Topic summary

Chinatown, Los Angeles

Chinatown, Los Angeles

Chinatown is a neighborhood north of downtown Los Angeles, California, that became a commercial center for Chinese and other Asian businesses in Central Los Angeles in 1938. The area includes restaurants, shops, and art galleries, but also has a residential neighborhood with a low-income, aging population of about 7,800 residents.

The original Chinatown developed in the late 19th century, and was demolished to make room for Union Station, the city's major ground-transportation center. This neighborhood and commercial center, referred to as "New Chinatown," opened for business in 1938.