Local entrepreneurs help bring Chinatown to Albany

The neighborhood watched the construction project at 303 Central Avenue with much anticipation. When the green tile pagoda and gold Chinese characters were added, everyone speculated about what the building would contain. A Chinese restaurant? An Asian store? Surprise! It's all that and more!


A Matthew Nhan and Jenny Liu-Nhan bought and refurbished a large brick building at 303 Central Avenue with the plan of leasing the eight spaces inside to Asian specialty businesses. With so many Asian-owned businesses already in the area, the couple hopes the China Road Plaza will be a "focal point," Liu-Nhan said, and will in turn spur the growth of a small Chinatown on the busy corridor through Albany.



The couple wants to provide a shopping district, with lots of stores and restaurants within walking distance of one another, much like Saratoga or Chinatown in Manhattan. "We want people to be able to walk around and enjoy themselves," Liu-Nhan said.


The shopping plaza measures roughly 8,000 square feet, and is has spots for as many as 15 vendors, although the couple is considering reducing that figure to make space for a restaurant. They have received over 30 applications for the spaces, and are now in the process of selecting which businesses they will lease to. The focus is on providing as much variety and range as possible, Liu-Nhan said. They want the plaza to be home to a variety of stores, a restaurant, and perhaps even service stores, like a travel agency or Eastern Medicine practice, she said.



Liu-Nhan said the couple wants this project has something for everyone, and the couple wants everyone to join them to make it a success.


Other Asian businesses in the area, including restaurants and grocery stores, also hope to benefit from the new business.


There are several Chinese restaurants on Central Avenue, including the recently opened CCK restaurant next door. Owner Yu Zhen Tan said she is excited about the Nhans' business venture, and hopes that the stores will bring more people to the area--and to her restaurant. "A lot of people don't know, you know, " Zhen Tan said.