What is Antioch Nashville?

February 19, 2026

Antioch is a neighborhood in southeastern Nashville, about 12 miles from downtown via Interstate 24, and it is the most demographically diverse area in the city. It is also the site of Nashville’s first Chinatown, which opened its first phase in early 2026 and represents the most significant cultural infrastructure investment in Antioch in decades.

The demographics

Antioch’s demographic breakdown is approximately 38% White, 33% Black, 18% Hispanic, and 4.4% Asian, the closest thing Nashville has to an integrated neighborhood by the numbers. The Asian and Pacific Islander population is part of why the Chinatown development makes geographic sense here: Tennessee’s API population has surpassed 180,000 statewide, and Antioch has historically been where a significant portion of that community has settled.

The Haywood Lane and Antioch Pike corridors have operated for years as an informal international food district: Elotes La Milpa for Mexican, Pupuseria Salvadorena for Salvadoran, Hai Woon Dai for Korean, and King Market as a Korean grocery. This kind of food corridor typically develops because the population density needed to support it already exists in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Tennessee Nashville Chinatown

In May 2024, development partners announced the Tennessee Nashville Chinatown project on a nearly five-acre site along Interstate 24, just off Hickory Hollow Parkway across from the Global Mall. Pan-Asia Supermarket, the largest Asian grocery store in Nashville, offering over 10,000 products, opened in early 2026 with a traditional Chinese dragon dance and ribbon cutting. It is the first Chinatown in Tennessee. Metro Councilmember Terry Vo noted that Nashville’s Asian-American population exceeds 25,000 people and has long lacked a centralized cultural hub.

The full development across multiple buildings will include Asian restaurants, a bakery, a spa, retail space, office space, community rooms, and outdoor spaces. Completion of all phases is expected by 2027. The development is projected to create up to 500 jobs.

The Global Mall and Hickory Hollow

The Global Mall at the Crossings, formerly Hickory Hollow Mall, a major suburban mall that declined significantly, has been repurposed as a mixed-use space hosting Nashville State Community College, international restaurants, and approximately 80 tenants. It is an example of adaptive mall reuse done with cultural intention rather than generic redevelopment.

The housing market

Antioch is one of Nashville’s most affordable areas within Davidson County. One-bedroom apartment rents average around $800 to $1,200 in parts of Antioch. Home prices are below the Nashville median, making it a realistic entry point for first-time buyers. The trade-off is that Antioch lacks the walkable commercial infrastructure of East Nashville or 12 South, and requires a car for most daily tasks.

Sources

  • WKRN, Tennessee Nashville Chinatown development, May 2024 and 2025-2026 updates
  • FOX 17, Nashville Chinatown development moves forward, January 2026
  • NewsChannel 5, Nashville’s Chinatown takes shape, January 2026
  • Apartment Guide, Affordable Neighborhoods in Nashville, 2024
  • Planetizen, Plans for Nashville’s First Chinatown, June 2024

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