Chinatown, San Francisco
Looking north from Grant Avenue and Sacra-
mento Street in Chinatown, San Francisco.
The dragon gate on Grant Avenue at Bush
Street (installed 1969) is a gift of the govern-
ment of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest
Chinatown in North America. It is also the
largest Chinese community outside of Asia,
according to The New Encyclopaedia Britan-
nica Micropaedia vol. 10, 2007 Ed.[1] Estab-
lished in the 1850s, it has featured signific-
antly in popular culture venues such as film,
music, photography and literature. It is one
of the largest and most prominent centers of
Chinese activity outside of China.
After nearly two decades of decline due to
the emergence of other large Chinese com-
munities in the Richmond and Sunset Dis-
tricts of San Francisco, and possibly from the
revitalization of Oakland’s Chinatown only
10 mi
(16 km) away — and from the
development of Asian shopping centers
throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, it
has been experiencing an economic upturn in
recent years. "Chinatown is now a major eco-
nomic boon to the city as one of its top tour-
ist attractions....". Lonely Planet San Fran-
cisco City Guide.[2] Even during bad times, it
has always remained a major tourist attrac-
tion — drawing more visitors than the Golden
Gate Bridge. [1] "San Francisco Chinatown
Page at SFGate.com"
Location and sub-areas
The San Francisco Chronicle defines the Ch-
inatown, North Beach, and Telegraph Hill
areas as bound by Sacramento Street, Taylor
Street, Bay Street, and the water.[3]
Washington Street at Grant Avenue looking
west
Chinatown is located in downtown San
Francisco, and overlaps five Postal ZIP
Codes. Often mistaken
for
a
smaller,
pre-1950’s boundary, the current demarca-
tion is roughly Montgomery Street and The
City’s Financial District in the East, Union
Street and North Beach in the North all the
way to its Northernmost point from the inter-
section of Jones Street and Lombard Street in
Russian Hill to Lombard Street and Grant Av-
enue (