For a century and a half, San Francisco’s Chinatown, the nation’s oldest, has sheltered waves of immigrants. It’s the birthplace of Chinese America, and to some extent, the broader Asian America.
Now, Chinatown faces powerful economic and demographic challenges as the city undergoes an unprecedented boom in tech jobs.
Rising rent elsewhere in the city has entrepreneurs eyeing Chinatown for offices, entertainment and housing. A $1.6 billion subway set to open in 2019 could provide an economic boost, but it also brings development pressures in a neighbourhood coveted for its location.
At the same time, many Chinese Americans have scattered across the Bay Area, reducing Chinatown’s customer base.
“It is the last frontier, when you think about it,” said Bertrand Pellegrin, a brand specialist with the firm b. on brand who is interested in helping preserve the neighbourhood. “It is one of the last central places downtown that has not been completely gentrified and overdeveloped.”
