Chinatown - Tips and Travel

• Subways - Almost every subway goes to Chinatown, at least indirectly. But I find it best to take the green line 6 local. That lets you off at Lafayette, which is the western corner of Chinatown. Get above ground, and just start heading east.

• The crowds - Even compared to the rest of Manhattan, Chinatown is crowded. Get used to it. Don't shove, but be prepared to have to shoulder people out of the way gently. And walk in the streets when possible.

• Get outta town (buses on the cheap) - Recently, buses linking the larger Eastern Metro areas have begun to pop up, linking them from Chinatown to Chinatown. And they're really cheap! I found out about it from a Boston friend - the major routes include NYC, Boston, Washington DC, Philly, maybe others. As of this writing, Boston - NYC is $20 roundtrip, and NYC-DC is $40. Peter Pan, eat your heart out. Click here for a list of the operating lines. They're big, comfy buses, with an inflight movie, too! It's thrift heaven!

• Where to go (literally and figuratively) - Where can a person find a bathroom in Chinatown? You can try to sneak into McDonalds, but they tend to stop you before you get to the bathroom (and who wants to buy Micky Dees food when you're in Chinatown just to gain access?) BUT - there are two public park bathrooms for those of us 'in the know'. The first is in Sara Roosevelt Park (Broome St. and Forthsythe). The second is in Columbus Park (Mosco Street and Mulberry). They're not too scary, and very useful when needed!