Her Philly

A lifestyle blog for young women dining, shopping, playing & living in the city of Philadelphia.

  • About
    • Behind the Blog
    • Meet Emily
    • Disclosure Policy
  • Chit Chat
    • Philly Girl Life
  • Dining
  • Living
    • Moving to Philly
  • Playing
    • Travel
  • Shopping
    • Gift Guides
    • Emily’s Amazon Favorites
  • Shop my Instagram Stories
  • Contact
    • As Seen In
    • Work with Me
    • Get in Touch

January 28, 2014

The Chinatown Tour {Part 1}

Let me start off with a confession: I have lived in Philadelphia for two and a half years, and until earlier this month, had never stepped foot in Chinatown. That’s right, I said it. Sure – I was intrigued by the promises of bubble tea and supermarkets filled with cute little odds & ends I shouldn’t be  buying, but I was just, so . . . intimidated. Where would I go? How would I know where to eat? Would I be able to navigate by myself? Would I be in the way?

With the nearing start of Chinese New Year (this Friday!), I thought it was about time to expand my horizons and venture to the other side of the arch. I enlisted the help of Philly’s resident Chinatown expert, Albert Lee, to host our “#ChinatownUncensored” tour, grabbed my two best girlfriends, and off we went!

I invite you to come along with with us on our tour. First stop . . .

Chinatown Arch (10th & Arch Streets)

Philadelphia Chinatown Gate // Her PhillyWe met up with Al at the most iconic spot in Chinatown, the arch. This structure was the first authentic Chinese gate built outside of China in 1984. Those four letters on the gate read, conveniently, “Philadelphia Chinatown.” If you’d like to take a photo with the gate, I recommend doing it from farther up 10th Street & getting the other side – traffic seems to always be moving on this side.Touring Philly's Chinatown // Her Philly

Prosperity Chinese Symbol // Her Philly

At the gate, we also got our first glimpse of these little street designs. They mean prosperity, and are all over the town’s sidewalks.

 

KC’s Pastries (109 North 10th Street)

KC's Pastries Philadelphia Chinatown // Her PhillyAfter learning all about the gate, we headed down the street for our first taste of some Chinese treats. This pastry shop had so many options to choose from, it was so hard to decide. If you’re craving coffee, now’s the time to grab a cup – coffee is only sold in bakeries, not restaurants, around here.

Red bean sesame ball // Her PhillyI opted for this little 90 cent red bean sesame ball. I happen to love red bean, but even my friend Colleen, who thought she was eating chocolate, enjoyed it. 😉

Emily Tharp Philadelphia Blogger // Her PhillyWhere to eat in Chinatown // Her Philly

 

Gyration Boutique (125 North 11th Street)

Philadelphia Chinatown Consignment store // Her PhillyNext, we swung over to a new local consignment shop and one of Chinatown’s only retail stores. The boutique does not sell plus size or maternity clothes, but the store was beautiful and, according to Al, a very welcomed addition to the area.

Inside Chinatown's Gyration Boutique

 

Asia Supermarket (143 North 11th Street)

Chinatown Philly Asian Supermarket // Her PhillyI was possibly the most excited for our stop in this Asian supermarket. If you’re looking for wall-to-wall rice, ramen & tea, plus some other colorful goodies at a great price, you’ve found your happy place.

Ramen at the Philly Asian Supermarket // Her PhillyInside Philadelphia'a Chinatown // Her Philly Tea aisle in a Philadelphia Chinatown supermarket // Her PhillyHerbal Lover's Tea for Women // Her PhillyThis tea caught my eye – maybe I’ll be back for some luck in my love life in the form of tea.

After about an hour and a half of exploring, our day was off to a great start!

 

Where to go in Philadelphia's Chinatown

A big thank you to Al for showing us all of the places to be in Chinatown. Stop back later this week for part two of our day (bubble tea, dim sum & more shopping, of course)! If this made you crave some exploring yourself, you can get all the details on Philadelphia’s Chinese New Year celebration plus more from the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation.

her philly

Related Posts

  • The Chinatown Tour {Part 2}The Chinatown Tour {Part 2}
  • The 5 Posts I’m Most Proud of from 5 Years of BloggingThe 5 Posts I’m Most Proud of from 5 Years of Blogging
  • 11 Philly Ladies Share Why They Love Their Neighborhoods11 Philly Ladies Share Why They Love Their Neighborhoods
  • Moving to Philadelphia - Finding Your First NeighborhoodSo…You’re Moving to Philadelphia! {Picking Your First Hood}
  • {Sip, Savor, Stroll} Mt. Airy Grub + Street Fare Preview{Sip, Savor, Stroll} Mt. Airy Grub + Street Fare Preview
  • things to do philadelphia150 Fun & Fab Things To Do In Philadelphia

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Posted by admin 2 Comments
Filed Under: playing Tagged: chinatown, exploring, neighborhoods, tour

NEVER MISS A POST

Hi! I'm Emily, a Philly lady on a quest to discover everything lovely, exciting, affordable, and beautiful about my city.

HER PHILLY, DELIVERED!

Join 330 other subscribers

What’s Hot on Her Philly

So...You're Moving to Philadelphia! {The Apartment Hunt}
5 Philadelphia Ladies Share What Dating in Philly is like Right Now
A Look Inside The Shore House
11 Philly Ladies Share Why They Love Their Neighborhoods

Good Day Philadelphia

HP on the Gram

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: There is no connected account for the user 267536651 Feed will not update.

PHLBloggers

Shop my looks

Shop more of my closet on Poshmark

Keep up with events that don’t always make the blog

Keep up with events that don’t always make the blog

Theme by 17th Avenue · Powered by WordPress & Genesis

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.