If you happen to find yourself in New York City this fall, and you are dying for a change of atmosphere and pace, China Town is the place for you. This past weekend I headed into the city and went straight for Canal Street, which is located in the heart of China Town. The area itself isn’t all that huge, but it has so much to offer to visitors. China Town is full of color, character, and a wide variety of smells and sounds.

On the sidewalks lining Canal Street, visitors find themselves amongst several vendors selling almost everything from traditional Chinese Food to jewelry.

A lot of the shops that are on the main road in China town feature fresh seafood, typical of what you would find being sold in China, including turtles, frogs, squid, and the occasional beta fish. Most of the stands on the sidewalks cater to tourists, selling trinkets like gold Chinese characters and jade items, but occasionally, you will find authentic food stands where vegetables and fruits of all sorts can be purchased.

The picture above, features one of the most colorful stands visitors will find along Canal Street. The stand, which features animals and flowers created from dried grasses, is operated by one man. He usually spends his day creating more of the colorful and elaborate pieces right on the spot. Pieces run from around $3 to $25 for the more intricate animals.

Although China Town is packed with culture and traditional aspects, it hasn’t been spared from the impact of modern American life. As you can see below, even McDonald’s has worked its way into the community, but the Chinese characters under the famous golden arches, seem to tie everything together.

China Town is a unique experience that all visitors to NYC should consider seeing. The atmosphere takes you out of the hustle and bustle of everyday non-stop city life, and into a more subdued experience that is great for sight-seeing!