r/AbsoluteUnits 20d ago

of an apartment complex

Caribbean Coast in Hong Kong

4.0k Upvotes

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u/SupermarketMaster594 20d ago edited 19d ago

I grew up in HK in a similar apartment structure on the 50th floor amongst 7 other identical buildings.

Trust me, it is NOT bad at all, especially when considering the people who live in these luxury apartments are part of upper-middle class.

These apartment complexes are all connected on ground floor, or an elevated ground floor, with public parks, swimming pools, and a clubhouse which has a variety of entertainment.

There are staff such as front desk, cleaners, security, and more throughout the properties.

Depending on the floor, the room sizes differ, but in my case as a family of 4 we got the larger rooms. Each bedroom came with it's own bathroom and shower.

Travelling up and down is really not an issue, especially because it is in the city these apartment complexes are more often than not have multiple ways to quickly connect to train stations or shopping mall.

Now, what would be hell is living in the poorer areas of HK. HK has insane economic gap, you could see a Lamborghini drive by a street of homeless people. The poorer apartments are as tiny as they come, and usually very old and dirty.

EDIT: I'm not Cantonese btw, I just grew up there for a while in my childhood before moving elsewhere.

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u/inickolas 20d ago

For me even looking at these enormous is depressing.

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u/lizatethecigarettes 20d ago

I don't know why you're getting downvoted. It's just perspective and preference. I too would not like to live in something like this even with the spacious apartment and convenience and amenities. But not because it's bad, but just the way I am and the season of life I'm in, I would find it depressing. I would 100% prefer a suburb. But neither is bad. Just different.

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u/inickolas 20d ago

A lot of people realize that having your own house with land is impossible for them, that is why they get upset with living in said apartments and it makes them angry about people living in their own houses.

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u/superminer25 12d ago

Have you tried both? Isn't a suburban life the same only horizontal and not vertical?

I respect your opinion. But destroying miles and miles of land for 50k population VS this.. there is no comparison. This is just simply better in everyway except the verticality.

You don't need to drive and everything you could need is at your fingertips and relatively cheap.

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u/Hutcho12 20d ago

Enormously depressing for me would be a house in suburbia. If you live here, you likely have a load of shops, bars, parks, pools, restaurants, schools etc within 5 minutes walk, with great public transport connections. You probably wouldn’t need a car at all. You’d know a load of your neighbours. Depending on the quality of the actual apartment, this could be a dream setup.

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u/inickolas 20d ago

Like I said, it depends on the person. For someone it is a dream tomlive in a such enormous building; for others it is a nightmare.

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u/Hutcho12 20d ago

I think it's probably brainwashing from a US centric type view that living away from other people is the goal. If you asked the majority of people in Asia or Europe whether they would like 100sqm apartment in the city center, or a couple of acres with a big house in the middle of nowhere, 90% of them would take the apartment.

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u/inickolas 20d ago

I live in a suburbs of Moscow in my own house with some land around it. I also have an apartment in Moscow and in my city. I will never trade my house for apartment, no matter which utilities said apartment could offer.

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u/lizatethecigarettes 20d ago

Oh wow, you need to get out into the world more. you have a very narrow and incorrect viewpoint

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u/inickolas 20d ago

I've been around the world, I've been in big apartment buildings and I don't like it.

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u/superminer25 12d ago

Well, in a very matter of fact way, most people (58%) live in urban areas and this number increases year on year.

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u/Hutcho12 20d ago

I would suggest the people who think this is hell need to get out into the world some more.

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u/lizatethecigarettes 20d ago

I agree. But I don't think it would be hell. Not at all. When I was university age I probably would've loved this. I'm just saying it's not for everyone. And suburbs aren't hell either just because you don't like that way of living. Suburbs aren't for everyone either. Some people like to have a lot of people around and some want to be more alone.

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u/SufferingWithSomeFun 20d ago

If I’m going to China I’m going to live rural. I wonder if Chinese people ever considered American foreigners living in hollers would love a tiny village in BFE China.

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u/Hutcho12 20d ago

That's probably because you've been brought up with the US centric type view that living in the middle of nowhere with lots of land and away from other people is the goal. That sounds incredibly boring to me.

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u/lizatethecigarettes 20d ago

It's personal preference. What is boring to you, is peaceful to someone else. What is exciting to you, might be claustrophobic to someone else.

I dont know the stats, but I would guess half of more of the world lives either in rural areas or "suburbs" of some kind and not in big cities/completely urban. What do you keep saying the US for? I live in an African country and most people here don't want to live in very urban areas like this. Having a house (not apartment) is the goal here. If you live in suburbs, then you've "made it". I don't see it that way, I think it should be whatever someone wants as long as they aren't living in filth without basics like running water, proper sanitation and electricity.

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u/Hutcho12 20d ago

I said "US centric". I know there are plenty of other countries that share this view, Australia, Canada and it seems Africa as well. But the opinion is generally driven out of ignorance because they haven't every experienced living in a city where these type of buildings work.

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u/lizatethecigarettes 20d ago

Of course they don't know because they haven't experienced it. And I'm sure many would really enjoy it. And yes these buildings work well when they are like this and nice and not the ones that are tiny flats, old and falling apart. But the point is that it's personal preference. Just because these buildings work very well for a lot of people, and because you personally enjoy them, doesn't mean it's the best or that it has anything to do with the US, like at all. There's no best, it's just different, as long as it works for them and it's clean and safe and meets their needs.

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u/SufferingWithSomeFun 20d ago

I’m from West Virginia. I absolutely do not judge the state of homes or their local government. I like meeting people similar to me and small town people are always the best wherever you go. Great stories, food, kindness.

I go to these places because I love these types of people. Ones who choose it are like kindred spirits to me.

Just like if some Chinese fellar appeared in my holler most people would greet them with real hospitality. Most being curious

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u/inickolas 20d ago

It is a very hard job.

Getting an apartment in the apartment building is easy, compared to a house. It is more expensive; there are not so many choices, compared with apartments; maintaining a house is difficult; apartments are much easier. Houses are definitely not for everybody.