From downtown to ghost town: Why dozens of San Jose storefronts still remain vacant

WHEN KHANH CHUNG steps out of his barbershop, he wants to see dozens of San Jose workers and residents bustling down First Street, but instead it’s a ghost town.

That’s not how he envisioned it when he opened Concept in January 2022. The pandemic was waning and people were returning to work and normalcy. But his visions outpaced reality, and in his 18 months in business, he has seen many of his neighbors like Pizza Flora and Original Gravity close shop.