While the emergence of Nigerian coke dealers are allowed to carry on down Cochrane Street, Wyndham Street and Pottinger Street right under the, well, noses of the local constabulary, do NOT underestimate the growing presence of Eastern European money and businesses in Hong Kong.
Once upon a decade ago, the only Eastern European game in town were those stunning “dancers” from the Ukraine and Lithuania, who some of us lived with and loved during those wonderful days of China City and Club BBoss, both, sadly, having closed its doors, and now a distant memory.
Though Eastern European models slink by at clubs like dragon-i while others conduct part-time work in the bars and lounges of five-star hotels, money from that part of the world filters in to finance upmarket jewellery shops like the one below in Lower Elgin Street- a pretty much deader than dead area of Soho and hardly a magnet for anyone bursting into the song, “Hey, Big Spender”.
Once the site of a “hairdo bar” shop, below, which opened also under the auspices of Eastern European businessmen with much fanfare before closing its doors a few months later when no one saw any customers inside, it’s the same story with this new joint.
We have watched the shop for weeks and, apart from the same group of flat-headed Slavic males and a few women from Eastern European, there has not been even one customer sighted going in.
We’re giving this “show” a three month run and wait to see what new Eastern European-funded business will take over the lease.
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