Where to Shop in Alhambra, CA

Alhambra is home to many delicious restaurants, with Chinese cuisines being one of the most popular fares. These are some of the most authentic Chinese restaurants you can find in the Alhambra area. more 101 Noodle Express 101 Noodle Express is an important part of the local Alhambra area. They have three separate dining options throughout the San Gabriel Valley. 101 Noodle Express is well-known for its dedication to an exceptional customer experience. You will enjoy the signature authentic Chinese dishes while dining in an exclusive upscale environment, yet with an affordable price tag. A few of the local favorite items on the menu include the crispy pancakes with simmered beef, the De Zhou Chicken, and the fish and pumpkin dumplings. The biscuits are also made from scratch daily and are reason enough to visit 101 Noodle Express. Lunasia Dim Sum House Lunasia has successfully taken authentic Chinese cuisine and given it a modern twist. This upscale, Hong Kong-style spot serves fresh dim sum and seafood dishes. Lunasia is open for both lunch and dinner and has a full menu that caters to all food preferences. The lunch menu includes items like the hot and spicy popcorn chicken, the pan-fried mushroom with pork belly, and the sweet and sour spare ribs. Each of these dishes pairs well with the full Chinese tea menu. The dinner menu looks similar to the lunch menu but includes the Poon Choi dishes. This comfortable restaurant often fills up fast, so make sure you book your reservation ahead of time. Empress Harbor Seafood Restaurant Empress Harbor is just a short drive outside of Alhambra in the neighboring city of Monterey Park. The interior of Empress Harbor is luxurious and fit for any VIP event. It combines traditional Chinese decor with modern concepts for an environment that is unlike anywhere else. Each menu item at Empress Harbor is carefully created by the renowned chef to give you the most authentic and best-tasting experience possible. A few of the items on the menu include the fried rice in lotus leaves, spicy eggplant with minced pork, and a full live seafood menu. Make sure you leave room for some of the exceptional dessert options including mango pudding or sweet walnut soup. ACC Chinese Fast Food You do not have to dine in an upscale environment to try the authentic tasting Chinese food at ACC Chinese Fast Food. This casual spot might be small, but it still serves some of the freshest and most authentic tasting Cantonese Chinese cuisine in the area. The affordable dishes lead to a busy lunch rush most days of the week. Be sure to try the clay pot rice, salted fish fried rice, or the spinach beef noodle soup. One of the most popular sections on the menu is the fried rice. You can try it with fried duck, BBQ pork, or beef. Alhambra is a culturally diverse area with many exceptional and authentic tasting Chinese restaurants. Try each of these Chinese spots out and be the judge of which one is the best. Image “ Shandong chicken” by T.Tseng, used under CC BY 2.0

Alhambra, California, is a smaller Los Angeles suburb that is known for its beautiful and historical architecture. The city is separated into different districts, each with their own history. See some of Alhambra's most unique architecture in each of these districts. more Emery Park District Emery Park District is in the northwest quadrant of the city. This northwest neighborhood combines the communities that were once known as La Marguerita, Souders, La Senda Tracts, and the Wuest. The neighborhood includes a group of architectural homes that date back to 1924. The area was originally a farming community until real estate investors decided to capitalize on the addition of railroad transportation known as the Electric Red Line. A few of the housing styles you can find in the Emery Park District include Spanish Colonials, English storybook cottages, and revived English Tudors. Emery Park also includes 25 homes that were built specifically for disabled soldiers of World War I. Bean Tract District The Bean Tract District is in the northeast quadrant of the city and is one of the priciest Alhambra neighborhoods. Main Street runs through the northwest and northeast quadrants of Alhambra and is a popular retail and commerce area. The street was referred to as Boabdil Street until 1902, when it was changed because local residents had a hard time pronouncing it. The Bean District was originally a part of the San Marino area. In an attempt to establish its own city, they developed their own municipality with unique housing and building restrictions. Some of the most popular architectural styles in the Bean Tract District include English Tudors, two-story craftsman, and a few mid-century modern ranch style homes scattered throughout the neighborhood. Midwick Tract The Midwick Track is in the southwest quadrant of the Alhambra city. The majority of the houses in this area are from the 1940s, and this specific district was once home to the 208-acre Midwick Country Club. This popular country club was frequented by some of the most famous movie stars and golf players at the time. Unfortunately, the country club burned down in 1944. Many of the local streets pay tribute to some of the famous golfers that once played there. Some of the housing styles you can find in the Midwick Tract include storybook homes, Spanish-style designs, and a one-of-a-kind French Chateau Castle built by Sylvester Dupuy in 1925. Airport Tract The Airport Tract was once the home of the Alhambra Airport, which was a crucial shipping port during World War II. The neighborhood was built in a rush to accommodate returning soldiers to the area. This led to an increase in smaller, single family homes, much different than the expansive homes of the other districts. A few of the homes styles you can find in the Airport Tract include English Tudors, early century modern minimalist, and mid-century ranch style homes. Alhambra is one of the oldest and most historical cities in the country. Spend a day exploring the interesting homes of this prominent city. Image “ Site of Los Robles, San Marino, California” by Ken Lund, used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Located deep within the Los Angeles metro, Alhambra is a short trip east of central L.A. and a great spot for people who want to spend all day shopping. The stores, malls, and boutiques of Alhambra cater to both high and low-end shoppers, but if you really want to spoil yourself you should check out one of the places on this list. more JuL Head JuL Head is right in the heart of Alhambra, and you'll find it just west of where Main Street meets Garfield Avenue. It's a piercing studio run by best professionals in the business, and they can put a stud, barbell, or hoop in just about any part of the body a piercing can go in. They also offer a wide selection of jewelry in all kinds of shapes and sizes, and while you can start at the low-end with titanium barbells you can also get diamonds in 18-karat gold fittings and designer creations. Nucleus Art Gallery The Nucleus Art Gallery is another Main Street business, although this one is on the east side of Garfield. It's the city's premier venue for artists, and they offer both original art and prints created both by independent artists and by major creative teams like film studios and video game developers. Their main gallery has new exhibits constantly rotating through, and you can stop by just about every month to see something new and possibly take it home with you. Vidorra Vidorra is a women's fashion boutique, and like the other stores on this list, you'll find it downtown on Main Street. The boutique's owner personally picks out the clothing and accessories she stocks from the labels and collections that meet her standards. She takes care to offer a look that's both attractive and respectable. She also stocks clothing that fits and flatters bodies of all different sizes, and the staff does their best to make everyone who stops by feel welcome. Maido Stationery Maido Stationery started out in San Francisco's Japantown, and it now has a few more stores along the California coast including one on Alhambra's Main Street. Thanks to the business's Japanese roots, the store in Alhambra offers some specialized writing equipment you'd have trouble finding anywhere except online, and the rest of their shelves are full of unique gifts, trinkets, and toys. If you ever wanted to send someone a handwritten note or give a budding artist something they could really use, you should stop by Maido Stationery. As you must have guessed by now, Main Street in Alhambra is a lively part of town where you can find all kinds of upscale shops selling jewelry, art, clothing, stationery supplies, and so much more. So if you want to spoil yourself silly and you live in the Los Angeles area, head up to Alhambra, find a good parking spot near the city's center, and then wander from one end of downtown Main Street to the other and stop in any store that strikes your fancy. Image “ More Prints” by Sam Howzit, used under CC BY 2.0