Put on your suit jacket and grab a coffee...it's morning

Hong Kong

One of the best things to do in Hong Kong...SHOPPING!!!!! Here's a detailed "analysis" of shopping in Hong Kong...(I feel so tourbookish)...check my "Shop List" for a list of funki shops!

Because I know you won't read EVERYTHING that's here (because it IS a lot) so for quicker reference:
All major shopping area are highlighted in RED
All shop names are highlighted in BLACK (with a few exceptions)

Shopping Arcades/Malls

Whatever you call them...shopping mall/arcade/plaza. The most well-known one is probably "Festival Walk" in Kowloon Tong...I hate it. As much as I hate it tho, I still have to mention it. It's a really nice big shopping mall (with a really annoying escalator layout...and weird elevators that are soooo slow) with loads of shops and stuff to eat. It's also got a nice cinema and an ice rink so that's pretty good. It's also directly linked from the Kowloon Tong MTR Station so it's real convenient as well. There's a BIG Park'n'Shop on the bottom floor. There are LOADS of clothing stores in Festival Walk: Mango, Esprit, Ashworth, Izzue etc. Then there's the furniture floor on the top. There's a Franc franc on that floor (sexi store). What else? Oh yea, there's a Pacific Coffee there...EWWWWWW* Yes...it's BIG and INSIDE A MALL and has COMPUTERS in it!!! The fact that a coffee shop is inside a mall is already disturbing but the fact that they actually have COMPUTERS in a COFFEE shop is even more disturbing. What is PCC trying to do to coffee shops? Anyways, Festival Walk is actually really nice but then it's a thing I have against malls so ignore any weirdo comments I make. about the Place. In fact, there ARE actually some shops in Festival Walk that I DO like. "Great Food", "Oliver's Super Sandwiches", "Agnes b." (yes...Agnes b is a genius...officially. The shop is the ultimate funki shop and anyone who is looking to buy a suit...PLEASE PLEASE get it from Agnes b), "Page One" I think that's about it. Here's a list of shops that might interest you guys (Note - OK, I do like these shops but just not the ones in Festival Walk): "Crabtree and Evelyn", "Ben & Jerry's" (100% Love), "Disney Store", "Esprit", "Franc franc", "Log-on", "Ralph Lauren", "Hong Kong Records", "Amaroni's". It's not that Festival Walk isn't great, it's just that I don't believe you can actually "shop" in Festival Walk (btw, the picture on the right is of Festival Walk).

Harbour City/Ocean Terminal would probably be the only shopping mall I think is OK. It's in Tsim Sha Tsui and is HUGE! What's great about it is that it's not always totally crowded. Also, they have a few Starbuck's close by (and NOT Pacific Coffee!). OK, I was actually annoyed when they opened a small Starbucks INSIDE the mall but then they had an outdoor kind of sitting area next to it so I guess it's alright. There's a whole series of funki shops in Harbour City and Ocean Terminal. Including...Crabtree and Evelyn, Polo Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, i.t, Disney Store, G.O.D, Haagen Dazs, Ben & Jerry's, HYSTERIC GLAMOUR, CitySuper, Izzue and others. It's also linked to LCX which opened recently. LCX has nice stuff but it's muita $$. There's a really nice store in there that sells all this Japanese junk...it's actually EXACTLY like those shops you have in Japan...I mean, the stuff they sell. There's also a "Superlovers" in LCX...also very $$ (but very nice tees). There's a Gap, Old Navy and some other American/Canadian clothes brands in LCX...nice but expensive. The Hysteric Glamour is REALLY nice!! One thing bad about Harbour City though...they have a Pret a Manger INSIDE the mall. OK, again, I am a little disturbed by this. Still, Harbour City is funki (pic on the top left is a pic of "Sistyr Moon" in Harbour City).

Times Square is located in Causeway Bay. Don't really have much to say about it because have never walked around Times Square extensively or at least, I try not to. It's nice on the outside, nice on the inside. Is the typical "classy" type mall. There's the usual shops: Crabtree and Evelyn, i.t and all those other shops...it's also linked to the Causeway Bay MTR station...so that's good. There's a CitySuper, PageOne and LogOn on the bottom floor which I actually do like. There's also a small Starbucks there which I do NOT like at all. Anywhooooo, the outside is seriously nice...especially at night. It's got a giant clock tower type thing and lights and all...very funkiful. You can get more info in my "Causeway Bay" section (and go to the "Central" section for info on Central's "Prince's Building" and "The Landmark")

Other shopping malls/arcades whatever include: New World (Tsim Sha Tsui), Plaza Hollywood (Diamond Hill), Pacific Place (Admiralty), Telford Garden (Telford), Taikoo Plaza (Taikoo), New Town Plaza (Sha Tin)

Shopping "Streets"

There are loads and loads and loads and loads of "NON-MALL" places in Hong Kong where you can shop. For example, in Mong Kok, we have "Women's Street". It'd crowded and dirty but there are loads of stuff here. For one, everything here is cheap. It's not like a mall where you know what you want to get and know where to get it...you have to LOOK for it here. For all girls: if you start at the end furthest from the Prince Edward MTR Station, and keep to shops to your left, there's a shop there that sells nice jewelry, accessories shop. They have loads of nice BIG earrings (If you've seen my big black circle ones with the white star and the big blue see through star with the small pink see through star...that's where I got them). You could easily get a pair of nice retro 70's earrings for $30. It's "fun" jewelry. BIG earrings are fuuuuun! You're bound to find something you like in there. For soccer fans and sneaker fans, there "Sai Yeung Choi Street" near "Women's Street". There are LOADS and LOADS of soccer merchandise/jersey shops there. Loads of sneaker shops as well and they will definately be cheaper than those sold in malls (and they have a wider range as well). Apart from the various street shopping stores, there are also small shopping arcades in Mong Kok. For example, "Red Focus" [Credit to Tracy for bringing me there] has loads of random nice stuff (it's more teenager orientated). There's a nice Japan home decor store there, loads of sneaker shops and clothes shop. There's "Sino Plaza" where there are LOADS of sneaker shops (and also where I got my Star backpack). My FAVOURITE Soccer shop is also in there. It's called "Soccer Fans World". You have to take the elevator to the 3rd floor (NOT escalator)...and you'll see it. It's got loads of posters, mugs, jerseys, videos etc. There's also "chic之堡" in Mong Kok. Again, a teen orientated shopping place.

Now we move onto TSIM SHA TSUI! (This will be brief, for more TST info, go to my special "Tsim Sha Tsui" page in my "In Hong Kong" section!)...street shopping in TST will HAVE to be in Granville. It's a nice long road with loads of shops and some random arcades and such along the way. There are two ends to the road, one is near the Hong Kong Science Museum and the other is near HMV. If you start at the end near HMV (also near body shop) and walk down, stick to you right and you'll see a shop called "Part 2". For girls again, it's a clothes/jewelry/accessories shop. Their jewelry has been kind of weird lately but they always have nice belts!! I was tempted to buy another one last week but talked myself out of it (am proud of myself). I brought my white belt from there for $35 and saw one exactly identical to it in IceFire for $175...so that was kinda funny. Anyways, keep walking and you'll see loads of nice shops including www.izzue.com, 5cm, etc. (Note: Near "Part 2" on the other side of the road there's a "New Zealand Natural" Ice Cream shop...very nice ice cream. Plus, it's cheap...3 scoops for $28!). If you start at the end near the science museum, keep on the left and walk walk walk walk, you'll soon pass an alley/intersection. Keep walking until you see the second alley type thing (it should be right around the corner of a shop that sells handbags). Walk into the alley thing. On your left, you'll see a small stall type thing selling loads of sunglasses. They're cheap sunglasses that aren't made to protect your eyes (hahahah) but just there as a fashion accessory...they have real funki BIG sunglasses (like ones from the 50's) and they also have a line of "Bruce Lee" type sunglasses. The shop next to that is a cute Japanese Misc. Shop. Selling random cute Jap things that nobody really needs but everybody wants. Then shift over one or two stores and you'll see my favourite shop on the whole street. It's a pathetic looking stall type store that doesn't even have a door. It's a Second hand clothing store with nice retro clothes. It's just annoying how even second hand clothes can be kinda expensive. For those of you who've seen my "Blues Brother" print tee, this is where I got it. They have loads of vintage tees with iron on prints. Nice designs like comic superheroes and stuff like that. Next to that shop is a shopping arcade called "利時". It's similar to the Mong Kok's "Red Focus". More on that in my "Tsim Sha Tsui" section.

Causeway Bay is probably one of the best places for shopping. I also have a "Causeway Bay" section so you can check there for more detail. For street shopping, "Lockhart Road" is a must go. A new "Pink Park" just opened there early this year. They also have a nice eyeglasses store called "A-Look" and my favourite store on the road, Retro Stone...again more on that in the actual Causeway Section of the site.There are also other places where you can "street shop" in Causeway. For example, Jardine's Crescent which is similar to "Women's Street" in Mong Kok. It's mostly clothing. I think this season, most shops there are going with "50's look vintage clothes" in funki colours...if you're not sure what I mean, go see for yourself. You'll pass it on your way from Times Square to Sogo. It's just a small road with loads of stalls and stores...cheap, fun to shop in.

Loads of people just think Central is a "Business Area"...I've actually had someone say to me "There's nothing to do in Central!" (I suffered from major shock for a few minutes after hearing that). Shopping wise, Central is great for shopping WITH people or uni-shopping. Either way is great. There's some great stores along Staunton Street, Hollywood Road, Pedder Street etc. For more info, go to my special "Central" section in my "In Hong Kong" section of the site. I Love Central!!!!

Other great shopping "districts" include "Stanley Market" (MUST GO FOR FIRST TIME HONG KONGERS!!!) and also "Apliu Street" which isn't all that great unless you're looking for electronics bits.