Walk north from El Pueblo and you'll breach the dragon gates. After being forced to make room for Union Station, the Chinese resettled a few blocks north along Hill St and Broadway. Chinatown is still the community鈥檚 traditional hub, even though most Chinese Americans now live in the San Gabriel Valley. Today Chinatown's mixes Chinese with other Asian ethnicities (especially Vietnamese) and hipsters.
There are no essential sights here, but the area (a stop on Metro Gold Line) is fun for an aimless wander. Restaurants beckon with dim sum and crispy duck, while shops overflow with curios, ancient herbal remedies and lucky bamboo, and there's an active art gallery scene, especially on the pedestrianized Chung King Rd.