Chapter 6. Chinatown
The Golden Bowl from the northeast corner of Mott Street and Canal Street. Taken on a clear fall afternoon at ISO 400, f/11, 1/250 second with a 16–35mm lens.
Why It's Worth a Photograph
Manhattan's Chinatown, the largest in the U.S., is a tightly packed area of two square miles that was settled in the 1880s. Traditionally bounded by Canal, Bowery, Worth, and Baxter streets, a 1990s growth spurt has increased the district's size.
The area is a vibrant, bustling, and perpetually crowded feast for your camera. The northern edge along Canal Street is a busy two-way road with a wide range of shops that sell watches, jewelry, purses, and all manner of colorful clothing interspersed with a range of Asian cuisine. Venturing south from this hub of tourist consumerism brings you into areas with more restaurants and grocery stores selling food, fruits, and vegetables in a wide variety of shapes and colors. The colors, signs, and energy of the neighborhood make it a wonderful place to create images.
Where Can I Get the Best Shot?
The best places to get photographs in Chinatown are from Mott Street and Canal Street.
The best vantage points from which to photograph Chinatown are: (A) Mott Street and Canal Street. Other photo ops: (22) Soho.
Mott Street and Canal Street
The corner of ...
Get Photographing New York City: Digital Field Guide now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
