The district is mainly a area of mixed residential and retail. Every night there is a market selling many different kinds of products including clothes, decorations, VCD and toys in Temple Street (廟街), a street in the area where the famous Tin Hau Temple was built in 1876. The Kwong Wah Hospital (廣華醫院), the first hospital on the Kowloon peninsula established in 1911, is located in the district.
Yau Ma Tei is served by the Tsuen Wan Line and the Kwun Tong Line of the MTR metro system.
The Wah Yan College, Kowloon is located in Yau Ma Tei.