Chinatown

Now, I'm not going to sit here and say that Chinatown is authentically Chinese. That's not something I can authoritatively say. Instead it's authentic for what it holds. It's a San Franciscan neighborhood, rich with history, livelihood, character, and important cultural threads for its city.And it's got some pretty amazing Chinese Food restaurants.There's an interesting dichotomy in Chinatown. A separation between the locals who live and breath this neighborhood everyday and the tourists or visiting San Fran. One sure fire way to distinct yourself is a quick trip to the Fortune Cookie Factory.A sliver of a shop in an alley of Chinatown, the factory is just that - crudely industrial. It smells of floral almond flour and the samples are delicately sweet. Headed by a pushy salesman and his older female co-workers who leisurely fill the soft cookie shells with random paper fortunes.Meandering the streets and alleys reveal fascinating doorways, where you can softly hear instrumental music floating behind them. Local homes, barbershops, music schools, and jewelry store owners to name a few.They bring their heritage to life in Chinatown. Native languages which are still intact, flow freely. Rich cuisine from all over the east dots the streets. Arts and practices are reenacted by slight elderly men, while they smoke a lite cigarette from a plastic chair. And any product that's Made in China, can be yours at wholesale price.