Now: A dichotomy of authenticity and artifice, Chinatown's open gate at Grant and Bush (donated by China in 1969) hosts floods of tourists walking from Union Square to North Beach. Grant Street is packed with eight blocks of plastic and silk, some Chinese, some not, all part of the show. Stockton Street is the "behind the scenes" parallel neighbor to Grant, where Chinese residents shop. Alleys and sidestreets show ornate facades and balconies.

Then: The Mexican seaport village of Yerba Buena was here in the early 1800s, and the stretch of Grant Street (then called Calle de al Fundacion) between what is now Washington and Clay was laid down in 1835 (making it San Francisco's oldest street). Immigrants from China (fleeing oppression) began arriving in 1848 (one year prior to Gold Rush). Residents struggled for integration throughout late 1800s. The area was gradually sculpted into its present destination for visitors after 1906.