Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [148]
Note also the second monument in the square, which honors Chinese-American victims of both world wars.
Walk to the other end of the square, toward California Street, turn left, cross California Street at Grant Street, and you’ll be standing in front of Old St. Mary’s Cathedral.
4 Old St. Mary’s Cathedral
The first Catholic cathedral in San Francisco and the site of the Chinese community’s first English-language school, St. Mary’s was built primarily by Chinese laborers and dedicated on Christmas Day 1854.
Step inside to find a written history of the church and turn-of-the-20th-century photos of San Francisco.
Upon leaving the church, take a right, walk to the corner of Grant Avenue and California Street, and go right on Grant. Here you’ll find a shop called:
5 Canton Bazaar
Of the knickknack and import shops lining Grant Avenue, this is one of the most popular; it’s located at 616 Grant Ave.
Chinese New Year parade.
Continue in the same direction on Grant Avenue and cross Sacramento Street to the northwest corner of Sacramento and Grant. You’ll be at the doorstep of the:
6 Bank of America
This bank is an example of traditional Chinese architectural style. Notice the dragons subtly portrayed on many parts of the building.
Head in the same direction (north) on Grant Avenue and a few doors down is the:
7 Chinatown Kite Shop
This store, located at 717 Grant Ave., has an assortment of flying objects, including attractive fish kites, nylon or cotton windsock kites, hand-painted Chinese paper kites, wood-and-paper biplanes, and pentagonal kites.
Chinatown Kite Shop.
Cross Grant Avenue and you’ll arrive at:
8 The Wok Shop
Here’s where you can purchase just about any cleaver, wok, cookbook, or vessel you might need for Chinese-style cooking in your own kitchen. It’s located at 718 Grant Ave.
Chinatown at dusk.
When you come out of the Wok Shop, go right. Walk past Commercial Street and you’ll arrive at the corner of Grant Avenue and Clay Street; cross Clay and you’ll be standing on the:
9 Original Street of “American” California
Here an English seaman named William Richardson set up the first tent in 1835, making it the first place that an Anglo set up base in California.
Continue north on Grant Avenue to Washington Street. Turn right and at 743 Washington St. you will be standing in front of the former Bank of Canton, now known as the:
10 United Commercial Bank
This building boasts the oldest (from 1909) Asian-style edifice in Chinatown. The three-tiered temple-style building once housed the China Telephone Exchange, known as “China-5” until 1945.
You’re probably thirsty by now, so follow Washington Street a few doors down (east); on your right-hand side you will come upon Washington Bakery & Restaurant.
11 Take a Break
Washington Bakery & Restaurant is at 733 Washington St. No need to have a full meal here—the service can be abrupt. Do stop in, however, for a little potable adventure: snow red beans with ice cream. The sugary-sweet drink mixed with whole beans and ice cream is not something you’re likely to have tried elsewhere, and it happens to be quite tasty.
Head back to Grant Avenue, cross Washington Street, cross Grant, and follow the west side of Grant 1 block to:
12 Ten Ren Tea Co., Ltd.
In this amazing shop at 949 Grant Ave., you can sample a freshly brewed tea variety and check out the dozens of drawers and canisters labeled with more than 40 kinds of tea. Like Washington Bakery, Ten Ren offers unusual drinks worth trying: delightful hot or iced milk teas containing giant blobs of jelly or tapioca. Try black tea or green tea and enjoy the outstanding flavors and the giant balls of tapioca slipping around in your mouth.
Leave Ten Ren, make a left, and when you reach Jackson Street, make another left. Follow Jackson Street until you reach Ross Alley and turn left into the alley.
13 Ross Alley
As you walk along this narrow street, just one of the many alleyways that crisscrossed Chinatown to accommodate