Chinatown’s good fortune

More than 15 shops have sprung up within the past year, a sign of growth unmatched in the recent history of this small neighborhood. The new businesses are part of a more profound metamorphosis that has seen Chinatown clean up its image as the city’s beloved-if-grimy home of traditional Chinese food. Increasingly, this district is about swept streets and renovated shops that attract a more diverse crowd.

The rebirth has been fueled in part by new customers drawn to the neighborhood by luxury condominiums, including Avana Lofts at the corner of Beach and Washington streets, and the opening of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. But the primary movers are new young businesspeople who, along with some current shop owners, see value in investing in the area and expanding what Chinatown has to offer.

Along a small stretch on Beach Street, a Taiwanese bakery, Vietnamese sandwich shop, and Malaysian restaurant have all launched within recent months. The Great Taste Bakery & Restaurant on Beach Street filled a spot that had been empty for at least five years.

“It’s exciting to see all the businesses come in, especially in such a difficult economic time,’’ said Courtney Ho-Ha, executive director of Chinatown Main Street, a nonprofit group partly funded by the city of Boston.

In a way, the recent influx of new blood into Chinatown’s retail and restaurant scene is a result of the recession: Some new owners have taken the spots of businesses that have failed because of the tough economic climate. In a typical year only one or two new shops opened in the neighborhood, usually when an owner retired and had no family to run the store.

The departure of Grand Chau Chow, a venerable, if faded, institution on Beach Street, recently made way for Tina Goon to open Bubor Cha Cha, a restaurant that specializes in Malaysian cuisine. Goon, whose family owns an electronics store and a bakery in Chinatown, spent more than $40,000 on renovations, turning the dingy space into a bright, airy shop with high ceilings, bamboo tables, marble counters, and three flat-screen televisions. The upgraded look and the variation on Asian cuisine has brought in a new clientele.

“We are seeing more young professionals. It’s good for business,’’ Goon said above the din of the lunch crowd. “We want to do the best we can. We want to make Chinatown into a nice area with high quality stores.’’

At 101 Bakery on Beach Street, Leo Wang is living proof of the new generation of business owners. The 25-year-old had previously worked at his uncle’s bakery in Brighton, but took a chance to start his own venture, spending $30,000 to renovate an aging antiques store into a bakery offering Taiwanese treats. The pristine shop adorned with purple orchids, features individually wrapped bakery items and fusion-style treats, including a Black Forest concoction that substitutes Chinese-style sponge cake for the European version.

“We wanted to bring something new to Chinatown,’’ Wang said.

Chinatown as a whole has been faring better during the recession than more exclusive districts. With more than 300 businesses, the neighborhood has kept its retail vacancy rate below 5 percent. Real estate analysts say that is markedly better than premier shopping areas such as Newbury Street that have battled persistent empty storefronts during the downturn.

Small retail spaces in particular have recently faced higher vacancy rates, because they are usually occupied by independent businesses that are more vulnerable to pressures from the recession, according to Robert F. Sheehan, vice president of research at KeyPoint Partners LLC in Burlington. KeyPoint reports that downtown Boston, which includes Chinatown and the Back Bay, had an 8.5 percent retail vacancy rate through Oct. 1.

Evelyn Friedman, chief of housing and director of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development, said she has been surprised by the number of new businesses in Chinatown.

“We would have thought and were concerned there would be a lot more vacant spots,’’ she said.

Several factors may have helped retail thrive despite the economic storm, including reasonable rent prices, the opening of the Greenway, and a large immigrant population that relies on centrally located services, according to Friedman.

To be sure, there are a handful of high-profile vacancies, including the Cheong Kwong Market on Essex Street, which had been run by the family that owned the Super 88 supermarket chain. Two investors are apparently negotiating to take over Imperial Seafood’s space next to the Chinatown Gate. And several restaurant spots on Tyler Street remain empty.

But the arrival of galleries like Chinese Art Collection - opened by owners from New York - in a building on Hudson Street that had been vacant for years is giving hope that the neighborhood will come out of the recession stronger than ever. A reading room is also proposed to open this month in the area and there are hopes for a longer term plan to open a new branch library in Chinatown.

And Chinatown Main Street, with grants and local sponsors, has contracted to have the streets cleaned daily and is working with individual businesses to keep their storefronts clean and put out trash closer to collection times.

Maria Leung, whose father ran a grocery store until the 1970s in what is now the gallery, said she is thrilled by Chinatown’s new offerings and has tried most of the restaurants.

“It’s good for the neighborhood,’’ Leung said as she looked around at the jade jewelry and Buddha statues in the gallery. “It brings more new people to Chinatown and gives them more choices.’’

Although some new store owners say business is still slow, they are optimistic about the future, especially since they are already attracting an increasing number of young professionals and other visitors to the neighborhood.

Reggie Wong, who lives in Chinatown and is involved in the Chinatown Business Association, welcomes the store upgrades and new shop owners.

“Even though business is not that great, people are willing to invest in Chinatown,’’ Wong said. “It’s still the mecca.’’

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.