Rachael Franceschina

Each district in Hong Kong has terrific stores, so I want to focus one of my favorites… SoHo. Take the Central-Mid-levels escalators up to Hollywood Street. Turn right onto Hollywood, then turn left on Aberdeen. There are 2 large, white buildings just up the hill on your right. This is the PMQ (Police Married Headquarters) that I wrote about in My Hong Kong Travel guide. Walk through the plaza, under the enclosed catwalk.

Our first stop is Goods of Desire (GOD) on your right. GOD is a chain of stores that sell clothing, accessories, food and housewares (the Hong Kongers call it lifestyle). It is the perfect place to find gifts to bring back home to your family and friends.

Cross the plaza, then take the stairs (or elevator) to the second floor to Ro Bags. You must check out the unique collections of bags, wallets, purses and accessories in leather, denim and canvas. You should definitely walk through all of the stores on the second floor, because there is plenty of stuff to drool over.

After you’ve had your fill of PMQ, walk down the hill on Aberdeen street. Our next stop is on your left, Vintage Furniture by Casa Capriz. This vintage store is chock full of fun stuff. My husband wanted to purchase an Italian clock, and I fell in love with a vintage bar with mirrors. Grab a coffee while you are there, as there is a little coffee shop inside.

Continue down Aberdeen, then take a left onto Gough. Our next stop on your right is Waow. Wow, I loved this store (had to type it… sorry). They carry their own line of printed tees and represent many accessories lines (sunglasses, jewelry, etc.).

Timothy Oulton is further down the block. If you dig the new Restoration Hardware (RH) lines of sofas, you can thank Timothy Oulton. He was hired by RH to design many lines of sofas, tables and lighting. My favorite piece is a delicate vintage chandelier that is surrounded by an array of vintage tennis rackets.

The central flagship store of Homeless (sorry, but I’m not a fan of the name) at 28 Gough is one of many of their stores throughout Hong Kong. Each store is unique. This flagship is covered in snakes of corrugated, plastic tubes and metal panels. It is a popular housewares (lifestyle) store that sells furniture, lighting, and home decor/accessories.

Next, walk across Gough to Visionaire. The owners are designers who have traveled the globe in search of cool things.

No doubt you will need to refuel, so make your way back to Aberdeen, then cross to Gage Street, and you’ll see Il Caffe on your right. They serve traditional Italian food. The walls are warm wallpaper and wood tones, and the floor is a playful mix of tiles in various styles and colors.

If you are still hungry, stay tuned for a post of my favorite restaurants in Hong Kong.