40-50k? Definitely Soho. Bit more character than mid-levels, but nothing close to the character of UWS, or Tribeca, or even Lower East Side. Forget about places like Sai Kun unless you want to live in the middle of nowhere in the countryside, which by the sounds of things is not what you're after. There are no parks like Central Park or Hyde Park, only some sterile attempts at parks where people walk around with umbrellas to keep their skin pale. There are good beaches though and amazing hiking/walking. Mom and pop stores are most definitely nothing like the ones in NYC, e.g. privately owned general stores. The ones here seem to sell cigarettes and porn mags and that’s about it. The heat is about the same as NYC during a July heat wave but a bit more humid. HK is a great place to live when you make good money but certainly nothing like NYC once you get beyond the surface.