EXPLORE NYC | Visiting Chinatown with a local travel guide

Beyond Your Block Ep 1 | This has been months in the making and I'm so excited to finally share it with you! While I can’t travel internationally, I’ve decided to explore the world through my own backyard. NYC is one of the most diverse cities in the world and I've been wanting to safely learn more about the different neighborhoods and cultures represented from a local guide. I decided to start off in Chinatown where Jessie (@jessiekwan22) was kind enough to show me around to her favorite spots and share more about her Cantonese background. Watch to learn more about Chinatown and support small, local businesses!
Proceeds of this video will be going to the WOW Project to combat gentrification and preserve Chinatown's culture: www.wingonwoand.co/aboutwowpr...
We made sure we were covid negative and necessary safety precautions
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Shoutout to @don.eim for helping me film!
Ep 1. Visiting Chinatown: • EXPLORE NYC | Visiting...
Ep 2. Visiting Jackson Heights: • EXPLORE NYC | A Subscr...
Ep 3. Visiting Harlem: • EXPLORE NYC | Visiting...
Ep 4. Visiting Astoria: • Let’s Explore NYC | Vi...
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#chinatown nyc #nyctravelguide

[@annalyndell]

I'm really proud of you for finally pursuing the documentary direction you've spoken passionately about before. You're so talented!

[@natalia3.143]

I was thinking the same thing !!!

[@ElenaTaber]

Ahhhh thank you! I've been wanting to fovever :')

[@avajules]

Elena, this is truly a masterpiece! You did such a wonderful job with it, it’s so inspiring

[@clairemullins1599]

omg ava i love you🧡

[@marinamachado5557]

omg my two favs

[@ElenaTaber]

thank you ava :')

[@giaxalyse]

This is basically a mini documentary wow, seriously the time, effort, editing, etc that was put into this is amazing. I really enjoy how you’re not sugar coating or focusing solely on the more stereotypical tourist elements of New York City! As someone who’s never really been I feel like I’ve gotten to spend a day in the city LOL. Also makes me want to explore/appreciate the lesser known parts of my city as well instead of waiting to travel elsewhere. Kinda like appreciate what you have now instead of waiting and living for an uncertain future.

[@leahsfieldnotes]

omg this is so stunning elena!! thank you for supporting the chinese community 🤗

[@fareehamehmood5278]

aaah i love your channel!1!!!!!!!!!!!

[@marilou3473]

its so sad that where i live (Montreal), many shops and restaurents were vandalized because of the hate toward asian since the beggining of the pandemic.

[@fareehamehmood5278]

@@marilou3473 that sucks!

[@ElenaTaber]

Ah thanks Leah!!

[@ashleyweil185]

Someone get this girl a travel show, i love this!

[@olgacotaga13]

She’s got one - on YT :)))

[@ElenaTaber]

My dream :,)

[@angelinanicollle]

Elena!! You absolutely killed this! Made me feel like I was there & the time and effort absolutely did not go unnoticed!

[@helloalexandraa]

As an Asian-American, I especially loved this!!! Would love to hear more about your Iranian-American upbringing 😇

[@CynicalDuchess]

if you ever want an in depth tour of all the hotspots in Orthodox Jewish parts of Brooklyn, hmu lol

[@angeliee]

can’t wait for this collab 🤩

[@thatsimi8878]

Would be so cool!

[@lielshapiro9310]

I would love to see this!!

[@m.e.5607]

omg yes pls

[@ladydalrymple]

As a third generation native New Yorker, I really appreciated this. Not sure if this was intentional, but it was a complete 180 from the apartment tour video you posted of some New York transplants which, in my opinion, were not the people to highlight in speaking about Bushwick. I love how you celebrate the richness in culture and diversity of all the five boroughs of New York City and capture this from a local's perspective.

[@katrinaverlinde3419]

You should do Jackson Heights next!! It's home to a lot of the Indian/Nepali community. Visited with my bf last year and it was so fun :)) Love this series!

[@krised5194]

Yes!! Jackson Heights, Flushing, Elmhurst, Astoria so many good places to chose from!!!

[@SN-vc5uv]

This was so thoughtfully done! I love how you highlighted the history of both the culture and the neighborhood as well as the importance of supporting local businesses in Chinatown. As a Dominican New Yorker from the Bronx, I would love to see you do one on Dominican/Puerto Rican neighborhoods in NYC! Especially since the local businesses (and overall culture) in those areas like Washington heights/LES/Spanish Harlem are being negatively affected by the pandemic and gentrification as well

[@ElenaTaber]

Yesss I would absolutely love to highlight those areas!! If you ever would want to show me around, shoot me a dm :)

[@hritikas781]

I think it's really cool that you're trying to show that xenophobia is not cool, especially because if the whole pandemic. Love you💘

[@danielle8877]

when the pandemic is over i wish u could have a netflix show where they sponsor you to travel all over the world and tell us all about it! you are so informative and entertaining!

[@emiliabugueiromeyer8166]

yess!!

[@amymkingston]

definitely agree with this!!

[@ElenaTaber]

GUYS THAT'S THE DREAM OMG

[@anaisindia]

DOCUMENTARY QUALITY! ❤️

[@mel.4222]

I LOVE THIS. As a NY native this is very much appreciated and so sweet.

[@joymae]

Thank you for highlighting Chinatown, this part of the town needs all the help it can get after this crazy year!

[@kenzyaggour864]

Oh god Elenaaaa this is sooo good (also the intro is so poignant, it made me so happy and hopeful for a better future where everything is okay again)

[@naxtsgu]

as an asian, i reall really appreciate what you did in this video/series. you've killed it! excited for the next! ❤️

[@kaelynmynhier2406]

Chinatown was my favorite part of going to NYC. It was so nice to see the family-run shops and restaurants as opposed to the big chains and gentrified cafes of the rest of Manhattan. The culture is so rich and it really makes you feel welcome. If this video didn't already convince you (unlikely) you should make Chinatown a lifetime bucket-list place to visit!

[@sophiacastano7501]

I can only imagine how exhausting this was to edit as it's so long and well researched but I seriously applaud you. I love what you're doing please please please keep making content. Sending you my love.

[@postdreaming]

I loved the representation of Hong Kong and Cantonese culture in this video! There's a lot of diversity and complexity under the "Chinese" label and it's such a relevant conversation right now to understand and preserve Hong Kong culture :) not to mention, this is such beautifully structured and shot!

[@aadyadas6543]

I freaking love how this has such fox travel vibes but it is so much better and feels so genuine, thank you for making these stressful days better by helping us travel while sitting at home and help educate about various cultures and how some people are ignorant towards a lot of communities due to this global pandemic. LOVE THE VIDEO

[@annikafurman7711]

This is one of the best videos you've ever made! So excited for this series! I think people forget how incredible their own backyard can be. Traveling internationally is such a privilege and also really takes a tole on the environment! Love that you're promoting traveling locally!

[@nanal1nha]

Elenaaaaa, after I started watching your videos I see life from a different perspective. You're such a talented and inspiring woman! Keep being you!! Love from Brazil

[@MelissaMui]

thank you for focusing on cantonese culture! im from hong kong and live in new york right now and this video made me miss home so much! i love this series and cant wait for more :)

[@Ben1998Jamin]

The different cultures throughout NYC & in the world make you never stop exploring and it's awesome ! Great video Elena!

[@serinamarie9517]

You are like bringing vice documentary style energy to your youtube channel and are one of the first youtubers that I have seen do this. This mixed with your laidback personality is so creative and can't wait for more!

[@CigarettesAfter126]

This was so heart warming as a fellow asian American seeing influencer actually shed light to Chinatown, there really are a lot of great food and affordable prices. Thanks for sharing this. A lot of things in Chinatown aren’t scary at all!

[@babybluebabyblue]

this was so so good! congrats Elena! you're giving me hope on americans and influencers lol i love that you're not trying to act as guru but more like someone who's open to listening others

[@rheamehrotra119]

You're my guiding light in these trying times Elena. I love your travel vlogs and you've really outdone yourself this time. Kudos to you. Love and light.

[@Amanda-mp1nz]

So psyched about this series!!!! I’m moving to NYC in jan/feb and one of my top favorite things about the city is the diversity and how you can literally feel like you’re in a whole different country after going just a few subway stops away!

[@charlottewestphal4828]

Wow Elena!!! This is your best video ever!!! The filming, editing & narrative of the whole video is so so good! Could've easily thought that this was a documentary by vice!! Super excited for the upcoming episodes

[@trouvaille1558]

Elena, the growth I'm witnessing in your channel along with the improved quality and cinematography is something you should be proud of. This video was amazing in every aspect.

[@cpxj9175]

Thank you for making videos like this to appreciate other cultures🥺🙏🏻 keep it up elena!!

[@clairemullins1599]

you can just tell this is something elena truly loves to do and it’s her passion. she put so much time and effort into this I bet. this was so inspiring and such an amazing video😭🧡

[@yagurlsai988]

ughhh the effort that goes into her videos....**chefs kiss**

[@hanumaprilia]

I love how adaptive you are and it inspires me a lot! Thank you, Elena 💕

[@kiras.2715]

This intro got me hype. This is an INCREDIBLE series!!!

[@user-hg8eq4jm8v]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Thank you so much for taking the time to share the history, clips and take us along the city. This is so perfect in encouraging us to try out the places that are not "touristy". More videos like this please. *Plus, WHO knew there were three China Towns?!? I have only been to one.

[@vuurstuurder]

YES ELENA, you did it again! It seriously looked like part of a documentary, but in a way that's more appealing (imo) to teens and people in their twenties/thirties (but also everyone of older age of course) than most documentaries you see on tv. Loved the shots. Also really informative!

[@brycezhang6989]

Love your videos, and this one is my favorite! I love how open you are to embrace different cultures.

[@faeture3401]

I'm in love with this series already! Thank you for representing the different NYC neighborhoods I'm so excited to see what's next in the series!! also Jessie killed it 💕

[@harrycrowley6374]

yesss i needed a new nyc video from Elena!!

[@kimlilac5641]

I NEED A SERIES OF VLOGS LIKE THIS PLS THIS IS SO GOOD VERY INFORMATIVE AND ENTERTAINING.

[@thesustainabilityenthusiast]

Thanks for taking the time to highlight culture and uplifting this community in the city, was great learning more about Hong Kong specifically as well - overall loved how genuine this video felt!

[@hailyfu]

Ahhh im from Hong Kong and im so glad that elena is interested in the unique Cantonese culture!!!! I feel like it's been slowly fading away and definitely more ppl should know more about the culture!

[@christykorniychuk3420]

Love this new video series! You do such an amazing job at capturing the moment! Honestly so talented!!💗

[@fandemileyxsiempre]

Elena, I've been watching your videos for a while now and I can truly say that you've outdone yourself with this one. Congratulations! I'm so excited for this series because I've always dreamed of living in NY one day and these videos make me SO happy and make me love NY even more. Thank you so much for the hard work, love and effort you put on your videos. It's truly inspiring. Greetings from Chile!

[@vanessavaldez1357]

Loved seeing you dive into different cultures and educating us more on Chinatowns history and Jessie’s background! I hope you do plenty more 😍

[@shakera3734]

Absolutely love the direction your channel is going. Shows a true purpose, so unique and enjoyable to watch!

[@emiliabugueiromeyer8166]

Thank you so much Elena!! I haven´t been able to travel in the last few years because it´s so expensive, but your vlogs allow me to see a piece of the world

[@soni7919]

Yes please this is what I needed today!!!

[@TiffanyElizabeth]

YES! i've been waiting for this series! i love the style and all the work you put into this paid off 😍 I can't wait to watch more episodes

[@MarianneKornelius15]

Yaaaay! Thank you for doing this! 💜 love this !

[@angeliee]

i am so excited for the rest of this series 😭 waiting for the day i can travel to nyc and explore the city like this

[@rebeccasylvernale8531]

Elena, I adore your dedication to listening to others and learning about different cultures, it's so cool to learn so much I didn't know about a little part of the city I call home!

[@jessmurray9135]

so excited for this series!

[@dia6062]

This was so beautifully done. I can’t wait to see how the series continues. This was so lovely to watch. Especially as an Asian.

[@Angelface-zp3fk]

Fabulous video! I loved seeing how your upbringing helped shape you into who you are today and how welcoming you are of others!❤️

[@AutumnRusso]

OKAAAAYYY i love where this channel is going ❤️❤️❤️

[@brendamj7304]

This is incredible. This is the type of content we love to see!

[@jazkramer]

love love love this series!!!

[@svenjameiner9532]

love how much time and dedication you put into your videos. Really loved this one

[@jameelahismail4981]

This video is done so beautifully it made me cry!!!!!!

[@damalisdiary]

I've been wanting to go to NYC for years (I've only been to Buffalo NY) and this video makes me want to go even more.

[@nashkoshiro2277]

I’ve been binge watching all of your videos! The editing, storytelling, and your energy is addicting! So excited for a long NYC video!! I live in LA currently, but I can’t wait to move to NYC!

[@carlaroca2300]

Your videos are going to another level with this one! Go Elena! I love that you're taking this direction, honestly. Loved it ❤️❤️❤️

[@ChainCat23]

Lovely to watch, thanks Elena and Jessie!

[@vournalist]

The NYC/Travel guide I always knew I needed!

[@alainabarnhart9421]

I can’t wait for more videos in this series! When traveling is safer I want to plan a trip to NYC using all of your recommendations!

[@y.a.2419]

ELENAAAA!! THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL! 😭😭💖💖💖 I've always loved you and followed you bc of your travel vids (your solo euro trips got me hooked)!! And I'm just so happy how your content has grown throughout these years. Your travel vids are not just travel vids bc you put sm of your personal touch, heart, and soul and I think that's what make them so special. And also how awesome it is that you feature and embrace various cultures. Keep em coming! Tysm for sharing this! NY is also my dream city✨ and as an Asian myself, yes, food!!

[@VSandTaylorSwiftLove]

this was soooo good such a pleasure to watch!! this is definitely your calling Elena. saved this to my favorites playlist!!! woo!

[@vanessas5426]

You make such great content!! Excited for the rest of the series 👏

[@MD-ck1xe]

Elana, the effort you are putting into your videos is really top notch. There are so many youtubers who film the same thing each week, it's really refreshing to watch your work.

[@mmcjireyesvivianclairether318]

Loving these series you’ve been doing ++ your editing! ♥️

[@shelbyel-rassi6767]

Such an amazing video! I loved it! Can’t wait for more

[@SpookyGhostHands]

Ugh I miss going to chinatown! I live in Bushwick, but my office is located on the north border of TriBeCa, so I would always grab lunch in Chinatown. I miss the vibes and the food so much! TY for highlighting this wonderful neighborhood :)

[@ruthgoossens7223]

Wow you can just see the amount of work that was put into this!

[@johnathanguo5009]

this is so thoughtfully considered and well made. thank you for using your platform to highlight the unique neighborhoods and cultures in nyc!!!

[@nejiskunoichi0011]

Glad you’re doing this! ❤️

[@cassidyvor8545]

Thank you for uploading this during a stressful time. New York City is my favorite and I miss traveling there. This is just giving me some peace❤️

[@kristenruano8069]

I'm going to NYC tomorrow and I am so excited to visit these places!

[@thefloweringroom6947]

This is INCREDIBLE!!! I absolutely love everything about this video and how beautifully you were able to highlight and share everything you were able to learn about such a beautiful culture 💛

[@seananderson7463]

The production!! The research!! This video is ICONIC!!!

[@chriskr4661]

this video is such a masterpiece !!! Worth watching it 10000%

[@sally-annehunt8820]

Howwww is this content free!? I learned so much just from this video. And the quality is just stunning! I'm definetly watching the ads all the way through.

[@fayema6391]

The filmography, editing, content and message are amazing 🤩 I’m so excited for the videos to come!

[@elisehardy2]

this is such an amazing video, elena!! i so so appreciate all your new york content as someone who's never been before but desperately wants to go! it seems like such a truly special place and you capture it so beautifully. you seem like such a lovely, intelligent, and hardworking lady and thank you so much for the abundance of incredible content you make! i'm so glad i discovered your channel (oh and your spotify playlists slap) xxx

[@mabelluv]

this was so amazing! I wish more people made videos like this. 🤍

[@skye4272]

im soooo in love with this series already pls do hundreds more !! big love from Scotland xoxo

[@ak65432]

THIS IS AMAZING!!!! Cant wait for more ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@vesnakesic8351]

This is by far my favorite video that you have ever made!! You’re killing it love

[@Karina-il5wc]

This video was great! I've watched a lot of your vids and this was for sure one of your best. Super informative, loved it!

[@stephanies4969]

IM SOOO PROUD OF THIS VIDEO!!! this video is so good i cant wait to revisit nyc and explore all those places in chinatown!!!

[@meganrobertson2144]

Such an incredible video!! Excited to see others in this series 🥰🥰

[@shivandthecarvers148]

This is so incredible! I love the style and editing of your videos. Amazing

[@uyendiep8463]

Love that you are doing this!

[@earthbyellie]

This video is absolute qualityyyy wow I am literally in the awe, the story telling, the editing, the filming and the info were all ridiculoussssly good ! So clear the sheer effort that went into this video woweeeee 💘💘

[@courtneymar6324]

i really love how you edit your videos and i can tell how much effort your put into youtube!!

[@klaraanna178]

THIS IS AMAZING!!! goosebumps all over! You're so talented and creative! ❤️ I feel like a proud mum watching this video! (kinda weird expression but I don't know how to put it 😆 because you outdid yourself!) It's sooooo good and I learnt so much! Jessie seems so sweet and kind ❤️ I'm just beyond happy you started the series and can't wait for the next part! 😇