[AlbertC]

I spent the majority of my month on the Kowloon side. My father's old house and 'hood is located in Kowloon City which is along the eastern bay of the peninsula, beside the old Kai Tak airport. I stayed about half my time at my cousin's apartment in one the "Waterfront" buildings (beside the ICC in the West Kowloon complex).

Kowloon contains some of the SAR's busiest, and important neighbourhoods but plays second fiddle to the Island. Kind of similar to Brooklyn and its relationship with Manhattan. Mongkok is one of the busiest areas and TST is getting stronger as it is one of the most important shopping destinations for tourists, especially from the Mainland. Kowloon isn't quite as refined as HK Island as it contains some of the SAR's poorest residents and neighbourhoods but offers an equally as thrilling experience.


Skyline viewed from Wanchai

I stayed in my cousin's place in one of the shorter buildings in the lower right corner.

Construction for the China Express Rail

My view from the 27th floor. The view of the skyline gets blocked by the Arch and Harbourside.

Everyday when I stepped out of the building I saw the ICC. I also got a chance to have dim sum and swim in Cullinan too.

My building was the green one on the left.

Historically, a couple of Kowloon's most iconic buildings.

Heritage 1881 and One Peking Road Tower

High class Canton Road

View looking up Nathan Road

Least favourite place in HK is the Chungking Mansions. Bizarre, dark, sketchy, what a mess.

iSquare is a newer urban mall in TST. The shops aren't so great but lots of great restaurants.

The more hipster, less exclusive side of TST

Knutsford Terrace is Kowloon's answer to Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo. This strip of western and fusion restaurants gets busy in the night.

"The One" is a better mall than iSquare for shops.

Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard sucks aesthetically. Pure tourist area.

Kowloon Park

Hot girls.

Just past TST is the Jordan Road area. A complete contrast from posh high end brands to a sketchier area with older buildings, massage parlours, Temple Street, triads, hookers, and such.

I've actually had a night where I encountered 2 different prostitutes trying to make advances on me on these streets.

More to come, including Mongkok, Whampoa, and Olympian City pics.

 

[AlbertC]

Argyle and Nathan Roads crossing.

Langham Place is a mall for tourists to shop and young HK people to lounge around, hang out and navigate its 15 floors of shops.

Mongkok is a place of insane pedestrian density.

The heart of Mongkok is the Fa Yuen -Tung Choi -Sai Yeung Choi trio of streets.

A really popular feature for young HK people is street food.

It's a culture thing. HK people love to hang out on the streets at night. Streets in downtown Toronto would be dead anytime after 7 pm.

This stretch of Fa Yuen Street. A less hipper shopping lane consisting of fruits, novelty, fake touristy goods, and practical hosuehold items.

Sin Tat Plaza on Argyle Street is a relatively unremarkable place on the outside but a bit of a local landmark. 3 full storeys of cellphones and accessories. Only in Asia.

I was here during the Chinese New Years festivities so I got a chance to check out the flower markets during the day.

And night.

I was told that if I wanted to pick up a HK girl, Dutch lilies is the flower to get lol.

Olympic Station and Olympian City shopping mall.

Lui Seng Chun building in upper Mongkok. Designated as protected heritage building.

Good night, from Whampoa Garden in Hung Hom.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Thanks for the great pics! That part of Kowloon is so different - and yet still so familiar - for someone who left since 92. And I can see that even HK isn't immune to faux-faux-historical forces. And it's truly odd to see such a mono-ethnic environment after all these years in Toronto. Even TST look so "Chinese" nowadays.

AoD