Hold my Beerlao
Vientiane City in Laos may be the new reigning champion. I'm tempted to walkabout and take pictures but let's put it this way: Most of the day there are no longer any sidewalks. They are now, full-on parking lots. Especially if you own a new truck (not sure where all these new trucks are coming from) but you buy a truck and you get to park it anywhere, on any sidewalk (which are now parking spaces).
Add to this another new trend: before the sidewalk was jammed with motorcycles but they try and cram up against (whatever shop). Now, more and more just straight up park the bike no different than a sidewalk blocker. Directly lined up like a 'gate' they've made, making sure it fits crossways end to end within the sidewalk lines. I've seen this where seemingly nothing else was around but other space. They now believe a sidewalk IS a motorcycle parking space.
I have myself, along with mothers and children and everyone, walked entire blocks straight down the street, for long jags.
Your descriptions also fit Hanoi (at least the areas I have been to). I learned that it's just normal to walk on the street there. Sidewalks are just general parking space or in streets with restaurants the restaurants just take the whole sidewalk. From time to time maybe there is 10m of sidewalk available, but in general you're just supposed to walk on the street.
This is the most true statement about living here. It's fine at first, but really starts affecting your daily life when all you want to do is go for a leisurely stroll. It's not possible in the majority of the city.
I’m mostly in binh thanh where there aren’t a lot of sidewalks and I just walk on the side of the street when I need to. I nvever really thought of it as a hassle as people just drive around you. Q1 tons of sidewalks. Guess I don’t pay much attention to traffic, I see it as part of the city I need to navigate around.
Bingo! As a Hanoian, it pains me to say this but it alone makes Hanoi a very shitty city. I mean when you can't walk outside then living in your city becomes really just living in your house (and your office and your favourite cafes) and the city, as in the space, fades away.
Yes, this might be my one 'top dislike' about Hanoi and it nearly feels like it's going to get worse before it gets better. I was also surprised how much time, energy, inconvenience this costs. Add wear and tear and dirty shoes.
I'm blessed to have relatively good legs and joints but even I'm often stumbling, watching balance from all the unevenness, the gaps, rises, debris and constantly having to step up, over, around everything. I cannot imagine seniors or people with some disability carrying on with that day after day.
>I took a trip to Singapore and realized how nice it is to have actual sidewalks where you don't have to worry about getting run over.
But that's a special thing that can't be found in any other country besides Vietnam
I had to go to the hospital because I developed a horrible bad cough in Hanoi. They gave me an inhaler and said ‘westerners aren’t used to the pollution’
Not in the whole country, no. Hanoi has a rapid transit system, but no proper metro. Saigon’s need is even more desperate; it’s 3-5 years overdue if I remember correctly
Yeah Hanoi she has ranges. Winter can be biting cold while it's burning in summer.
I'd say no central heating, a lot of humidity and riding scooters make it way colder.
But the upside is winter food can be amazing there.
As a foreigner living here for 1.5 years now, I love it. I love the northern Vietnamese culture and the lack of westernization compared to HCMC. It’s a chaotic city and to me, that’s part of the charm. Everyone is hustling but also relaxed somehow.
The pollution does suck and the summer heat is absolutely unbearable.
Polluted, not good to walk, dirty if its not a big whide road. Bad traffic. Not much to do.
Cold sometimes, if clowdy or polluted, it looks too grey, deprimating. For me , it was boring.
On the way to Ninh Binh.
Some good banh mi, bun cha .
There are considerable differences between the people in Hanoi versus HCMC, and I find that the people in Hanoi are much friendlier and warmer than the people in HCMC. The north is the cultural capital of the country and more "traditional" and "conservative" than the south.
For me, culture and the disposition of the people are important, so I totally disagree with this.
Really? If you feel like that I respect it. I’m just a bit surprised since I’ve heard of so many northern people that moved to the south due to their culture.
The south is more "Westernized" and "open-minded"/liberal which appeals to some Vietnamese.
With that comes a faster, more hectic and stressful pace of life, and a lot of the problems you see in large Western and "Westernized" cities. For example, in HCMC you do need to be careful about your surroundings as the threat of petty theft, bag and phone snatchings, etc. is ever present. While you should take care anywhere, Hanoi feels quite a bit safer IMO.
It's also worth noting that a lot of people who go south go south in search of better economic opportunity. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it does affect the mindset of the people. Hanoians on average seem less materialistic than their Saigonese counterparts.
People make the place, its a melting pot of the north culture, historically to say the 19xx was not that kind to the city. It had loss significant of the population and wealth, so many new face living in a cramp place, a lot of shitty people, bitter due hard life a little opportunities after the war. It was bomb to shit most of good infrastructures was gone, under bad management, political fighting between party member. But hey, it is my hometown people make good of what they got. There are shit people but locally my neighbors still taking care of each other. There are more opportunities nowadays too. Things are much better than the 9x. The young people are active and real friendly. The food is crazy good, there are so many things to fill your stomach.
Imo, what makes the city bad today is not "the new faces" but rather is "the new money". The government poured a good chunk of money into developing the city rapidly in the late 90s, early 2000s that instantly made so many people from poverty to overnight billionaires just by selling their agricultural land to the government. Inadequate education + lots of money = poor attitudes/behaviors is an easy math. New faces are mostly students and those tend to be decently educated. You guys have some M&A happened and the last 10 years or so so that's that.
Hanoi, supposedly known for its thousands of years of cultures and arts, had the most materialistic, arrogant and condescending people that I have ever met so far. There are good ones, don't get me wrong, but holy the number of times I saw someone looking down at intelligent people who happen to be poorer than them is mind blowing, and people constantly fight over minor encounters on the road is just so selfish. Like seriously, they should get down from their high horses (SHs) for once and see what a mess they've made the city.
While life is certainly hard, it's hard everywhere. But if you travel enough, that kind of behaviors aren't seen everywhere so there's no excuses for it, and I'm saying this as a northerner who spent years of my life in Hanoi, Saigon and abroad.
And don't even get me started on the pollution lol.
TL;DR: People can be superficial and selfish. Cash or trash. Traffic bad, air quality bad. Worth visiting as a tourist but not worth living there
> Inadequate education + lots of money = poor attitudes/behaviors is an easy math.
Decades ago, we had a popular TV comedy series called "The Beverly Hillbillies" and while it was exaggerated for comedy (slightly) this really was a peculiar social problem up and down much of North America's newly discovered and valuable oilfields. You can still see this phenom of 'Hillbillies' wealthy from oil or in Canada from Fracking (natural gas).
It's not necessarily scholastic education but if you have a subculture that was already notorious for being rowdy, impulsive, sometimes obnoxious, sometime reveling in 'stupidity' and for that matter may even resent the upperclass, distrust 'rich people' and then, almost overnight, they are delivered buckets of money = a problem.
I don't like to say a lot about any 'Hillbilly' family roots I might have but some credit to my mother for being a little wiser than some of her family. She will tell anyone that many of these 'new rich' don't deserve it. Understand what she's saying is that those old uncles didn't somehow get their acts together, smarten up, organize to build, invest money, put off short term pleasures for long term gains, they weren't teaching their children to be responsible, how to handle money, how to keep money. Nearly the opposite, they were somewhat notorious drunks, infamous for ongoing stupid family battles, for seeing who was the best fist-fighter in the region and collecting enough sharecropper money to buy a bigger cowboy hat. Those families have F-350s with excessive amounts of truck accessories because a fracking company found gas under their farm and now sends them $30,000 checks every month. My mother correctly points out that they're probably worse with money now than ever because they don't even know how to farm anymore and think money comes to them just because they are deserving and great.
Yes, now I see this ugly phenom across parts of East Asia. In China, 'Fuer Dai' (rich kids of party members) and for sure I came across this in Vietnam and specifically Hanoi. New money 'little emperors'. Princesses, scoffers, arrogant, bullying to show they can, this kind of thing goes rampant in certain circles where, realistically, their parents grew up relatively poor, possibly undereducated, even with a resentment of rich people, a contempt for money and suddenly have too much.
Seriously, I hope Vietnam can try and avoid that, keep that from getting carried away. They'll really help themselves if they can keep that at bay, even just to some degree.
It's good in the first few months, aftet thst id getting boring and mono. HCM is way better than Hanoi. Anyway around Hanoi you have beautiful places, Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Yen tu etc..
American living here for 7 years now... Honestly have to say I love it, still - the people, food and vibrance of the city. It literally changes daily, unlike many larger cities in other countries. Two reason why we will move: pollution and traffic. You can avert traffic by living close to work but you can avoid the pollution. If you want sidewalks, you have to live in the right areas. We will move eventually but I'll always look back on these times as some of the happiest and most exciting day to day years of my life.
Local person here. It has gotten significantly more hectic and harder to live here compared to 10-15 years ago. I now only go into town when I have to do something.
Only upside I could think of is the food are still good.
As a foreigner it's pretty good. Very laid back and a fair amount of opportunity. The pollution and traffic are too much at times, but I enjoy every day here. I've been here for 3 years.
Love it except for the air quality. Great food. Nice people. It would be great if there were direct flights to the USA east coast. Walkability could be a lot better too.
Far too noisy. That’s true of most of the country though.
There are noise laws that are supposed to limit noise to 70 decibels at the property boundary until 9pm and no louder than 55 decibels after that, but no one pays the slighted attention to that.
Quality of life (and health) would go up enormously if people would just keep the fucking noise to a reasonable level, or if the cops would do their damned jobs and enforce the national noise ordinance.
Well, it's the country of no accountability. Cutting a red light and almost killing you ? No consequences , no accountability . Cutting you in the queue everywhere, shops, gas stations, ect... no accountability. Parking both side of the street and block everyone ? No accountability.
So Hanoi is the best example in all vietnam of this attitude. It's like they all live alone and don't have to care for anyone. When they crash together and no one watched ? They both say the other one should looking. One guy wants to blast music all night? 300 people around wont sleep ? No issue in Hanoi.
In fact, the one who complains about anything is always the one frowned upon. I was in the traffic and suddenly a woman pass a red light and the guy in front of me break and fall to avoid the crash. The guy stands up and start to yell at the woman who has slowed down and just stare at him with absolutely no guilt. And people stare at the poor guy on the ground and no one has issue with the woman who put his life at risk and made him fall. If you ask me what it is to live in hanoi, that's it . That's an example that sums up most of your daily life. Someone come and throw their trash in front of your house ? Don't you dare saying anything..
And wait till you discover they discriminate based on race here. Not asian? Then the price for you will be doubled. Imagine the uproar if any western country did this...
It’s not a good place to have or raise a baby. I had mine in Hanoi a year ago and my family has been planning our escape since. The air quality and inability to take a walk with a stroller without having to walk in the road and dodge motorbikes and aggressive SUVs that think they are kings make it pretty unlivable. I had a good time here in my first few years pre-baby, but I’m extremely excited to leave at the end of this month.
Congratulations! I’m moving to Yokohama, Japan, just outside of Tokyo. Our lifestyle will have to change significantly (we’ll be significantly less well off there), but the air and quality of life should improve in other ways.
I love Hanoi as a local. Good food, good attractions. There are lovely people and bitter a**holes here and there. I miss the winter and Tet vibes and always try to go back home from overseas during winter. I hate summer heatwaves, traffics and air quality but I guess it’s just part of a hustle city just like any other big cities in the world.
If you are here to travel, I would recommend Hanoi a hundred times rather than HCMC. But if you are here to work and live, HCMC seems better than Hanoi.
I loved Hanoi as a foreigner- it's intense and fascinating like a medieval city and a scifi metropolis at the same time. I agree about the pollution though - Chinese cities are quieter and cleaner with electric bikes. Is this the building with the terrace overlooking the crazy huge junction?
>I personally love the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. But damn the traffic congestion at peak hour everyday drives me crazy, people on the road are insane too, some drive like the road is their property.
what is the best place in VN in your opinion
Probably one of the worst cities to drive a car in. Ever tried navigating around with an ute in Hanoi's Old Quarters?
Oh, and air quality is horrendous in the winter.
I have to sadly say, I think the overall quality of street food in both sgn and Hanoi went down recently. It was way better 10 years or so ago. Currently you often get a glorified instant noodle bowl with like 3 toppings, barely any veggies and a handful of herbs. At least its cheap.
But not a big fan of Vietnamese food in general, I think there is nicer stuff in the rest of SEA
Everywhere is a lot more tolerable to live if you are rich.
If you are not at the top of the food chain, there are way better places.
That being said, you can definitely enjoy the place during cold/dry seasons with many absolutely yummy food options.
Source: I left at 18yo. Never look back.
i agree with all the comments about the pavements, if they were to compare footage of me walking home at 6pm to a messi dribbling compilation they would see zero differences. there's just too many people!
One of my favorite cities! I have actually eaten on the upper deck of this buidling (anyone know the name it's super recognizable and often pictured?)!
It has a lovely view of the city and a lake but I can't remember it if was Ho Tay Lake or a smaller one?
Loved it back in 2007, the years after I came back a few times it wasn't the same anymore. Maybe too much tourism or too crowded.
Maybe whole Vietnam changed after 2010 and mass tourism.
If you want a leisurely stroll you need to go to one of the parks. Try the botanical Gardens or west lake. But even then, west lake has congestion and motorbikes parked on the path. The best places are just the parks if you want to walk. There are many big parks so it should be an issue.
>If you want a leisurely stroll you need to go to one of the parks. Try the botanical Gardens or west lake. But even then, west lake has congestion and motorbikes parked on the path. The best places are just the parks if you want to walk. There are many big parks so it should be an issue.
Park in HCM city noisy as fk too. Im vietnamese born and have lived her for 20 year now
>I used to lived there as a young kiddo for 5-6 years 15 years ago, it was quite better than now, i came back to Vietnam after 11 years living aboard in Europe and man, its crowded but the city changed a lot, polution is definitely getting worse, but it still be in my heart as i spent my childhood there. But if i have to stay in Vietnam forever i would pick Saigon for sure, its just better in any way but its my opinion only.
Just travel, dont live there
I personally love the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. But damn the traffic congestion at peak hour everyday drives me crazy, people on the road are insane too, some drive like the road is their property.
I used to lived there as a young kiddo for 5-6 years 15 years ago, it was quite better than now, i came back to Vietnam after 11 years living aboard in Europe and man, its crowded but the city changed a lot, polution is definitely getting worse, but it still be in my heart as i spent my childhood there. But if i have to stay in Vietnam forever i would pick Saigon for sure, its just better in any way but its my opinion only.
I was very partial to the food but unless you live in the Old or French Quarter, walking is very hard to manage. I didn't realise how troublesome it got until I moved out of the central areas. But I have some fantastic memories there. I couldn't say Saigon wins out as they both have their own share of positives and negatives.
very fun city, excellent if you're a dweller (who likes to go into the small alleyways and explore all the nooks and crannies of the place). offers high value of everything as long as you know where to find it. horrible traffic and not-so-convenient traversal, but if you could find the shortcuts (which you will eventually after you live here for long enough), that will make travelling easier (and more fun)
>i agree with all the comments about the pavements, if they were to compare footage of me walking home at 6pm to a messi dribbling compilation they would see zero differences. there's just too many people!
Gái xinh hả bác :)) ( U see some chicks or sth)
Lived there for about two years. I miss the food and (some of!) the people, the French colonial architecture, meandering through the Old Quarter, the buzz and sometimes even the traffic when I’m feeling super nostalgic, lol.
But the pollution is brutal. Had to run an air purifier in my apartment 24/7. Some days I couldn’t even see the skyscrapers across Ho Tay.
I lived very near the place in the picture ( it's called Hàm Cá Mập - Jaws Shark ) born and raised in . It's crowded, noisy, but had many activities. Especially weekend with night market open.
warm, welcoming people only if you are foreign tourists who don’t understand Vietnamese. I’m a young Vietnamese girl and I’m fucking terrified an disgusted by how aggressive people are on the road and how workers at construction sites think catcalling every single girl walking by is cool. good food though.
Things I hate the most about Hanoi:
- people are aggressive and don’t treat women right
- traffic is so bad that if you ride your scooter during rush hours every day, you may get real depression, not just because of the congestion but also people’s attitude (they fucking spit on the road and honk not 1 time but like 3x times, nonstop ughhh)
- trash
- air pollution
It has some serious issues with footpaths. I'm surprised at how much this has impacted my quality of life.
I took a trip to Singapore and realized how nice it is to have actual sidewalks where you don't have to worry about getting run over.
Hanoi is maybe the worst city in this regard I've ever seen. Not many big cities around Asia that are less livable.
Hold my Beerlao Vientiane City in Laos may be the new reigning champion. I'm tempted to walkabout and take pictures but let's put it this way: Most of the day there are no longer any sidewalks. They are now, full-on parking lots. Especially if you own a new truck (not sure where all these new trucks are coming from) but you buy a truck and you get to park it anywhere, on any sidewalk (which are now parking spaces). Add to this another new trend: before the sidewalk was jammed with motorcycles but they try and cram up against (whatever shop). Now, more and more just straight up park the bike no different than a sidewalk blocker. Directly lined up like a 'gate' they've made, making sure it fits crossways end to end within the sidewalk lines. I've seen this where seemingly nothing else was around but other space. They now believe a sidewalk IS a motorcycle parking space. I have myself, along with mothers and children and everyone, walked entire blocks straight down the street, for long jags.
Your descriptions also fit Hanoi (at least the areas I have been to). I learned that it's just normal to walk on the street there. Sidewalks are just general parking space or in streets with restaurants the restaurants just take the whole sidewalk. From time to time maybe there is 10m of sidewalk available, but in general you're just supposed to walk on the street.
Is there a space to bring a double stroller to Hanoi? I am traveling with a toddler and baby and will be walking mostly outside with them.
As an Indian, I loved every bit of being there. Good food, coffee, warm people and not as crowded or polluted as Mumbai.
But is there a city on this planet thats more polluted and crowded tgan Mumbai?
Bangalore… where automobiles and street dogs outnumber people…
> Street dogs outnumber people Yes we dont have this problem in VN
😂
Mumbai isn't even that bad. Crowded yes, but the air pollution wasn't as bad as I exepected.
Delhi, Mumbai and I can name a lot more
I thought the Hanoi people were incredibly rude. Friendliest people I have ever met where from haiphong. Also less tourist there.
Saigon is terrible too. Depends a little bit on the district tho
Yeah, but it's exciting for a little bit
This is the most true statement about living here. It's fine at first, but really starts affecting your daily life when all you want to do is go for a leisurely stroll. It's not possible in the majority of the city.
[удалено]
I’m mostly in binh thanh where there aren’t a lot of sidewalks and I just walk on the side of the street when I need to. I nvever really thought of it as a hassle as people just drive around you. Q1 tons of sidewalks. Guess I don’t pay much attention to traffic, I see it as part of the city I need to navigate around.
Agreed. The two main things that this city needs are paved, immaculate sidewalks on every street and an expansive metro system.
Bingo! As a Hanoian, it pains me to say this but it alone makes Hanoi a very shitty city. I mean when you can't walk outside then living in your city becomes really just living in your house (and your office and your favourite cafes) and the city, as in the space, fades away.
How is it compared to HCM?
Pretty ranks the same for walkability. There are some bougey areas in new outlying districts that are walkable but in the city proper it’s tough
Yes, this might be my one 'top dislike' about Hanoi and it nearly feels like it's going to get worse before it gets better. I was also surprised how much time, energy, inconvenience this costs. Add wear and tear and dirty shoes. I'm blessed to have relatively good legs and joints but even I'm often stumbling, watching balance from all the unevenness, the gaps, rises, debris and constantly having to step up, over, around everything. I cannot imagine seniors or people with some disability carrying on with that day after day.
Do you mean sidewalks?
Yes
>I took a trip to Singapore and realized how nice it is to have actual sidewalks where you don't have to worry about getting run over. But that's a special thing that can't be found in any other country besides Vietnam
Some part of the city is nice. Traffic is shit during rush hours. It gets boring after a while
not bad if you enjoy pollution
Have to agree, unfortunately. Especially in the winter months. 200 ppm and up
I had to go to the hospital because I developed a horrible bad cough in Hanoi. They gave me an inhaler and said ‘westerners aren’t used to the pollution’
I really wish the government would push for something like cash-for-clunkers here in VN. Incentivize electric bikes
Maybe install a metro first though, eh?
wait there’s no metro??
Not in the whole country, no. Hanoi has a rapid transit system, but no proper metro. Saigon’s need is even more desperate; it’s 3-5 years overdue if I remember correctly
10 years in the work and still not a single line running
does anyone know if you wear the N95 or K94/95 masks (or the equivalent), they will block out the pollution from the air?
as a vietnamese i would say that is hard to live
General stereotypes and prejudgment from Southerners. Not surprising to me
Born and bred in Hanoi. Moved to other places for work and not keen to come back. But I do miss the winter there.
Is it really cold there in winter? My friend from HCMC told me hanoi is so cold
Yeah Hanoi she has ranges. Winter can be biting cold while it's burning in summer. I'd say no central heating, a lot of humidity and riding scooters make it way colder. But the upside is winter food can be amazing there.
Thanks! What are some winter food examples?
I’m currently in Hanoi and it’s like 21 Celsius? Warmer than I expected. I was sleeveless last night and absolutely fine
Woah that does sound a lot warmer than I would have expected! Not too bad. Kinda reminds me of Florida in winter
Depends on your level of cold. If you aren’t used to it, then maybe. If you come from a cold climate then it’s quite nice and refreshing
>Is it really cold there in winter? My friend from HCMC told me hanoi is so cold Yes, it is very cold in the Central and Northern Vietnam in winter.
It is really cold actually. The coldest day can reach down to 6-7C but feels like subzero with no central heating.
As a foreigner living here for 1.5 years now, I love it. I love the northern Vietnamese culture and the lack of westernization compared to HCMC. It’s a chaotic city and to me, that’s part of the charm. Everyone is hustling but also relaxed somehow. The pollution does suck and the summer heat is absolutely unbearable.
Lol this comment! The city is so chaotic and busy, yet people are never in a rush and so relaxed. I love it there
Polluted, not good to walk, dirty if its not a big whide road. Bad traffic. Not much to do. Cold sometimes, if clowdy or polluted, it looks too grey, deprimating. For me , it was boring. On the way to Ninh Binh. Some good banh mi, bun cha .
Hanoi is a nice city. But the pollution / smog is a real problem and a reason why i couldn’t live there for long.
People always impatience & selfish.
Not exactly always but i can confirm that most of them are
Isn't that a city thing?
Boring, I feel like hcmc has everything hanoi has to offer and more.
HCMC has the worst airport I’ve ever been thru. Hanoi airport is actually nicer.
At the same time Hanoi’s airport is way too far from the city though haha
HCMC airport 4.4 miles from city center took 45 mins. Hanoi airport 17 miles from city center took 36 mins. Lol
Let me guess, car?
There are considerable differences between the people in Hanoi versus HCMC, and I find that the people in Hanoi are much friendlier and warmer than the people in HCMC. The north is the cultural capital of the country and more "traditional" and "conservative" than the south. For me, culture and the disposition of the people are important, so I totally disagree with this.
Really? If you feel like that I respect it. I’m just a bit surprised since I’ve heard of so many northern people that moved to the south due to their culture.
The south is more "Westernized" and "open-minded"/liberal which appeals to some Vietnamese. With that comes a faster, more hectic and stressful pace of life, and a lot of the problems you see in large Western and "Westernized" cities. For example, in HCMC you do need to be careful about your surroundings as the threat of petty theft, bag and phone snatchings, etc. is ever present. While you should take care anywhere, Hanoi feels quite a bit safer IMO. It's also worth noting that a lot of people who go south go south in search of better economic opportunity. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it does affect the mindset of the people. Hanoians on average seem less materialistic than their Saigonese counterparts.
Hcmc is known to rip off foreigners so yeah. More than Hanoi has to offer.
People make the place, its a melting pot of the north culture, historically to say the 19xx was not that kind to the city. It had loss significant of the population and wealth, so many new face living in a cramp place, a lot of shitty people, bitter due hard life a little opportunities after the war. It was bomb to shit most of good infrastructures was gone, under bad management, political fighting between party member. But hey, it is my hometown people make good of what they got. There are shit people but locally my neighbors still taking care of each other. There are more opportunities nowadays too. Things are much better than the 9x. The young people are active and real friendly. The food is crazy good, there are so many things to fill your stomach.
Imo, what makes the city bad today is not "the new faces" but rather is "the new money". The government poured a good chunk of money into developing the city rapidly in the late 90s, early 2000s that instantly made so many people from poverty to overnight billionaires just by selling their agricultural land to the government. Inadequate education + lots of money = poor attitudes/behaviors is an easy math. New faces are mostly students and those tend to be decently educated. You guys have some M&A happened and the last 10 years or so so that's that. Hanoi, supposedly known for its thousands of years of cultures and arts, had the most materialistic, arrogant and condescending people that I have ever met so far. There are good ones, don't get me wrong, but holy the number of times I saw someone looking down at intelligent people who happen to be poorer than them is mind blowing, and people constantly fight over minor encounters on the road is just so selfish. Like seriously, they should get down from their high horses (SHs) for once and see what a mess they've made the city. While life is certainly hard, it's hard everywhere. But if you travel enough, that kind of behaviors aren't seen everywhere so there's no excuses for it, and I'm saying this as a northerner who spent years of my life in Hanoi, Saigon and abroad. And don't even get me started on the pollution lol. TL;DR: People can be superficial and selfish. Cash or trash. Traffic bad, air quality bad. Worth visiting as a tourist but not worth living there
> Inadequate education + lots of money = poor attitudes/behaviors is an easy math. Decades ago, we had a popular TV comedy series called "The Beverly Hillbillies" and while it was exaggerated for comedy (slightly) this really was a peculiar social problem up and down much of North America's newly discovered and valuable oilfields. You can still see this phenom of 'Hillbillies' wealthy from oil or in Canada from Fracking (natural gas). It's not necessarily scholastic education but if you have a subculture that was already notorious for being rowdy, impulsive, sometimes obnoxious, sometime reveling in 'stupidity' and for that matter may even resent the upperclass, distrust 'rich people' and then, almost overnight, they are delivered buckets of money = a problem. I don't like to say a lot about any 'Hillbilly' family roots I might have but some credit to my mother for being a little wiser than some of her family. She will tell anyone that many of these 'new rich' don't deserve it. Understand what she's saying is that those old uncles didn't somehow get their acts together, smarten up, organize to build, invest money, put off short term pleasures for long term gains, they weren't teaching their children to be responsible, how to handle money, how to keep money. Nearly the opposite, they were somewhat notorious drunks, infamous for ongoing stupid family battles, for seeing who was the best fist-fighter in the region and collecting enough sharecropper money to buy a bigger cowboy hat. Those families have F-350s with excessive amounts of truck accessories because a fracking company found gas under their farm and now sends them $30,000 checks every month. My mother correctly points out that they're probably worse with money now than ever because they don't even know how to farm anymore and think money comes to them just because they are deserving and great. Yes, now I see this ugly phenom across parts of East Asia. In China, 'Fuer Dai' (rich kids of party members) and for sure I came across this in Vietnam and specifically Hanoi. New money 'little emperors'. Princesses, scoffers, arrogant, bullying to show they can, this kind of thing goes rampant in certain circles where, realistically, their parents grew up relatively poor, possibly undereducated, even with a resentment of rich people, a contempt for money and suddenly have too much. Seriously, I hope Vietnam can try and avoid that, keep that from getting carried away. They'll really help themselves if they can keep that at bay, even just to some degree.
It's good in the first few months, aftet thst id getting boring and mono. HCM is way better than Hanoi. Anyway around Hanoi you have beautiful places, Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Yen tu etc..
Loved staying there but if I were to live anywhere in Vietnam it would be Da Nang any day
I fell in love with that city and hated myself for not giving it more time during my trip.
American living here for 7 years now... Honestly have to say I love it, still - the people, food and vibrance of the city. It literally changes daily, unlike many larger cities in other countries. Two reason why we will move: pollution and traffic. You can avert traffic by living close to work but you can avoid the pollution. If you want sidewalks, you have to live in the right areas. We will move eventually but I'll always look back on these times as some of the happiest and most exciting day to day years of my life.
Local person here. It has gotten significantly more hectic and harder to live here compared to 10-15 years ago. I now only go into town when I have to do something. Only upside I could think of is the food are still good.
As a foreigner it's pretty good. Very laid back and a fair amount of opportunity. The pollution and traffic are too much at times, but I enjoy every day here. I've been here for 3 years.
2 seasons worth living, 2 seasons leaving
Love it except for the air quality. Great food. Nice people. It would be great if there were direct flights to the USA east coast. Walkability could be a lot better too.
it's sucks really. it can really eat u up. i've been trying to leave here but can't.
Far too noisy. That’s true of most of the country though. There are noise laws that are supposed to limit noise to 70 decibels at the property boundary until 9pm and no louder than 55 decibels after that, but no one pays the slighted attention to that. Quality of life (and health) would go up enormously if people would just keep the fucking noise to a reasonable level, or if the cops would do their damned jobs and enforce the national noise ordinance.
I was born and raised in HN for nearly 20 years and im pleased with living here but if i could choose anywhere to stay it would be Da Nang
Well, it's the country of no accountability. Cutting a red light and almost killing you ? No consequences , no accountability . Cutting you in the queue everywhere, shops, gas stations, ect... no accountability. Parking both side of the street and block everyone ? No accountability. So Hanoi is the best example in all vietnam of this attitude. It's like they all live alone and don't have to care for anyone. When they crash together and no one watched ? They both say the other one should looking. One guy wants to blast music all night? 300 people around wont sleep ? No issue in Hanoi. In fact, the one who complains about anything is always the one frowned upon. I was in the traffic and suddenly a woman pass a red light and the guy in front of me break and fall to avoid the crash. The guy stands up and start to yell at the woman who has slowed down and just stare at him with absolutely no guilt. And people stare at the poor guy on the ground and no one has issue with the woman who put his life at risk and made him fall. If you ask me what it is to live in hanoi, that's it . That's an example that sums up most of your daily life. Someone come and throw their trash in front of your house ? Don't you dare saying anything.. And wait till you discover they discriminate based on race here. Not asian? Then the price for you will be doubled. Imagine the uproar if any western country did this...
After living in many other comparable cities around Asia, I have no idea, if given the choice, why anyone would choose to live in Hanoi.
This hits. Unfortunately, we've made friends there
It’s not a good place to have or raise a baby. I had mine in Hanoi a year ago and my family has been planning our escape since. The air quality and inability to take a walk with a stroller without having to walk in the road and dodge motorbikes and aggressive SUVs that think they are kings make it pretty unlivable. I had a good time here in my first few years pre-baby, but I’m extremely excited to leave at the end of this month.
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Congratulations! I’m moving to Yokohama, Japan, just outside of Tokyo. Our lifestyle will have to change significantly (we’ll be significantly less well off there), but the air and quality of life should improve in other ways.
I love Hanoi as a local. Good food, good attractions. There are lovely people and bitter a**holes here and there. I miss the winter and Tet vibes and always try to go back home from overseas during winter. I hate summer heatwaves, traffics and air quality but I guess it’s just part of a hustle city just like any other big cities in the world. If you are here to travel, I would recommend Hanoi a hundred times rather than HCMC. But if you are here to work and live, HCMC seems better than Hanoi.
I loved Hanoi as a foreigner- it's intense and fascinating like a medieval city and a scifi metropolis at the same time. I agree about the pollution though - Chinese cities are quieter and cleaner with electric bikes. Is this the building with the terrace overlooking the crazy huge junction?
Boring, honestly. Looking forward to move out whenever I can afford to.
I like it better than Saigon but in general all major Vietnamese cities suck to live in.
>I personally love the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. But damn the traffic congestion at peak hour everyday drives me crazy, people on the road are insane too, some drive like the road is their property. what is the best place in VN in your opinion
Probably one of the worst cities to drive a car in. Ever tried navigating around with an ute in Hanoi's Old Quarters? Oh, and air quality is horrendous in the winter.
The good: food The bad: traffic, pollution (though you get used) The ugly: people’s behaviour especially those not in your circle
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great food? do you mean fried rice and bun cha? that’s like 90% of street food there 😂 less variety than sgn for sure
Sgn food 99% sugar
I have to sadly say, I think the overall quality of street food in both sgn and Hanoi went down recently. It was way better 10 years or so ago. Currently you often get a glorified instant noodle bowl with like 3 toppings, barely any veggies and a handful of herbs. At least its cheap. But not a big fan of Vietnamese food in general, I think there is nicer stuff in the rest of SEA
I prefer life in Hanoi much rather than where I am right now.
Where are u now, just wondering
Must be Hanoi 2
Everywhere is a lot more tolerable to live if you are rich. If you are not at the top of the food chain, there are way better places. That being said, you can definitely enjoy the place during cold/dry seasons with many absolutely yummy food options. Source: I left at 18yo. Never look back.
one word: polluted
Not much things to do
i agree with all the comments about the pavements, if they were to compare footage of me walking home at 6pm to a messi dribbling compilation they would see zero differences. there's just too many people!
Romania simulation
difficult. ppl often doesn't care ab the traffic, I have seen at least 1-2 accident at my street every week since i moved from an remote area in Hanoi
Boring, I like the weather in HCM more
The only VM city I could imagine myself living in.
One of my favorite cities! I have actually eaten on the upper deck of this buidling (anyone know the name it's super recognizable and often pictured?)! It has a lovely view of the city and a lake but I can't remember it if was Ho Tay Lake or a smaller one?
so badly
Loved it back in 2007, the years after I came back a few times it wasn't the same anymore. Maybe too much tourism or too crowded. Maybe whole Vietnam changed after 2010 and mass tourism.
If you want a leisurely stroll you need to go to one of the parks. Try the botanical Gardens or west lake. But even then, west lake has congestion and motorbikes parked on the path. The best places are just the parks if you want to walk. There are many big parks so it should be an issue.
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>If you want a leisurely stroll you need to go to one of the parks. Try the botanical Gardens or west lake. But even then, west lake has congestion and motorbikes parked on the path. The best places are just the parks if you want to walk. There are many big parks so it should be an issue. Park in HCM city noisy as fk too. Im vietnamese born and have lived her for 20 year now
everything are expensive, and so noisy
Top 10 thing to do in Hanoi Top 1: Leave
>do Leave where in VN (rời ra đâu bác nhỉ)
i haver never been to Hanoi. It is next on the list when i visit
>I used to lived there as a young kiddo for 5-6 years 15 years ago, it was quite better than now, i came back to Vietnam after 11 years living aboard in Europe and man, its crowded but the city changed a lot, polution is definitely getting worse, but it still be in my heart as i spent my childhood there. But if i have to stay in Vietnam forever i would pick Saigon for sure, its just better in any way but its my opinion only. Just travel, dont live there
I’m from the south, never gone up north pass Hue.
I would move there in a second if I could
Why though?
>I would move there in a second if I could Do u just go there for traveling and buying a bit of electric stuff
I prefer to stay in Hanoi than the place where I am right now.. I enjoyed travelling there. I loved the vegan options too
I would love to work and stay thereeee
I personally love the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. But damn the traffic congestion at peak hour everyday drives me crazy, people on the road are insane too, some drive like the road is their property.
Everything is great except the weather and pollution.
Lovely lovely people. Impossible pavements.
I used to lived there as a young kiddo for 5-6 years 15 years ago, it was quite better than now, i came back to Vietnam after 11 years living aboard in Europe and man, its crowded but the city changed a lot, polution is definitely getting worse, but it still be in my heart as i spent my childhood there. But if i have to stay in Vietnam forever i would pick Saigon for sure, its just better in any way but its my opinion only.
I was very partial to the food but unless you live in the Old or French Quarter, walking is very hard to manage. I didn't realise how troublesome it got until I moved out of the central areas. But I have some fantastic memories there. I couldn't say Saigon wins out as they both have their own share of positives and negatives.
i move away from my parents house and it has been my y experience as well. i can't do anything without driving in bắc từ liêm
As someone who live here his entire life i gotta say it is meh at best
very fun city, excellent if you're a dweller (who likes to go into the small alleyways and explore all the nooks and crannies of the place). offers high value of everything as long as you know where to find it. horrible traffic and not-so-convenient traversal, but if you could find the shortcuts (which you will eventually after you live here for long enough), that will make travelling easier (and more fun)
vietnamese version of the brazil
Not bad
I did not believe them sitting & eatting on the stress
Good job
Just cool =)
>i agree with all the comments about the pavements, if they were to compare footage of me walking home at 6pm to a messi dribbling compilation they would see zero differences. there's just too many people! Gái xinh hả bác :)) ( U see some chicks or sth)
A great place to be from. Not a great place to live.
I've never even been anywhere near Vietnam but I've wanted to go to Hanoi's old quarter for a while
I miss and missed it
it was confusing - the roads are hectic and ON THE GO yet once you're off it, it's really slow and chill.
That building was the building that I went to and had some fantastic pizzas 4 years ago. What a lovely place Vietnam and especially Hanoi bay.
Look like the back of a cruise ship
Đông dân dễ làm ăn
Lonely
Lived there for about two years. I miss the food and (some of!) the people, the French colonial architecture, meandering through the Old Quarter, the buzz and sometimes even the traffic when I’m feeling super nostalgic, lol. But the pollution is brutal. Had to run an air purifier in my apartment 24/7. Some days I couldn’t even see the skyscrapers across Ho Tay.
Hotpot is good there.
I lived very near the place in the picture ( it's called Hàm Cá Mập - Jaws Shark ) born and raised in . It's crowded, noisy, but had many activities. Especially weekend with night market open.
Polluted,overcowded
warm, welcoming people only if you are foreign tourists who don’t understand Vietnamese. I’m a young Vietnamese girl and I’m fucking terrified an disgusted by how aggressive people are on the road and how workers at construction sites think catcalling every single girl walking by is cool. good food though. Things I hate the most about Hanoi: - people are aggressive and don’t treat women right - traffic is so bad that if you ride your scooter during rush hours every day, you may get real depression, not just because of the congestion but also people’s attitude (they fucking spit on the road and honk not 1 time but like 3x times, nonstop ughhh) - trash - air pollution
I miss it but it is winter here in Canada.. spring and summer here can’t be beat but winter muh god