Thank you, Asia series "The Value of Space" (89 days left)

The last home we owned, our home on Summer Place in Green Bay, was 1600 sq. ft. with a basement, a good size front and back yard and a 2 car garage.  

Our apartment in "Goodmorning Hill" in Dongcheon-dong was 900 sq. ft. with three bedrooms and 2 baths on the 15th floor of a 25 story apartment.  No basement.  No yard.  Parking garage. 

our first Goodmorning Hill apartment building

The view from the 15th floor

Our apartment in "Scenic View" in Tai Tam now is about 1100 sq. ft. with three bedrooms and 3 baths on the 7th of 8 floors.  No basement. No yard. Parking garage.   Many Hong Kongers live in apartments of only 300 sq. ft. (Thankfully, that is not our story.)

Our Scenic View apartment is pictured in the video 

It was probably after living three years in a suburb of Seoul that it hit me why I could simply walk out of my apartment and get to everything I needed  - economical use of space.  Living in high rise apartments means all the people are stacked on top of one another which means that the surrounding land can be made into businesses right there out of your door.  We had a stationery store, a grocery, clothing shops, dry cleaners, convenience stores, and lots of restaurants within about a five minute walk of us.

In Green Bay our home was a lot bigger but any services we need we need to drive to, the nearest being Walmart about 5 minutes driving.  

Learning to live in an apartment in Seoul took about a year.  We were "on top" of one another. But over time having the family so close to one another became less annoying, and even tolerable.  Could we be a "closer" family because of it?  Maybe.

Of course the population density of Seoul at nearly 16,000 people/kilometer squared and of HK at 6300 people/kilometer squared far exceeds that of Green Bay at 884 people/kilometer squared.  This explains why, pre-Covid I once stood at Times Square in Hong Kong and counted 100 people walking past me in 50 seconds.  It explains why we have gotten used to being bumped into without needing anyone to say "I'm sorry." 

Overlooking apartment buildings in Hong Kong

Now I believe I think of space differently.  I don't mind what some may consider a small apartment.  We have successfully hosted parties with 30 - 40 people in our small spaces.  I don't mind that we can't accumulate so much "stuff" (somehow we seem to still have accumulated plenty).  

Pictured is a party of about 16 in our HK flat. 

However, I certainly love our present home in Green Bay and the extra space it affords.  It feels a bit luxurious to have 1100 sq. ft plus a basement, front and back yard, and a garage again.  

Our home in Green Bay.  See you 89 day!

Perhaps there is still much to explore about the value of space.  But I am fairly certain I would never have concerned myself with the value of space and use of space without living in Asia.  

© Photos by Brenda Brayko.  All rights reserved.