weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Kip. Yes, you are right, these are almost like giant "stone forests" inhabited by thousands and it is tough for us westerners to imagine living in one of these structures. But think of the alternatives in these mega cities: There is not enough space to house all these millions in a relatively safe and secure manner. We were very lucky when we lived in HK, we found a spacious flat (2600 sq ft) in an older, very well maintained building and our flat was even on the auspicious 8th floor!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Jaclk for those thumbs pointing in the same direction as these sky-reaching buildings!

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Very nice set Joe - excellent work!

Bubalola Loc: Big Apple, NY

Looks very impressive, Joe! Even a bit dominating...Well, as long as locals OK with this, so am I!

Umnak Loc: Mount Vernon, Wa.

While big buildings aren't always my thing, you shot these in such a way that created interest and enjoyable shots! Well done! It does seem to be an astonishing feat to have created this area and quite impressive for the scale and scope of these units!
Enjoyed the set very much, Joe! It certainly makes me appreciate the space we have and sometimes take for granted.
Rob

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Bill for your encouraging comment!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Eugene, it actually is impressive and dominating, but of course very hard to accept when one is used to our Western standards, but the simple fact is, there is no other alternative to house these masses given the size and the topography - well, maybe cities totally built floating on the water .....

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Big buildings are not really my thing either, and I am certainly glad that we were able to live in a building with a much smaller footprint - and much larger living area, when we lived over there. And I certainly do appreciate the much larger space we can call home here!

lnl Loc: SWFL

484 sq ft on average, less space than one room measuring 20’ x 25’, with a kitchen, dining space, living space and sleeping space plus bathroom. Hmmm. I know people in assisted living quarters with larger living spaces and they don’t need cooking and eating space. I wonder how that compares to space in a NYC apartment.
In contrast, it’s amazing you and Susan had 2600 sq ft of living space and could afford it as newly-weds. You would have probably been okay in one of the small apartments then!
This is a great look at an amazing city and it gives me added appreciation of the space in which we live here. I also am happy I don’t have to worry about power outages and having to walk up or down all those floors.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Ellen, yes the size of these apartments is amazing, I have seen some of these that were very cleverly and efficiently organized, still for us here in the west: inconceivable space constraints. Just one correction to your impression: When we lived in that flat in HK, we were no longer newlyweds, but had been married for 8 years and had two children. And I was assigned there with a temporary expatriate working contract, which means that I got a "hypothetical deduction" from my salary on what I would spend for housing at home, and then the company provided me with free rental accommodation at the place of work. That is quite a normal process for people that get an overseas assignment for a limited time, otherwise it would be very difficult to get people to move to foreign places, especially when the rental costs are totally out of line with costs at home.
But you have another good thought there with the risk of having to use the stairs in these high-rise buildings if the power is cut, that can be a scary thought. But I have to say that for the 5 years we lived in HK, as far as I can remember, we never experienced a prolonged power cut - or any power outage that I can remember at all.

lnl Loc: SWFL

Thank you for the clarification on when you lived in the larger apartment. Your family was double the size I was originally thinking. Also it is interesting to learn how you came to have the apartment.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

dj moore Loc: Florida panhandle

You answered my question about reclaimed land in an explanation above. Those tall, tall buildings' weight would definitely give me the "willies" also. I did some downloads to look at balconies (looked non-existent or blended well) and of course, I noticed the wall air conditioning units (I have them on my 800SF house). Those covered walkways are someone's excellent idea!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

I guess it goes to show that they do take their preparatory work seriously, to make sure that the ground can take these enormous load factors. I am not an engineer or into building specifications, so I can only trust that this ground work is done well before they start buildings these skyscrapers. I also expected to see balconies and went for a hunt also, but it does look like all of these mega-high buildings do not have them. The much smaller (and older) building we lived on on Hong Kong Island during our stay in 1979-84 did have a nice balcony with a nice view and we used it extensively. I am actually quite surprised that these buildings do not have them. The covered walkways are a great idea, non-level crossings of streets, keeping the hurried pedestrians out of the park landscape below where the children can play - it just makes sense.