It has everything and it feels like a vacation
Walking around chinatown is like a mini hong kong. I went to hong kong before and chinatown has that same atmosphere, but on a much smaller scale. it is exciting, lots of great restaurants and you can find just about anything you want (jewelry, handbags, name brand clothes, shoes, souvenirs, toys, electronics, watches, accessories, special teas and herbs, dvds, cds, and more). There are bakeries with bubble tea of all kinds. Tons of people walk the streets and it is next to Little Italy and Soho. It adds to the whole New York experience. And it is the oldest Chinatown in America. The people are no different than the people in Hong Kong. If you visit New York City without going to Chinatown, then you are not experiencing the whole thing.