What It's Like to Live in Business Central District, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Concrete jungle, packed streets, and rushing people. These are the first things that come to mind when you think of Hong Kong's business central district, Causeway Bay. The lights and action make Causeway Bay one of the busiest places in Hong Kong's metro area, as well as its most popular place to live among young adults and families. You'll never find yourself bored here, but at the same time, you'll have to get used to the hustle and bustle of life in Causeway Bay if you want to make it your home.
Life in the fast lane
Meet Paul Chan—an expert stock-tipster who’s been living and working in Hong Kong since 2007. When asked about how life is like for him, he quickly said: Business is very fast-paced here. All my colleagues and friends are extremely busy. Everything moves quick! Indeed, whether it’s hard at work or out enjoying their time off together with family and friends, it seems as though life never stops for anyone here—business central district has seen a massive increase of international citizens moving into new luxury apartments at leica causeway bay over recent years as businesses move their headquarters over to hong kong island. The city is also home to many local celebrities, including Jackie Chan (yes, that one) and Bruce Lee (who else). With so much going on around you all day long, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all of your options when trying to decide what to do with your free time. So what does Mr. Chan do? He spends his weekends visiting other countries such as Singapore and Japan—just one way that business central district residents continue to make themselves known throughout Asia! And although some may think that such a big city would be impossible to get lost in, Mr. Chan says otherwise: You always have places to go and things to see. Even if you've already visited certain places before, there's always something new worth checking out! To top it all off, there are plenty of different activities you can take part in—all within walking distance from each other too! From dining at restaurants with Michelin star chefs and celebrity waiters downing champagne glasses straight from vases at bars and clubs filled with hipsters chatting away on their smartphones...the list goes on. Of course, sometimes people just want a break from it all—which is why even more than 40% of people here go on holiday outside of hong kong every year too! There really is no shortage of fun things to do—you'll never run out of ideas for ways to spend your time! If you're looking for an exciting place to live, then look no further than business central district. This bustling area will give you everything you need and more! Whether it's a glass of wine or coffee at a trendy café, shopping until your heart's content in one of its many malls, or exploring its historic sites; whatever you're looking for, chances are high that business central district will have it waiting right around the corner. For those who enjoy having access to public transportation 24/7 while being able to walk everywhere they need to go—business central district truly offers everything one could ask for in a metropolitan area.
The best sceneries from my balcony
Sometimes I just sit on my balcony and watch people below. I love watching people. Sometimes they’re on their way somewhere and sometimes they’re just standing around, thinking about something. What are you doing down there? Why are you staring at that building? Is it beautiful? Does it have a good view? When you wake up tomorrow morning, will you be as lucky as me? I live on top of a hill and have a fantastic view of everything that goes on in our concrete jungle; even when there’s fog or rain around. The sunsets are especially spectacular from here—I can see them from my bed! I don’t know what else to say other than: life is good for me right now. And if you ever want to come over for dinner, let me know. My door is always open. Or you could bring your own bottle of wine...the food isn’t bad either! Cheers! (C) Leica 2017
How much did we pay for rent last month?: Here’s a little secret: We paid exactly $2,400HKD (or $315USD) per month last month. Our apartment is tiny (for two people), but we were able to find one that had an elevator and a dishwasher! If you think about it, there are many places where these features aren't standard equipment (where we're from). In fact, some places where we've lived didn't even have toilets...just holes in the ground with no toilet paper provided by management. Talk about going back to basics! But I digress. The point I'm trying to make here is that our place isn't huge, but it's big enough for us. And if you think about how much space most people really need on a day-to-day basis, I'd say we're doing pretty well—even though our place isn't fancy or anything like that.
My journey on the MTR (Causeway Bay Station Exit B)
Living at street level in Hong Kong means you are always a short walk away from somewhere fun. The action is certainly closer than it used to be—the new MTR line has doubled average commute times from 15 minutes to 7.5 minutes. After hearing so much about how efficient and clean it was, I was very excited for my first ride on the MTR. Unfortunately I ran out of time before my trip so I didn’t get a chance to try it out—that’s why I took these pictures last week when heading back home from work. Since then I have been able to give it a test run and can highly recommend taking advantage of Hong Kong’s mass transit system—it really does improve your life by giving you more time for other things! As you can see from these photos, it’s quite easy to shoot Leica cameras while riding public transportation. My favorite setup is with a Leica SL and Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 lens attached to an adapter that allows me to use all of my Leica lenses with full electronic control via Bluetooth with my iPhone or iPad Pro. All of that fits nicely into an Everyday Messenger bag that easily attaches to any seat or strap on any piece of luggage. This setup lets me capture images quickly and unobtrusively as well as gives me access to all of my settings without having to touch my camera. For example, I can change aperture directly from my phone (in Manual mode) even if I am holding something else like a cup of coffee. This setup also lets me process images faster because most editing apps allow you to edit RAW files directly on your phone (as opposed to transferring them first). You may not need such a fast workflow but being able to post-process images quickly helps keep momentum going—you don’t want those extra seconds between shots adding up over the course of a day or longer photo excursion.
The local street food scene
Take a walk through any central area of Hong Kong and you’ll find food carts selling everything from hot coffee and pork buns to freshly squeezed juices. Despite all these options, there are still some dishes you won’t see on carts—like beef noodle soup or dumplings. To get those, you’ll have to go directly to their source. With so many restaurants around town that cater specifically to Cantonese tastes (or provide more of a Shanghai experience), it can be hard for westerners who are trying something new for their first time. And without living here for years and years, it’s near impossible! If you want to avoid looking like an outsider while dining out in Hong Kong, we recommend checking out one of our favorite spots: Leica Causeway Bay. This sleek restaurant serves up both traditional Chinese cuisine as well as contemporary creations. You can even sit outside if you want to take advantage of one of our favorite things about HK: its warm weather year-round! We hope your trip is amazing and wish you happy eating! -Veronica Chan, Photo Editor at Tech Insider Asia and David Cheng, Managing Director at Leica Store Hong Kong & Macau.
What it’s like to travel with public transport
In some cities, public transport is a great way to see an unfamiliar city. So let’s say you’re in Hong Kong for business and are trying to figure out how get around without being stuck on a tourist bus. From taking ferry boats across Victoria Harbor to riding buses and trains along winding mountain roads or down crowded sidewalks, there’s no better way to experience HK than by hopping on public transport.
The health & wellness scene in causeway bay
First-time visitors often mistake causeway bay for a normal shopping center. The high-end shopping malls and boutique stores are instantly recognizable with their posh storefronts and pristine design. As you walk down Victoria road, everything from trendy watch boutiques to Chanel can be found in neatly arranged rows, but there’s another side of causeway bay that invites a closer look. Behind Starbucks and Louis Vuitton is an expansive network of traditional Chinese medicine centers and medical clinics. What appears at first glance as just another vibrant commercial district reveals itself as something different once you scratch below the surface; causeway bay is home to one of Hong Kong’s most diverse health & wellness scenes. Here, healthy living has become a way of life. It’s not uncommon to see people practicing tai chi or qigong in public parks before they head off to work or meet friends for lunch at a nearby restaurant. For those who prefer something more rigorous, hiking trails abound throughout HK island, including ones leading directly up to Wong Tai Sin temple and offering panoramic views of Victoria harbor (see photo above). This is truly a city where business central district doesn't have to mean being cut off from nature. In fact, nature can be right on your doorstep!