Starbucks (San Francisco, CA)
Rick Evans, whose San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour is a long-running hit on Goldstar, presents his newest tour. The Chinatown Walking Tour is a two-hour journey through this famous neighborhood, presenting fascinating facts about its history and architecture. Covering legendary and obscure landmarks, the tour is designed to fascinate and inform visitors and locals alike.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
Forget the kitchsy shops lining Grant Street's main drag. If you want to see San Francisco's real Chinatown, Rick Evans is your guy.
Evans has been heralded by locals and tourists alike for his downtown SF architecture tour. He's recently curated a Chinatown tour with the same passion for place and enthusiasm for digging up the historical dirt. Like the original tour, he peppers this one with vintage photos, facts, and anecdotes you won't find in guide books.
Against a soundscape of cable cars, Cantonese, and Chinese violins (known as erhus and played vertically), Evans reveals the hidden gems of Chinatown's back alleys as well as historical highlights that get lost in the shuffle of 30,000 people inhabiting 24 square blocks.
Chinese immigrants came to San Francisco looking for gold, but found extreme prejudice instead. You'll walk past several still thriving institutions borne of necessity, including the Chinese Hospital, banks, and schools. You'll also experience the raucous fish and live poulty markets where, as with other culturally relative issues (like gambling), authorities look the other way.
Evans repeatedly demonstrates that Chinatown is a series of contrasts and superlatives. The area contains the City's highest concentration of churches and Edwardian architecture (albeit ornamented with Chinese fixtures).
San Francisco's first Roman Catholic Cathedral was built smack dab in the middle, set against the gleaming towers of the Financial District. Although the inside of Old St. Mary's was gutted by the earthquake-related fire of 1906, the original bricks remain, and you can see them up close. We peeked inside and were treated to a wedding ceremony and some of the most stunning stained glass I've seen inside the US.
Outside of the cathedral, the enormous park is all but deserted. Three blocks away, though, the smaller Portsmouth Square is affectionately known as Chinatown's Living Room. Find out why on the tour! You'll also learn the significance of one-time San Franciscan Sun Yat-sen and why he's beloved by both mainland Chinese as well as Taiwanese.
One of my favorite parts of the tour is how Evans has uncovered obscure markers and monuments that routinely go overlooked. Case in point--we spotted a group of lovely aunties (straight from an Amy Tan novel) enjoying a game of mahjong, completely oblivious to the fact that they're sitting on the spot where Capt. John Montgomery planted the first US flag...on then Mexican soil. The irony runs even deeper when you see that the plaque's sponsor is the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Don't worry, it's not all history and there are plenty of window and food shopping opportunities. I've posted a photo of the mahjong tile necklace and bracelet I'm now coveting...
The tour also stops at a spot even Bill Clinton couldn't resist on his 1996 trip. No, it's not one of the ubiquitous massage parlors, but it does involve artery clogging snacks. Personally, I couldn't resist this bakery's famous Moon Cake. I know it's sacrelege, but I snagged a chocolate-covered wedge for $1.25. Good thing they're sold in quarters, sinced they're filled with a dense, rich mixture of lotus paste and duck egg yolks.
In addition to Old St. Mary's cathedral, you'll experience one of the few Buddhist temples open to the public as well as the church that cupcakes built...can't give away all of the secrets, you'll just have to trust me.
There are other surprises, including the Street of Painted Balconies, the city's only kite shop, a fortune cookie factory (bring quarters for the 50 cent photo charge), an erhu-playing barber, and the site of San Francisco's first house.
The Chinese herbal shop was another highlight. For $10, the Chinese doctor/herbalist is in--no appointment necessary, but it is a doctors office, so you may have to wait and hours vary. The good news is that you don't need insurance and your herbal prescription gets filled a lot faster than at Walgreens. (Evans provides a map at the end of the tour so that you can return to all of the sites visited as well as some there aren't time for.)
Another amazing surprise is the presence of a Julia Morgan building in central Chinatown! She was one of the only female architects at the turn of the century and is most famous for Hearst Castle. (Berkeley-ites know her for the City Club and a handful of other iconic buildings across the bay.) Again, don't want to spoil the surprises, but I've posted some close-ups illustrating her dedication to craftsmanship...note the presence of her beloved asymmetry in the design and placement of the windows.
Seeing Chinatown from the perspective of its back alleys was illuminating and unforgettable. Who knew that one of the best views of the Transamerica building can be seen over the laundry-topped brick walls of Chinatown?
This is just one of many aha moments you'll experience on the tour. We happened to take the second tour ever offered and weren't surprised to find that all but two in our group of 12 were alums of his original Architecture Tour. Snag your tickets and do it sooner rather than later--once his devotees find out, it's going to fill up fast.
Our tour lasted about 2.5 hours and we were mighty hungry at the end. The tour ends in a good spot for food/drink, though. Sam Wo's (home of the 'world's rudest waiter' and open 'til 3 am) is across the street. Buddha Bar and the unfortunately named Li Po Cocktail Lounge are also right there and rated by locals as Chinatown's best dive bars. More hungry than thirsty, we headed straight to a spot we'd noticed on the tour--The Pot Sticker. The browned-on-one-side namesakes hit the spot and the healthy portions of green onion pancakes and rice cake pork main dish left us with smiles and $$ left over to do it again.
Fantastic! I highly recommend this tour, almost more for the locals than I do for tourists. What a whole new appreciation I have for this wonderful city of ours. The tour is an exploration of the real Chinatown and its history. I had no clue how significant Chinatown is with regard to the history of San Francisco itself. Rick is a fantastic tour guide with a wealth of knowledge. I look forward to attending his architectural tour in the future.
Fast-paced walking tour where we saw spots not on the beaten path. Rick is very well-informed & a very nice host.
This is a must do!
Rick is amazing. He is so passionate about history and giving you nuggets of info that you would not find in a text book.
I love his tours...also try his other tours if you have the time.
As always, thanks Rick - you are the BEST! ;-). A
Great tour so many things I didn't know about San Francisco!
Fantastic event! Rick was a knowledgable historian and made the tour very interesting. It is amazing that Chinatown is the true birthplace of San Francisco and that fact is so unknown by many of us. I would definitely take another tour with Rick as I enjoyed his energy and depth of knowledge.
I thought it was a fantastic tour. I will never see Chinatown in the same way. He gave us a rare look at the back alleys of Chinatown and what they hold. Real life there unfolds and the understanding of Chinatown's challenges going forward jump out. Terrific.
A fabulously informative & easy walking tour of SF's Chinatown! Rick's enthusiasm is infectious & his knowledge of this area admirable. A must for visitors & residents alike; I learned so much more then just what I'd read in the travel/local history books!
I highly recommend this tour!
Loved it !!!! Rick really did his homework..there wasn't a question asked that he did not know the answer to. It was so great learning about the REAL beginning of San Francisco. You might find these things in books, but you would have to look very hard and even then you might not find them. He transports you back in time.
As a 30+ year resident of SF and the Bay Area, I can state unequivocally that the three of us I bought tickets for (including a 20 year resident plus a 15 year old niece visiting from the east coast) absolutely LOVED this new walking tour of Chinatown. Rick Evans is very personable, quite knowledgeable, and it was a pleasure to receive such great historical - and fun - information in a short time. There is WAY MORE to Chinatown than meets the eye! A little over two hours is plenty of time to absorb the info - and get a good walkabout at the same time. Two of us now can't wait to take his SF architectural tour!
P.S. After learning that the Empress of China has a rooftop view bar, the three of us ended our walk up there very pleasantly.
We took Rick Evans's walking tour in the morning, had a great lunch, and then took this tour in the afternoon. I would highly suggest it! There is more walking in this tour than in the Architecture tour, but it is not difficult if you are moderately in shape.
Rick takes you off the beaten path into the back alleys. We saw some of the most unique sights that a normal visitor to Chinatown would never see. Rick is extremely excited to show off all the little places, and I felt like I learned a ton.
Bravo to Rick for a phenomenal experience! His extensive knowledge makes every minute of the tour incredibly interesting. He is truly passionate about this area and does a great job of highlighting the cultural diversity as well as the challenges that exist for residents and visitors to San Francisco. I highly recommend Rick and this tour and look very forward to accompanying him on future San Francisco adventure hikes.
Chinatown has a mysterious history and remains elusive to us outsiders even today. If you want a look beyond the tourist junk shops into a fascinating neighborhood take this tour. Discover how Chinatown's history intertwines with the history of San Francisco. Rick Evans takes a sensitive approach to explaining and showing the story of the neighborhood and lots to think about what it may be in the future. It's a lot to pack into less than three hours, but he does it. Highly recommend.
Informative, interesting, fun, engaging. One of the best tours I have taken for similar venues. Would recommend this tour for anyone....as long as they can walk up and down hills.
As one who has lived in the SF Bay Area all her life and been through Chinatown several times, I loved learning about the history of the neighborhood and the non-tourist areas. His photos and maps made it easier to visualize how it was during the Gold Rush. It was especially fascinating to walk through parks, back alleys, and shops I'd been intimidated to do on my own. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water.
I enjoyed Rick's architectural tour of downtown so I was happy to see he'd developed another one for Chinatown. He's personable and well informed and had done a good job of researching the history and the tour was well-paced. He took us to places I'd never have thought of going to (although I'm a long-time Bay Area resident), like Portsmouth Square, a Chinese temple and a market with live produce (a bit creepy that). It was a fun and informative way to pass a couple of hours and to see a piece of SF I've always hurried past before.
Fascinating tour. Although I'm a native SF Bay Area resident, I had very little knowledge about SF's Chinatown history. I wish the tour waslonger for there were some things I would have enjoyed seeing that weren't included, such as the herbal medicine shop. Two thumbs up!
I liked this walking tour. I live in San Francisco. I enjoyed going to Chinatown as a tourist with a small tour group and learning things I did not know. We had access to places I probably would not feel comfortable going into on my own. Rick Evans has lots of enthusiasm and he really filled up the 2 hours well. He was very willing to answer any of our questions.
I've lived in the Bay Area for 40 years and been to Chinatown many times - and taken tours in the past. But I loved Rick's tour - he was knowledgeable and entertaining - and I learned things I never knew. I would highly recommend this tour!
We had previously gone on Rick's Architectural Tour and enjoyed it. After doing his new Chinatown Tour, we are definitely members of his fan club. We have lived in the Bay Area for many, many years and have visited Chinatown countless times, but yesterday, thanks to Rick, we really saw it for the first time. The tour was 2+ hours of fascinating sights and new information. We enthusiastically recommend this tour.
This is a great tour. Rick is knowledgeable, passionate and always willing to explore more. Highly recommended.
3 1/2 stars - it was a great tour, but for a tour guide to keep calling the main street Grant Street instead of Grant Avenue is a bit unsettling. It does raise the question of how much he really knows and how much is BS. He does know enough that my wife raved about it, as did our friend from Phoenix who went with us. I know a lot more about hidden plaques than I did when we started the tour, that's for sure!!
A truly excellent tour, full of hidden treasures and surprises. Rick is an extremely knowledgeable and personable guide. Highly recommended.
Once again, Rick delivered a superb experience. He is an excellent historian, socio-anthropologist, and basically a great guy. The tour was not only informative and educational, but also made you think about the future of the Chinatown community and our society's legacy to future generations of San Franciscans.
This is our second tour with Rick Evans and I have highly recommend this tour to my friends. It's even more interesting for locals. Rick is a natural born storyteller and is full of exciting histories of the area.
Rick is passionate about San Francisco history and this tour is worth every minute of your time for both locals (like me) or out of town tourists. Like his downtown architecture tour, this tour is so well thought through and brings you to the "real" chinatown behind the facade. Fascinating history and comprehensive. A must see!
Really enjoyed it. I took my 8 and 12 year old girls and was mildy concerned that they might be bored. They did the typical mandatory complaining but they appeared engaged through out the tour. I recommend this. $25 per ticket might have been a bit high, maybe there could be a lower price for kids with adults?
It was wonderful. Any more details will spoil the experience. So just go!
mr. evans is a brilliant researcher...he understands his audience, and provides just the right mixture of fact and story. his tour is very well organized and pacing is perfect...i don't remember the julia morgan building or the bakery though?
Rick is amazing! Knowledgeable as well as entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Like his spectacular San Francisco Architecture tour, Rick once again has a friendly, highly informative, engaging tour around San Francisco's famed Chinatown. He has a very low key, gentle, soothing delivery filled with great anecdotes. He is passionate about what he does and you can't help but get caught up in his genuine enthusiasm. ANY of Rick Evan's tours are a must and a MUST for your friends visiting from out of town!
Rick is insightful and provocative. What more could you want from a tour guide. I've lived the Bay Area for quite some time - and he has intrigued me. Looking forward to his Architectural Tour.
So much information and insight into a SF landmark. Thank you!
Very informative and lots of fun. Rick Evans obviously did tons of research as he is a wealth of knowledge. If you are interested in learning about the birth of San Fran, don't miss this tour!
Rick Evans keeps your interest the whole tour with fascinating, historical facts, educated opinions and fun locations. I highly recommend this!
I took a visiting relative (I'm a local) on this tour and we were both very impressed with the breadth and depth of information and observations developed by Mr. Evans in this tour. He organically squeezes a lot of historical, architectural, political and cultural material into the two hours; and shows a good deal of cultural sensitivity about issues that are potentially inflamatory. I definitely recommend this experience both to visitors and to SF natives, as it tends to shed a great deal of light on a fascinating enclave that generally remains a mystery to those who live outside its corners.
Extremely informative and unique perspective on Chinatown. It was filled with facts and some lesser known information about this interesting neighborhood. I really enjoyed the mix of history and current social issues I learned about. Great for tourists or locals alike.
Rick Evans is personable and informative. Will never look at Chinatown the same. Loved the tour.
We went to this after the Rick's Architecture tour which is also a great tour. I have visited San Francisco many time is the past and was surprised at how much I have missed. Rick was very knowledgeable and had some great perspectives. The Chinatown tour was not really what I was expecting which turned out to be good. It was more of a history lesson with some of the back alleys of Chinatown thrown in. Great fun!
If you are a guest of SF, and you have a limited time, I would recommend architectural tour more. If you want to do something extra, this is a good tour. The guide is very professional. He squeezed all information it is there from this place. If you would like to get feel on how this specific ethnic group lives in America (and avoids getting into 'melting pot'), this tour is for you.
I gave the Chinatown tour as a gift to family visiting from Oxford, England. They raved about their experience. They reported that the guide was well-received by local residents and that he showed them the "secret" life of Chinatown that is not readily visable to a regular tourist.
Great source of information and perspective on San Francisco history and Chinatown's unique place. The walk lasted almost 2 1/2 hours and we stopped frequently.
I am joining others who praise Rick's tour. I absolutely loved it. A very interesting story, excellent presentation, amazing places that really define SF Chinatown and yet not visible to a common tourist's eye. Definitely recommend to anyone.
great history - fun - definitly worth it.
It was a lot of fun. I took my 10 year old daughter and she really enjoyed it too, Rick's knowledge of SF history is fantastic. Highly recommend.
My sis who was visiting me from Ohio and I loved this tour. Rick is very courteous and knowledgeable. We only had time for the first half of his two hour plus trip so I will make plans to take it again with a friend. Also, I want to take his SF
Architect Tour. Janell Moon
Tips are provided by Goldstar members and San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour. Goldstar is not responsible for their content or accuracy.
Website: http://www.chinatownwalk.com/
Founder and owner of the popular San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour,
Rick Evans has been sharing his passion and knowledge of San Francisco for over ten years and has created over a dozen specialized public and custom tours of the city. Rick has explored San Francisco like few others and offers an interesting and offbeat insight to the city's architecture, history and neighborhoods.
Set back from San Francisco’s skyscrapers and Edwardian buildings, Chinatown is a one of the most fascinating areas of the city to explore for visitors and locals alike. The jumble of streets and back alleys come alive every day with bustling residents and visitors from all over the world; a wondrous maze of shops, historic buildings and eateries. Above all, Chinatown represents a colorful and unique slice of local history that can only be understood with a resourceful guide. Rick Evans uses maps, drawings and photographs to illustrate the rich history, bringing a sense of humor and intrinsic knowledge of the neighborhood.
This two-hour tour will offer virtually limitless opportunities for new experiences and added insights. Highlights include Old St. Mary’s Church, Chinese Temples, Fortune Cookie Factory, Herbal Shops, Stockton Street Produce Market, Portsmouth Square, Julia Morgan Architecture, Chinese Telephone Exchange and more. Exploring San Francisco is not complete without a in-depth visit to this exotic, historic district. Even if you think you know Chinatown, you haven’t really seen Chinatown until you’ve seen the neighborhood from the perspective of the research that Rick has done - a very original and unique exploration of one of San Francisco’s most exciting and mysterious locations.
San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour
at Architecture Walking Tour - Galleria Park Hotel Lobby (San Francisco, CA)
on November 27, 28, and 29th
