The Cafe Apartments

Every morning in Vietnam should start with a cup of coffee!

The 9-story apartment building at 42 Nguyen Hue Street in Ho chi Minh City is typical of 20th century Vietnamese urban architecture. It looks very much like the other apartment buildings which can be commonly found throughout the city, but what sets it apart from the rest is what's found inside.

The residents of this apartment building - originally government workers and other civil servants who would work in the nearby government buildings - began renting out their small but fantastically located apartments to local entrepreneurs who have converted them into boutique shops, co-working spaces, and cafes!

You have to walk through a small and cramped motorbike parking garage to access the cafe apartments. From there you have two options: you can either pay 3000 dong to the apartment security guard, or you can walk up the stairs. 

We decided to take the walk so that we could see all of our options at each landing. At every level, a series of colorful signs directed us to the unique tiny cafes which dotted each floor.

As we approached the 9th floor, we took a moment to take in the view. Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam's largest city and center of business. 

Finally we arrived at the top of the building, where we were enthusiastically welcomed by the owner of one of the cafes. His cafe had just opened the day before, and he was excited to have visitors!

It was a witchcraft-themed cafe, and every drink had a Harry Potter inspired name like "Felix Felices", "Unicorn Blood", or "Draught of Living Death".

We were guided to the balcony, which offered an amazing view across the city towards the Bitexco Tower, HCMC's biggest and most famous skyscraper.

After that, we decided to descend a few floors to another cafe (called "The Letter") for a second cup of coffee. This one was painted in yellow and was decorated for Christmas.

We enjoyed our second coffee of the morning just a few floors down with a beautiful view of downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

I really like the idea of the cafe apartments! Although they are not "officially permitted", they have become something of a landmark in downtown HCMC. 

This entrepreneurial spirit which turned an old Communist-era block apartment into a thriving collective of cafes runs throughout Vietnam. I'm constantly impressed by the creativity of the local shops and businesses here.