my neighbourhood

I love the neighbourhood I live in now (ok I have lived in this area most of the time that I've lived in HK to be fair - but even so the streets that surround me now are by far the best location so far). What is known as Tai Ping Shan (the area lying roughly between Aberdeen Street and Possession Street, and Hollywood Road and Caine Road) was carved out after the great plague epidemic of the 1890s that killed 20000 people. In an attempt to control the outbreak, the British government burned 384 tenements in a teeming district built expressly for the colony's Chinese population.
However, there are still some remains of the old Tai Ping Shan: both the Museum of Medical Sciences and the Chinese YMCA are housed in lovely old Edwardian buildings. What makes the area special and nice too is that the entire area, still only on the cusp of gentrification, is remarkably low rise relative to the rest of the city.
Interestingly, the coffin makers that became a result from the plague remain. And the Pak Shing Temple, where the first victims of the disease dragged themselves to die, remains too - though it is so engulfed by high rises now that it is easy to overlook, but I pass it everyday walking to work.
Today, this neighbourhood of ladder streets, terraces (of which I live on one) and alleyways is pleasantly international. Large Chinese families (like our neighbours that we wave to through the window each day) increasingly share their walk-ups with gweilos like me and Ant.
The neighbourhood feels something like Montmarte with its crumbling stone walls, potted plants and funny mix of printing press shops, temples, dai pai dongs (a type of open-air food stall very popular in HK) art galleries and boutiques.

Alarmingly, there does appear to be a movement afloat to raze and replace the old stone stairs that form the skeleton of this neighbourhood with escalators which I believe will destroy the charm of this area. For the time being though, it is pretty much perfect here.

The photos of my hood are from my walk yesterday morning - enjoy. :)