More Neighborhood Guides:
18A-B Tai Ping Shan St., +852-2858-9001, www.startfromzero.org
Street artists Start From Zero have a dark, sleek corner store selling framed graphic posters of their work as well as men’s fashion and accessories.
G/F, 6C Tai Ping Shan St., Sheun Wan, +852-2239-4300
More than just a flower shop, Tallensia Floral Art holds what they call “flower jamming” sessions every Sunday from 2-5pm. They’ll provide a glass container, and you can pick from among any of the colorful blooms in the shop to put together your own flower arrangement. It’s HK$380 (B1,500), but at the end of the afternoon you do get to take home your fragrant creation.
5 Tai Ping Shan St., Shueng Wan, +852-2548-2888
This little shop sells over-the-top footwear imported from Taiwan, Italy and the US. Think colorful high heels for women as well as cloth shoes for gents that tend toward the hipster end of the spectrum.
G/F, 24C Tai Ping Shan St., Sheung Wan, +852-2891-1164.
This modest gallery-slash-boutique, was among the first ripple of lifestyle stores to make the street the quiet-yet-quirky haven it is today. Owned by a former radio DJ Mini Choi and her artist husband, it aims to provide a platform for newer artists to display their work. Stop by and browse the latest exhibition (currently a photography show, with prints going for a very reasonable HK$500 a pop) or to pick up trinkets created by local artists and designers, like postcards, bags and T-shirts.
Shop B, 18 Tai Ping Shan St., Sheung Wan, +852-2858-9185
This small and cozy teashop and store is newly opened, offering delicious scones and fragrant teas. The teas are artisanal and organic, while the products include ceramic cups, handmade crafts and one-of-a-kind clothing, mostly with Chinese elements. Owner and manager Nana Chan says she prefers including products which have a story behind them.
22 Tai Ping Shan St., Sheung Wan, +852-2857-9991
Reckoned to be one of the smallest cafes in Hong Kong at less than 150 sq feet, this petite-yet-friendly café, sat next to Haji Gallery whips up homemade cakes and biscuits. Don’t forget to try the freshly-made ginger citron tea.
Shop B, 14 Tai Ping Shan St., Sheung Wan. knockboxcoffee@gmail.com
This micro-sized café with a few stools is a heaven for both coffee enthusiasts and amateurs. Knockbox has 4-5 specialty coffees on the menu picked to provide a diverse flavor. Live a little and order the Coffee Grand Slam and you’ll get three cups of coffee, which could mean (1) three different coffees, (2) the same coffee for three, or (3) all the same bean but three different brews.
Owner, Knockbox Coffee Company
Why did you choose to open your shop here?
We found the neighborhood by pure coincidence. During the initial set up we shared half a shop with our friend, who is a fashion designer. We wanted a space to set up a brew bar where local coffee enthusiasts can gather and share their skills and experience about coffee. As one of the first batch of locals to have enrolled into the SCAA Q-grader exam to become a professional cupper, this space was useful for me to roast small batches of specialty coffee to grade and judge.
How has the neighborhood changed recently?
It’s undergoing a lot of change. From a remote, tucked away neighborhood famous for cemetery services and a killer plague in the 1940s, it has become a hotspot, attracting artistic types to set up galleries and designer-warehouses. I think the main reason is simply its proximity to the Soho district, which means easy access for expats, yet the tucked away location means lower rents and a quieter ambience.
And are you worried about its evolution?
It’s always a compromise between better accessibility and the price of rent. We have already witnessed the closure of individual traders who were selling extraordinary, one-of-a-kind products due to increases in rent. With the probable construction of an uphill escalator, the neighborhood will soon be crowded with pedestrians. When that happens, chain stores might start to compete with us for space and ultimately we’ll be forced to move.
Owner, Teakha
Why did you choose to open your shop here?
The area best represents the Teakha spirit I am trying to convey, which is a slower, simpler lifestyle so lacking for Hong Kongers today. I love this neighbourhood for precisely its non-Hong Kong-ness. The fact that you can still find old cobblers, steel makers, antique dealers and coffin shops a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of Central. The way shop owners and residents alike can mingle around the streets the way real neighbors used to interact. The mix of expats and local Chinese residents, and the greenery surrounding it.
How has the neighborhood changed recently?
The area has changed a lot and so far for the better. New interesting independent boutiques and galleries pop up every few weeks but I dread the day it will become like another Soho as the area is gradually bought out by developers.
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