left my heart in san francisco {chinatown}

Top: Bebe (from last year, similar style here); Skirt: Express; Shoes: Manolo Blahnik; Bag: Chanel; Sunglasses: Celine; Lips: Marc Jacobs "Oh Miley"; Bracelet: Bauble Bar

Chinatown is a great example of a neighborhood that I unfortunately don't make it to often. For a slew of reasons (traffic usually makes it tricky to get there or it's just way too packed with people), I usually opt to admire it from the gate entrance at Grant and Bush. 

If I'm feeling up to the challenge though, I'll venture in on a Saturday afternoon to window shop at the many vendors that line the streets here. Knick knacks, porcelain galleries, tea shops, Chinese grocery markets, restaurants, there's a little bit of flair for everyone. And it's bustling to the brim with people! Families, tourists, moms and grandmothers shopping for dinner that evening, street performers, all pulsing in and out of the narrow alleyways and streets here, different languages heard buzzing and blending all together, with traffic at an almost standstill trying to get through the throngs -- there's an undeniable energy that immediately sweeps you up. And sometimes, that's part of the beauty of a place like that, right? Getting lost in the crowd and seeing where it takes you.

For these photos, my dear friend and (collaborator who I'm going to miss dearly!), Anna and I decided to head to Chinatown early in the morning, to capture it at it's most serene moments. Deserted and sleepy. I just love how darling the lanterns look, especially above the empty streets, almost as if we stumbled upon this scene after a big party had just ended the night before. And I, the lone party straggler, am just now deciding the evening has ended and it's time to head home.

Photos by Anna-Alexia Basile

Just joining my San Francisco tribute now? See part 1 and part 2.