An exploration of space: New Urban Development - Nguyen Phong Sac

The project-reminiscent apartment buildings

This expedition set out to explore a non-traditional space in Hanoi, and that is exactly what it was. The neighborhood Team Cucumber explored was filled with very large and tall apartment buildings apparently filled with people who were displaced, probably by the building of the giant mega-cities around the periphery of Hanoi. My group members from Hanoi said that poorer to middle-class families live in these high-rises, though they greatly reminded me of the projects in New York where the poorest inner-city families live. However, these buildings looked newer and were apparently built in 2007. I wonder when the apartment tumors will start appearing on these buildings after more and more families start occupying each apartment. There were a fair number of cars in the apartment parking lots but we suspected that they belonged to the construction firm on the bottom floor of the building and not of the actual residents.
The area we walked around in was very deserted. Instead of the constant flow of people and businesses spilling out onto the sidewalk, we were able to easily fit 3 people in a row and walk uninhibited down the sidewalk. The only businesses that were inside-out (or even really there at all) were cafes. There was a bookstore there, which I was pleasantly surprised about, which had a sort-of library in it where a few academics were studying and doing research on Southeast Asia (I think). We visited in the afternoon so there might be more activity on the streets when people start coming home from work and school. I noticed restaurants had their chairs stacked up and would probably be set up closer to dinner time.
Though this was definitely not a traditional space the larger roads surrounding our area felt more Hanoian with more businesses and more people on the street. We had to find most of the food at a Minimart that was within walking distance, but there was not an open market or any fruit/vegetable vendors around. We were unable to find any knife sharpeners or show shiners and though people said they were around we did not encounter any. Instead we found an "adult store" that just sold a few brands of over-priced condoms, which means that birth control (at least from that shop) is basically unavailable for many of the people in the area. There were also trees around but they were all encased in cement so if you wanted to sit under one you either had to be very uncomfortable or pay for a seat.

Our group wandering Nguyen Phong Sac

I would not want to live in this section of Hanoi. It felt like a distorted version of American neighborhoods I have been in, and I wouldn't even have wanted to live there. The neighborhood for the most part felt nothing like the Hanoi I have experienced thus far. While walking around my group was lethargic and we felt unwelcome, as opposed to other sections of the city where you feel energized or stimulated when walking around simply from the life exuding from the people and streets around you. This neighborhood felt empty, life-less, and like a spot that should have been temporary but had lasted past its time. I'm not sure if that makes sense, especially since they are fairly recent buildings, but it looked so out of place and I wonder how the residents of the giant block apartments feel about their neighborhood. Too bad we did not see anyone on the street who wanted to talk to us, and we couldn't enter the apartment buildings to speak to anyone inside. I fear this is the future of Hanoi, especially as the Doughnut Effect begins to take hold around Hanoi, similar to Ho Chi Minh City.

Our map in progress