San Francisco's Chinatown is truly something to behold. It is the oldest Chinatown in North America, with many of its original establishers crossing The Pacific during the time of the Gold Rush and the building of the Transcontinental railroad. It is an architecturally and culturally rich neighborhood that has contributed to innovations in Chinese and Sino-American identity and cuisine.
     Strolling around the 20 square blocks will undoubtedly stimulate all of your senses. It is a bustling commercial and residential center that is one of the largest Chinese enclaves outside of Asia. Fun facts: it is the most densely packed urban area in the US west of Manhattan and presumably the place of origin of the fortune cookie.
     While there are numerous recognizable landmarks in Chinatown, Saadi was fascinated by the story of The Chinese Culture Center at 743 Washington St. From 1894 - 1949 it housed the Chinatown telephone exchange. The phone operators, often young women, had to speak at least 5 of the common dialects spoken in Chinatown as well as English. They also had to memorize the names and numbers of the residents to immediately connect callers! It was later established as the Canton bank, and sits at the location of San Francisco's first newspaper.