Every part and every neighborhood of Manhattan offers a different NYC experience. In this series, I focus on a day spent in one of the many varied sections that make up Manhattan. See below for links to other day-by-day tips for enjoying Manhattan’s diverse neighborhoods.
It’s a tale of two cities, or countries or neighborhoods, however you to prefer to phrase it, in the heart of New York City. Directly next to each other, even entwined thanks to some outlier stores, are two unlikely neighbors- Chinatown and Little Italy. The first time I went was spontaneous, and I had not yet become familiar with the layout of Lower Manhattan, and I was shocked when one moment I was eating dumplings and trying authentic soymilk on one street, and I was suddenly on a bustling Italian restaurant avenue on the next. While you could argue that world history (and modern globalization) makes these two countries more closely related than they appear, it is still an unexpected situation. Here are my suggestions for a day in Chinatown and Little Italy:
Start your day in Chinatown with a dim sum brunch at one of the many traditional restaurants in the area. Once you’re in a food coma from brunch, and all desire to walk around and explore NYC has evaporated from your body, stop in at a massage center for a treatment as you digest. I visited a foot reflexology center- these places are no joke! It is much more therapeutic, in the Asian tradition, than leisurely massage, per the Western approach. It’s also not private- chairs are lined up in nail salon style. My feet and lower legs are quite tense and a bit damaged from shin splints, ankle injuries, and other wear and tear, predominantly from college volleyball. I could hardly handle the foot treatment because of my sensitivity while my partner in crime sat back and relaxed during his foot treatment. For me, it felt more like physical therapy than a treat, so know your body before you go for the foot treatment. The back treatment part of the package was great though, and the complete experience was very inexpensive. I believe I went to the Yan Mei Foot Reflexology Center, but there are several neighboring locations that you can check out as well.
After your massage, walk the short distance to Little Italy where you can browse menus and stroll along the piazza-style al fresco dining-lined main street. If you’re not hungry (again) yet, take a break from Italy in neighboring SoHo, where both window shopping and actual shopping can build your hunger. Even if you’re not that hungry after sampling food in Chinatown, a glass of wine and a split pizza never goes wrong. Not to mention, I’m sure you can sacrifice a little room for gelato. Make sure to keep an eye out for the rogue Chinese shop on a street otherwise filled with Italian ristorantes.
If you are still in the area later in the evening, head back to Chinatown to check out one of the area’s hidden “speakeasies“, if you know where to look…
anchored & adrift 