Behind the Businesses in the Chinatown/International District

The mission of the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Association (BIA) is to promote economic vitality of the district, encourage responsible business development, and support continuous improvement of the quality of life in the district for its business owners, residents, and visitors.

The BIA offers a comprehensive business directory for the Chinatown/International District: Business Directory

Along with the BIA, organizations like the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Vietnamese American (WAVA) Chamber of Commerce provide the support to recruit and retain small businesses in the area. Here are the stories of a few of those businesses and their patrons.

J Sushi
674 S Weller St
206.287.9000

George and Jon work in the Chinatown/International District and are regulars at the neighborhood community center. After a fierce game of ping pong, they take their love of politics to J. Sushi, a new restaurant at 7th and Weller.

“In addition to a great selection of sushi and food, J. Sushi offers a friendly, neighborhood vibe that invites all comers to the bar or tables. For ping pong players, there’s an added bonus: the owner, Jay, is a former youth ping pong champion and he’s always willing to share tips and pointers,” say George and Jon.

With larger-than-life murals of koi and other sea life as decorative background on the walls, J. Sushi combines a hip, youthful atmosphere with traditional sushi and Japanese comfort food.

Liem’s Aquarium and Bird Shop
511A Maynard Alley South
206.624.0537

Djin Kwie Liem came to Seattle by way of Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, and opened his aquarium and bird shop, tucked away in Maynard Alley, in 1979. Today, he no longer sells birds, but his fish tanks are filled with an assortment of koi, zebra fish, yellow spot plecos, and African butterfly fish.

Walking into his shop, visitors are met by an electronic voice greeting and an array of aquarium gadgets, decorations, and even fish food hanging low from the ceiling. He says the neighborhood’s changed a lot in thirty years: more grocery stores and a few more competitors in the exotic fish and pet shop business. But he still stays open five days a week, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.