• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • A day in the life of a Shrewsbury student
        • 6 Beautiful Boats for a Day at Sea
        • IWD in Hong Kong - successful female entrepreneurs and business women stories - Lavish and RajviIWD Special: Women kicking goals in HK #2
        • Men's tailors in Hong KongOur top picks for men’s tailors
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • 6 Beautiful Boats for a Day at Sea
        • things to do in Hong Kong - Art Central 2023Top 35 Best Things To Do In Hong Kong This Weekend
        • What to watch this month – Netflix & more!
        • Kowloon Walled City Park10 must-see historical buildings in HK
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
        • A day in the life of a Shrewsbury student
        • Tackling the issue of kids and online safety
        • Meet the new head teacher at Stamford
        • Things to do with kids on their school break
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Décor
      • Readers Homes
        • Exploring the interiors of HK’s newest hotel
        • What’s in your mattress?
        • Why leasing furniture can be a great option
        • Home news - new furniture , décor and store openings in Hong Kong - Altfield tulipieresHome news: décor, furniture & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
      • Travel News & Offers
        • 6 Beautiful Boats for a Day at Sea
        • 10 of the most famous gardens in the world
        • travel from hong kong to macau - new macau hotels - LondonerA guide for your next trip to Macau
        • new hotels and hotel deals in Hong Kong - Regent Hong Kong reopeningTravel News and Hotel Deals
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • Pizza restaurants in Hong Kong, takeaway pizzas and delivery - Pizzeria Italiana5 Places to get great pizza in HK
        • Cask whiskies stacked for article on investing in cask whisk for Cask Trade in Hong KongInvesting in whisky casks in Hong Kong
        • International Women's Day – stories of female entrepreneurs and businesswomen in Hong Kong – NanaIWD Special: Women kicking goals in HK #1
        • Oven-Baked Iberico Pork St Louis Spare Ribs
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • The latest in laser hair removal, plus great deals!
        • Men's tailors in Hong KongOur top picks for men’s tailors
        • Beauty news: The latest launches!
        • Best lipsticks and lip glosses - reviewsOur reviews: Lipsticks & glosses
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • heart health: high cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease10 Key Questions on Cholesterol
        • Fitness the Fast way!
        • 10 great gyms & studios to keep in shape
        • A gastric balloon that can help you lose weight
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Close

What it’s like living in Sheung Wan

3 July, 2019 by Expat Living 4 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/what-its-like-living-in-sheung-wan/

One of the most colourful and cool neighbourhoods in Hong Kong, Sheung Wan is located on Hong Kong Island, in between Central and Sai Ying Pun. It’s a fascinating warren of narrow, winding streets where you’ll find traditional Chinese medicine shops side-by-side with hipster coffee houses. Here, British Expat Steve Bruce, Independent LinkedIn Trainer & SME consultant, shares his experiences of living in Sheung Wan.

Sheung Wan Hong Kong chinese convenience store

The Sheung Wan Scene

How long have you lived in Hong Kong? Twenty-one years so far.

Why here? Because Asia is the place. There is nowhere else in the world that offers me the same combination of opportunity, low tax, ease of doing business as well as easy access to sailing, mountains, country parks, beaches and city living.

Where do you live in Sheung Wan? I’ve lived in Wing Lok Street for six years, but I’ve called Sheung Wan home since 1999. I first lived in Po Hing Fong and then Queen’s Road.

What transport to you use to get to and from your house? My feet – my office is two minutes’ walk from my flat.

Sheung Wan Hong Kong

The Specifics

When you walk out of your place, what’s the first thing you see? The two super-friendly cats who “work” in the Chinese dried seafood shop next to my flat. These guys make so many people happy every day.

The closest store to your front door is? U-Select, which is one minute from my flat.

The unofficial uniform of your area is? A t-shirt rolled halfway up with a big tummy exposed.

If a celebrity moves in next door, it will most likely be: I live next to a Buddhist centre, so it would probably be a famous Buddhist teacher.

When you’re in need of a dose of culture, you: Walk down my street. It’s a working area and you can always find real street culture there at any time of day or night.

If you’re missing home, you: Head to The Globe in Graham Street. As one of the few proper English boozers in Hong Kong, you’ll always find a friendly English face in there to have a chat with.

Sheung Wan Hong Kong Chinese medicine

A mandatory stop for taking out-of-town guests is: The lower deck of the Star Ferry for that Suzie Wong feeling – and it’s also cheaper. You can’t beat the views of the harbour. You can cruise across at sunset, grab a few beers from the 7-Eleven and then go upstairs and watch the sun set at the Cultural Centre. And then you can head back again on the ferry once the sun has set.

You’d swap houses in a second with: I have one dream house in Repulse Bay Road. It’s got an awesome view, a giant garden, a round swimming pool, tennis courts and a killer view of Deep Water Bay – but I don’t think the owners would swap with me!

A common myth about your neighbourhood is: They do say Po Hing Fong is super haunted as Blake Garden is where the plague broke out, and it only came to an end after a big fire there. I lived there for 12 years, though, and never saw anything so I’m not so sure myself.

If you’re ever woken up at night, it’s almost always due to: The metal recycling guys out the back of my flat delivering recycled metal at 4.30am. Thanks, guys – nice one.

A massive late-night rager on your street is likely to involve: Sheung Wan is light on late-night bars, so I normally head to Wyndham Street.

Sheung Wan Hong Kong road with tram

The Superlatives

Your hands-down favourite neighbourhood joints are: Brew & Chew is great for burgers and hangover food, while The Cottage has the best English breakfast in Sheung Wan. The Lot has friendly service and Konfusion also has lovely staff, and it shows sports. I also like Jacomax Pizza for authentic pizza – “just like mama used to make it”.

You won’t find better local food than at: I love the hole in the wall on Mercer Street for Thai food and Namaste Café on Queen’s Road. The Queen’s Road Food Centre also has great food, including ABC Kitchen and Nepalese food.

The strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street is: A guy walking home in his underpants.

The best bargains in your neighbourhood are: At the factory overrun shops. The hardware store on Possession Street has been open for 50 years and is still going strong. There’s also an essential oil shop on Jervois Street that is a true gem.

The guiltiest pleasure in Sheung Wan is: Jacomax and a beer.

One thing you’d never change is: The working area vibe of Sheung Wan and the smell of dried seafood products on the street.

But one thing you wouldn’t mind seeing go is: No more shark fins, please.

The city gives you $5 million to soup up your street. You use it to: Open some local feel outdoor cafes to make better use of the sitting out areas for everyone.

Sheung Wan Hong Kong flower shop
Sheung Wan Hong Kong spice store
Sheung Wan Cooked Food Centre Hong Kong
Sheung Wan Hong Kong Shop

WHAT’S THE WORD ON YOUR STREET?
Whether they’re newcomers  or “old hands”, we’d love our readers to get to know your neighbourhood. Help us by sending an email to info@ expatliving.hk with “Street Talk” in the subject line. Include your name and street, and we’ll be in touch.

See more in our Living in Hong Kong section

Your guide to Wong Chuk Hang
What it’s like to live in Hong Kong
Are you looking for a job in Hong Kong?

This article first appeared in the October/November 2018 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.

Categories: Living Here Living In Hong Kong Where To Live Tags: British Expat Sheung Wan

Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox
Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox

You May Also Like

A day in the life of a Shrewsbury student

What to consider when choosing an international mover

IWD in Hong Kong - successful female entrepreneurs and business women stories - Lavish and Rajvi

IWD Special: Women kicking goals in HK #2

Primary Sidebar

  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.