I kind of snuck in. I did. They were actually closed and open for appointments only, but I slid…read morein to check it out. The question of "are they open to the public or are they only open for appointments to potential buyers" is a slippery slope around Hong Kong. "Are you just looking or are you buying?" is another slippery slope. Without a solid contemporary art museum to anchor from, I seek out art any way I can...even slipping into Gagosian. Do as I say and not as I do: I suppose it would be best to call first and simply ask to say "can I come by and take a look, not to buy, but just to look" to be on the up and up with their blessing versus the sneek in approach. If you love contemporary art, this is your church. Their is a fine line between public museum and private gallery in Hong Kong and access to see what is out there in the contemporary world can really only be viewed in the private gallery. I cant lie though. Between several places like Gagosian and Pace, these places are the holy grail of contemporary art and absolutely go if you have an opportunity to be in this space because without doubt whatever is on their walls is spectacular.

Hong Kong magazine has written great articles as of late about the small, off the beaten path, cool…read moreneighborhoods around Hong Kong. It was from one of these recent articles that I read about Odd One Out. My husband and I took the Ding Ding from Sheung Wan on a Sunday morning seeking out a cup of coffee to discover an uber cool art gallery that has a tiny cafe attached. It was the perfect way to start our day exploring this great little neighborhood, off the beaten path of Queen's Road in Wan Chai. Odd One Out is an active art gallery featuring lesser known artists producing small batches of lithographs, risprints, etchings, prints, etc. Artists were from Japan, US, Austrailia, China, etc. They also have some handmade greeting cards and small figurines as well. You could walk out with a small lithograph for $300HKD or an etching from the featured artist for $2500HKD. Prices are not out of sync or high for what you would expect to find for a numbered print by a quality artist. During our visit, the work of Kyoko Imazu was installed in their tiny space. The cool thing about this installation is that Kyoko does etchings, which is a craft that goes unappreciated by people outside the art world. It is a painstaking process of etching (scratching with a tool like a needle) a picture on a copper plate. At Odd One Out, Kyoko has a small vintage etching press that is right there in the studio where you can actually see and understand the process of how an artist makes an etching. This small press is unique and super cool. The gallerist (Kylie was her name and she could not have been sweeter or more interested in sharing her knoweldge in an unintimidating way) was saying that Kyoko has hosted some university students showing the the process of etching at Odd One Out. I believe this exhibition is up until November 17, 2015. We had a coffee in the tiny cafe called SFS that is attached. Coffee was a good bean and exactly the neighborhood local variety we were seeking. There is a small house pomerainean named Dim Sum who is there on sight too if you are a dog lover. Everyone we saw in store seemed to know this gentle little dog. He was kind of an added feature accentuating the vibe of Odd One Out. Odd One Out is a great neighborhood gem!

Lovely art gallery at the front and a cafe at the back, combining my love for art and delicious…read morecoffee in one place, es muy excelente! A bit of a trek from the Admiralty Star Street exit, so be sure to allocate 10 mins additional travel time if you are meeting friends there. I ordered a flat white while my friend ordered an Ecuadorian hot chocolate specialty drink. Pleasant environment and outdoor patio to just chill, and even play music (they have a classical guitar on display)! :)

A historic police compound turned into a real-life Etsy market! Located in Central, PMQ 元創方 is…read morepacked with local artisan shops, unique design studios, and rich Hong Kong history. PMQ 元創方 stands for Police Married Quarters. It's a historic site turned vibrant creative hub in Central, Hong Kong. Rebuilt in 1951 as the Police Married Quarters, the compound reopened in 2014 for local designers. The architecture is beautiful, the vibe is incredibly artistic, and it is the perfect place to support independent creators. A truly unique spot for anyone looking for authentic local souvenirs.

This place is basically like a giant Etsy shop/Instagram photo opp…read more Came to take selfies in front of the koi staircase. Left with nearly a dozen pairs of cute and unique earrings crafted by HK-based jewelry maker @ashayatheone, for $8 to $15 (USD) a pair. Though I definitely spent more than I would have for souvenirs at the Ladies Market, it was worth it not to feel stressed out having to haggle on the streets of Mong Kok. Plus, I walked out with better quality stuff, supported a local business, and got to check out the current art exhibit ("LONG TIME NO SEE": a set of hand-drawn murals paying homage to the history of the PMQ building).

I've been to 3D museum in Bangkok and it was so much fun, so when I learned that there's one in…read moreHong Kong I just have to visit!! I was warned that this place is small, so I know not to expect the two storey high gigantic backdrops I've seen before. The museum is actually not as tiny as I expected, but the backdrops are really small. They should find a building with taller space, and expand the drawings a few feet each way. Right now you have to be very careful not to include the outside area and the spot lights in your photos. Also, the low ceiling means that the light makes the seams between floor and walls more obvious. Another disappointment I have is that there are only a few scenes that are Hong Kong related. Otherwise it's over 90% related to One Piece. For people who are not anime fans, this just isn't very interesting. They seem to change their artworks regularly, many of the photos I saw in the reviews are no longer around. Nonetheless, we still have fun, and there is a nice guy who goes around showing us how to pose (he also snap pictures which hopefully you'll buy from him but there isn't much pressure.) Some scenes posted a sample pics to give you an idea how to post but unfortunately a lot of them don't have one and left us rather clueless as to where we are supposed to stand. The 4 stars here is a bit generous but I do want this place to succeed and improve and see similar businesses opening up. You do need to have friends to go with you. And better some friend who's a perfectionist, instead of just pressing the shutter, to advise you where to stand, how to pose, and don't mind stepping around a bit to get at the perfect angle for the best effect. Useful tips: - they have lockers available but charge for it. - wear jeans/shorts but not dresses and skirts which are less gravity defying. - if you go on your birthday with a friend, it's $149 for two instead of $128 each.

Ahh so fun!!! Came here with my dad because he was the best at taking pics (girl gotta get that…read moreinsta pic right??) and surprisingly, we both had a great time!! They changed some of their pictures when I went (for example there wasn't a water wing) but it was still a great experience. They have different sections such as an area for One Piece and another one for HK lifestyle. There's an area where the place gets a bit crowded but I didn't care much for those backdrops so I just skipped ahead. We made two rounds around the place before leaving and it wasn't overwhelmingly long :) Came on a Saturday afternoon too! But...a huge crowd came in right after we left so thank god we left!