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To each their own, but I don't associate Hong Kong with cool at all. The impressions I get from HK are mostly negative, like snob, grumpy, sad, crowded, materialistic, hectic, impatient, and there's barely any independent shops for anything. Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing are even worse. It's mind-boggling to me that anyone would call a place where your phone goes castrated the instant you set foot on their soil "cool". Not to mention the behaviours of the locals, horrifying.
But well I'm not a Westerner so (shrug). To me none of the cities in Asia are remotely cool, except for a handful of Japanese cities. Tokyo is definitely real cool.
I really love living in Hong Kong, but I have to agree. The city isn't particularly "cool", innovative or a trendsetter in any field.
When I first moved here, I was absolutely surprised by how major chains dominate the market. Obviously, smaller shops do exist, but you really have to look out for them.
That said, it's getting a little better. The new PMQ is certainly a step into the right direction and helps to promote young local designers. Before, they were literally invisible to the general public. "Boutiques" in SoHo or Sai Ying Pun were the gold standard, but these were really just small shops selling the same junk as anyone else.
Restaurants are a mixed bag. There are a lot of independent local restaurants, but they all serve the same Cantonese/HK-style food. Nothing wrong with that, but hardly "cool" or new. On the other side, there are restaurants that follow recent food trends in Europe or the US, but with a ridiculous price tag.
Hong Kong really shines when it comes to bars once you leave the popular bar areas. Super pricey, but okay. The club scene, on the other hand, is absolutely ridiculous. Even my hometown Linz has better options. And that tells a lot.
I would suppose that the ridiculous rent tore down a lot of the random, tiny places. From restaurants, coffee shops, to bookstores and other random places. To me Hong Kong is very inorganic this way.
At least in the US, they are ugly and tacky(sex shops). They attract wierdos. If there are prostitutes, there are drugged out people and crime in the same area. The areas end up being dirty and semi-abandoned.
I used to live in an area that was in the middle of being gentrified. It went from having hookers, sex shops to having nice restaurants, bars, coffee shops, art centers, interesting shops. The way it was before was gross.
I would say LA. Everyone I meet who is not from the US wants to visit LA. LA is a really neat city, I went there about 6 years ago and really enjoyed it. Tons to do and great weather. It's a very cool city.
Really? Most of us Californians avoid LA. Not that there is anything wrong with it, there is just so much traffic there. Just thinking of planning a trip there makes me tired. I even avoid flights out of that airport, I'd rather pay a couple hundred extra to NOT fly out of LA.
Lisbon is pretty cool. I like the fact that it doesn't cost you arms and legs for a nice meal, and the ambience in general is just very pleasant and laid back.
Montreal also seems quite cool, though I've never been there. I'd love to though, it feels like a very hip town with a nice balance between old and new.
Lisbon is pretty cool. I like the fact that it doesn't cost you arms and legs for a nice meal, and the ambience in general is just very pleasant and laid back.
Montreal also seems quite cool, though I've never been there. I'd love to though, it feels like a very hip town with a nice balance between old and new.
I love Lisbon, definitely a cool place. I haven't been to Montreal yet, need to go soon.
Lisbon is pretty cool. I like the fact that it doesn't cost you arms and legs for a nice meal, and the ambience in general is just very pleasant and laid back.
Montreal also seems quite cool, though I've never been there. I'd love to though, it feels like a very hip town with a nice balance between old and new.
Got back from Lisbon a few days ago and absolutely loved it. It's certainly a contender!
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