Take the Red Line to Cermak-Chinatown. Eat Sichuan at Lao Sze Chuan, dim sum at MingHin or dumplings at Qing Xiang Yuan, grab egg tarts from a bakery, then walk it off at Ping Tom Memorial Park on the river.
The vibe
Chicago's Chinatown sits on the South Side just below downtown, and unlike a lot of American Chinatowns it's still a working neighborhood where people live, shop and argue over groceries. Wentworth Avenue is the old main drag, with the big gate at Cermak. Archer Avenue and the strip malls around it hold a lot of the food.
Best munchies
Lao Sze Chuan on Archer does Sichuan heat that numbs your lips, which is a hilarious feeling high. MingHin does dim sum off a giant menu, great for a group. Qing Xiang Yuan on Wentworth makes dumplings in about every flavor you can think of. Then wander the bakeries for egg tarts and buns for the train home. See the Chicago munchies guide.
Things to do baked
Walk Wentworth from the gate, poke into the tea shops and groceries, and read the labels on things you've never seen before. Then head north to Ping Tom Memorial Park on the South Branch. Skyline views, a Chinese-style pavilion and trains rolling across the old bridge. It's a great place to sit and watch nothing happen.
Best lake or park spot
Ping Tom is the one, and the seasonal boathouse makes it better in summer. For more green, Palmisano Park and its old quarry are a short walk or ride southwest in Bridgeport. The lake is a ride east.
A perfect baked day in Chinatown
Red Line to Cermak-Chinatown around lunch. Dim sum with as many friends as you can talk into it. Walk it off up Wentworth to Ping Tom and sit by the river for an hour. Hit a bakery on the way back. Go for Sichuan around dinner if you're brave, then ride home with a box of egg tarts that won't survive the trip.
Getting there and getting around
The Cermak-Chinatown Red Line stop drops you at the gate, and the Red runs all night. The Halsted and Cermak buses connect you to Pilsen and Bridgeport. Everything worth doing is walkable from the station.
Sesh notes for Chinatown
This is a dense neighborhood of apartments and family homes, with lots of grandparents on the sidewalk, so keep it at home and out of sight. The parks and the streets are public, so they're for after. In winter, a giant bowl of something spicy is the best heating system in Chicago.
The good and the annoying
The good
- Right on the all-night Red Line.
- Food for every level of adventure.
- Ping Tom and the skyline.
- Cheap bakery snacks for the ride home.
The annoying
- Weekend dim sum waits.
- Parking is a sport. Skip it.
- Many spots wind down early.
- Cash still helps at some counters.
Next door
The neighborhoods that border this one, or are one quick ride away.
