New, fresh, and local at Hong Kong’s PMQ

urbanissimo
by kenneth irving ong
I love big cities with their hidden corners or spots that are oftentimes overlooked by the tourist map. Oftentimes, these quiet corners tend to be gems when one is looking for locally designed stuff or artisanal treats.
 On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I was finally able to find the PMQ.
 Located along Hollywood road in Central, Hong Kong Island, the PMQ used to be called the Police Married Quarters where Chinese rank and file police officers lived in 140 single rooms and 28 double rooms with an open courtyard. It was renamed PMQ after a massive restoration and renovation last year and is now the home to almost 100 design studios and shops, offices for creative enterprises, and even lodging for visiting designers. There are also restaurants as well as cafés that serve artisanal teas and coffee as well as exhibition spaces and galleries.
 I love how the spaces allow the designers to interact and mingle with each other and allow guests to freely see their design processes as well as interact with the designers themselves, a beautiful marriage of building conservation, the arts, and entrepreneurship as well.
 Shopping at the PMQ is not cheap, but you can be confident that whatever you are purchasing is unique and the experience of exploring the many halls of the PMQ is really worth the time spent. If you have extra time, I would suggest a quick coffee break at Café Life which served one of the best Vienna drip coffee I had ever had.
 PMQ is located along Aberdeen, Hollywood and Staunton roads in downtown Central Hong Kong. You can take the MTR Sheung Wan Station Exit E2 and walk through the Grand Millennium Plaza to reach Bonham Strand. Cross the road and turn left onto Wellington Street and walk for around two minutes. Turn onto Aberdeen Street and walk for around three minutes to reach PMQ.