", "Is he thinking that I'm trying to rob him?", or "Am I look like a bad guy just because I'm not wearing nice and handsome?" You racist dude! Really dude, being racist is a bad thing. Especially, being racist to the same race as yours (Beijing man being racist to me, the Chinese American), that is same as or more worst than a light skin being racist to the dark skin. Or, a dark skin being racist to the light skin (Another incident that I've witnessed at Downtown, Chicago). "Man, if you like to be racist, go back to your country and being racist, NOT IN THE USA!" read more

Chinatown is overrated and busy but every time I come to Chicago, I do come to this side of town for all the Asian food. There has been a lot of new restaurants so it was fun to check out the new stuff. There's definitely nothing special about Chinatown once you've been here enough. Remember to keep your hands to yourself when you stop in shops - "you break, you buy!" read more

Great place to get into chicago hartiage of china, The food is wonderful, the boba tea near the shops are always good. and the ice cream around is amazing! try the bakeries are nice! read more

Fun tip is to take the water taxi over! All day pass M-F $8 Weekends $10 Board at Michigan Ave and enjoy the ride! read more

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Much less panhandlers these days. It seems safer to walk around. Yet, it's not as safe to walk alone.... There's plenty of mandarin fusion restaurants along with Vietnamese places. They're pretty good :) read more

beautiful decoration gorgeous astrology statues beautiful calm Chinese friendly helpful persons read more

Went with the boyfriend to the Asian Festival in Chinatown over the past weekend. I hadn't been to China town in probably a decade! Unfortunately we missed the parade but it was very neat to see the area, the different shops, the restaurants, and the various vendors. We also perused through the shops. Notable favorites: The candy shop was awesome! Very unique candy, likely hundreds of options! There is a bakery with beautiful cakes and pastries also. There are a ton of different restaurants to choose from. There is a very unique herb shop, where they have all sorts of unique, never heard of (at least for me!) herbs - strangely expensive (apparently herbs like ginger are hundreds of dollars - who knew!) but worth checking out. Parking was super tough to find - there is a parking lot or two that charge $2 for 3 hours but they were full to the brim. Like my dad says, there is always parking for the children of God! Good for us, as we happened to be driving nice and we were able to park about a block away from the festivities. There is also one of the metro station stops right at Chinatown so that is an option. Put on your walking shoes and enjoy a piece of unique Chicago history in Chinatown! read more

Love coming here. So many things to get in to, so many cute little stores with random things. Got myself a nice cheap back massager... can't wait to come back and try some food! read more

I love how it's always so clean when I visit. It's also a beautiful place to pictures, makes you feel like you escaped the city for a bit.

Must go, but beware the people who live there and work there weather your going to dimsum or getting desserts aren't the friendliest souls of all lol. It's probably understandable with the amount of tourist they get so I don't get offended but I know it gives some people a little bit of a bad feeling. If you use the parking lot they have make sure to take your ticket and get it validated at one of the participating stores in China town so you don't get charged with crazy parking lot fees like we did. Read the signs because they will use that against you 10 fold. When you go to China town try to use cash everywhere you go, some places don't even take credit but cash is always a greAt think to just have handy in Chinatown you can bypass any worries you may have about card fraud and weird charges you may see. If you do use a card try to take photos of ur receipts or keep them handy for your records because your $20 tip may become $50 tip. lol it's fun though a must go for sure read more