Every urban hipster dreams of finding, in his or her home city, a neighbourhood to match New York’s Meatpacking District in the 80s, Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg in the 90s or London’s Hoxton and Shoreditch at the turn of the millennium – affordable, achingly cool and effortlessly chic, yet still vibrantly authentic. For hopeful Hong Kongese, however, such a prospect was for many years the stuff of fantasy. Not that the city doesn’t do trendy, but its taste has traditionally run more to high-end hip, as epitomised by the stratospherically pricey galleries, restaurants and clubs of Central. So it is all the more surprising that, in just a couple of years, the glittering towers of Hong Kong have given birth to a district that is fast becoming the epitome of gritty chic. Just to the west of Central, Sheung Wan was for years remarkable mainly for resisting the development that has overrun the rest of the island – the bustling back streets around the MTR station teemed with tiny shops selling ingredients for Chinese remedies, while antique stores offering artefacts of dubious authenticity lined the western reaches of Hollywood Road. Today, however, the neighbourhood is attracting an entirely different class of tenant, particularly in the area around the historic Man Mo Temple. One of the first was Mandy d’Abo, who brought contemporary international art to the district in 2006. The Cat Street Gallery has since moved from its eponymous location to a more visible spot on Hollywood Road itself and last year expanded sideways into a 370m² venue known simply as The Space, an apt moniker given the paucity of that commodity in Hong Kong – the new Gagosian Gallery in Central’s Pedder Building, for example, has a main exhibition space measuring just 185m². Since its opening in October, The Space has hosted exhibitions by the Korean- American sculptor Debbie Han and a collective of Australian artists. A major Sir Peter Blake retrospective is planned to coincide with the Hong Kong Arts Fair in May. Yet d’Abo is equally keen that her new exhibition space should serve as a conduit to bring le tout Hong Kong to Sheung Wan and to bring the local arts community together. The strategy has so far been wildly successful – a series of pop-up events have included a cafe by legendary London designer Tom Dixon, a shoe display by footwear icon Beatrix Ong and a joint show from the owners of chic local boutique Magnan-Tse and French street artist Lies1. The building that houses The Space is itself part of Sheung Wan’s regeneration story. Formerly occupied by a frozen meat-packing firm, it is one of a series of projects by micro-cap developer Blake’s, the brainchild of local entrepreneurs Darrin Woo and Alan Lo, best known for their ever- popular brasserie-style eateries Pawn and Press Room. The duo are now on a mission to upgrade Sheung Wan without ruining its low-rise charm. Their latest development, TwoTwoSix, is a five-storey building housing just five flats, an unheard of luxury in Hong Kong and one that commands handsome returns – the 120m² penthouse sold for a record HK$22.3m (₣2.2m) last December. Woo and Lo have also been instrumental in attracting the high-end restaurateurs who are essential to any up-and-coming neighbourhood’s success. Another local landmark was passed last year with the opening of design-focused Italian eatery 208 Duecento Otto by Yenn Wong, founder of JIA Boutique Hotels, next door to The Space. Rumours abound that several local and international chains are looking to join the party soon. Meanwhile, upstairs from the Cat Street Gallery, the upmarket serviced apartment chain Ovolo has just given its Sheung Wan property an ultra- sleek design makeover to appeal to the district’s new brand of clientele. Not that the new Sheung Wan is only about the big commercial ventures. The pioneer not-for-profit gallery Para/Site still sits proudly on the spot opposite Hollywood Park that it has occupied since 1997 and the tiny Lomography shop attracts analogue photography fans from throughout the region. Meanwhile another new arrival last year was the buzzy artist-run gallery and studio space Above Second. And the traditional shops selling dried food and curios have not all disappeared – indeed, the Old World-New World, East- meets-West vibe is a key aspect of Sheung Wan’s appeal. Of course, how long they will last once Hong Kong’s rapacious property developers realise the district’s potential is anyone’s guess, so those wanting to experience its unique charm should visit sooner rather than later.