Is Living in Wan Chai Safe?

[eanniemeanie]

I signed a lease for a service apt on Lockhart & Fenwick, but now I'm being told it's a bad neighbourhood for a single girl to be living in... are my sources correct? Should I try to get out of it? Suggestions?

[eanniemeanie]

Some of the stuff I've read about the bars in the area is really scaring me... any suggestions?

[vonDutch]

You have never checked your app and its neighbouring area before signing the lease????? Can you terminate your lease? If not, think positive I would say. Honestly, I dont think it is dangerous. See many decent girls walking around in wan chai area. Most of the time you go to office in the morning and get back to yr app in the eve.

[eanniemeanie]

I saw the apt during the day, I didn't know those bars nearby turned into seedy places... I signed a rental agreement (not the formal agreement) and put down a deposit. It is actually as seedy as portrayed at night? i.e. should I forfeit the deposit?

[dougp]

It's certainly a "lively" area at night!

Even if you decide you don't mind the atmosphere it's likely to be pretty noisy. Lockhart & Fenwick is pretty much slap bang in the middle of things. You should at least go for a walk at night and see what you think.

Having said all that, I don't think it's at all unsafe.

[carang]

i came to hk when i was 22 yrs old. a single female that did not know a single person in HK...

HK is one of the safest cities that i've ever been in...

yes, wan chai can get a little seedy, but when i first came to hk, i lived above a strip bar... there was never any problem...

i used to go to wanchai on the weekends (alone) to meet up with friends, NEVER once had a problem walking down the street by myself!

[discobay]

I spent a few days in the Wharney Hotel once and can't say that the "strip" ever annoyed or concerned me. The serviced apartments should be well insulated from the noise outside and the higher up you are the better. Saying that, it is a little seedy though not like London's Soho or Sydney's Kings Cross. I'm not a fan of the open door policy that the bars use here especially if I'm not drinking and just want to go home. The Devil's Advocate bar has seen the odd bar fight or two.

[z754103]

I lived above a strip bar in that area as a kid, briefly. Since then I've been around that area a lot from quite a young age, at all hours of the day, and have never had a problem. Obviously exercise common sense as you would in any major urban area.

I personally wouldn't live in a seedy building where all the other residents are prostitutes, but as long as the building is a respectable residential one, I think it should be a fun place to live. Lots of middle class HK people live in Wanchai.

Comes down to whether you like slightly edgy, bustling exciting places or not.
It's way safer and less seedy than Soho in London, for example.

[ReverendJay]

I live on Lockhart too, a few blocks up from where you will be, and yes it can be seedy but its well lit and there are always cops walking around. As mentioned before, HK is a very safe city.

[eanniemeanie]

Coming from Manhattan, I wanted to chose a place that's busy at night instead of dead quiet. I didn't realize what some of the bars had a rep for, but it seems like you guys are saying it'll be ok... The building I'm going to be in is DeFenwick. Is the crowd there mostly expats or otherwise? Anyone have an idea?

If I should break the lease, I should do it sooner than later...so I'm trying to hear more opinions...