These articles below can also be found in the June 2009 issue of Serviced Apartment Guide:
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Wanchai, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley, Quarry Bay and North Point – these are the major suburbs to the east of the CBD. Each has its own character and a distinctive neighbourhood feel, while being easily accessible via MTR, bus, mini-bus, taxi and tram.
Wanchai, a busy commercial district, is famous for its buzzing (and sometimes salubrious) nightlife and after-hours eateries. There are lots of bars to choose from, most of which are located on or near Lockhart Road, which is a popular haunt among tourists and expatriates. The Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre are found here, along with The British Council, Alliance Francaise and Goethe Institut, making it one of Hong Kong’s arts hubs.
Central Plaza and the Hopewell Centre, a unique circular building capped by a revolving restaurant, are two prominent commercial towers in the vicinity. The Old Wanchai Post Office, Hung Shing Temple and Pak Tai Temple are well-known tourist attractions.
Close to Wanchai, Causeway Bay (CWB) is truly a shoppers’ paradise – a myriad of stores are hidden within the rows of building in this vibrant and densely populated part of the city. Big department stores and malls, like Times Square and Sogo offer high-end products. CWB also has a great variety of cafés, restaurants, bars and cinemas. The World Trade Centre, Victoria Park, Hong Kong Yacht Club, Hong Kong Central Library, and hotels such as the Excelsior and Regal are popular landmarks.
A little further north, Happy Valley is an upper-income residential suburb, home to The Happy Valley Racecourse, one of two horseracing tracks owned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the other being in Shatin. There’s also the 40,000-seater Hong Kong Stadium, an outdoor venue that hosts the city’s major sporting events. Happy Valley is a popular spot among local celebrities and has a growing range of chic restaurants. The closest MTR station is CWB, though taxis, buses, mini buses and trams are easily accessible.
Also in the east, Quarry Bay is an up-and-coming commercial hub with over 300 multinationals taking up its A-grade office space, which includes Taikoo Place, Manulife Century Plaza and One Island East. As a result, it’s becoming more and more attractive to the expatriate crowd who prefer to live near work. Restaurants offering a multitude of cuisines cater to the growing number of local and overseas residents.
Quarry Bay has a range of family-friendly facilities that includes Quarry Bay Park, Greig Road Sitting-out Area, the Tai Tam Country Park Quarry Bay Extension and Quarry Bay Municipal Services Building, which boasts an indoor playground and a public library. City Plaza mall at Taikoo Shing, just one MTR stop away, has numerous restaurants, designer stores and an ice-skating rink.
North Point has a very local feel and is a bargain-hunters haven – from cheap eats to reasonably priced products, it’s a good place to be amid the downturn. Bordering Quarry Bay and Taikoo Shing, with its own MTR station, it’s in the process of gentrification, and upper North Point is now being touted as the new Mid-Levels.
Hong Kong East
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