My New York: Free, Cheap, and local

This annual event highlights the numerous restaurants in New York's Chinatown. Come hungry, bring friends and share. This event, held in May of each year brings the food to the streets in affordable one dollar and two dollar "tastes". The Canal Street, Grand Street or East Broadway stop on various subway lines will you get you here. The streets are closed off on participating blocks and restaurants set up tables (and some chairs) in the streets and offer different samples in small affordable portions.

This event is a great way to try lots of different types of food with participating restaurants ranging from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and beyond. They include traditional favorites and more unusual fare, from your everyday egg-roll or lo-mein to various types of dim sum, soups, sushi, bubble tea's in a variety of flavors and popular tastes such as the popular Peking King Duck. Come early and print out a map before you go (http://www.explorechinatown.com/PDF/ExploreChinatown.pdf). Pace yourself there's ton of stuff to try and you may want to share in order to maximize the variety of dishes you try. While the star is the food, confetti drops from the buildings above, there is live music, dragon dancing and other performances.

If you need a rest or a place to eat (there are picnic tables and benches) there is always Columbus Park by Bayard and Mulberry street.

While Taste of Chinatown is a great time to check out this bustling New York neighborhood there is still a lot to see (and eat) the rest of the year, whether you want to see the Museum of Chines Americans, want a purse that looks like it was made by your favorite designer(without the price-tag) or you want to grab some great Dim Sum while sharing a table with the locals, New York's Chinatown is a must see for visitors.