The Cafe apartments

Among the many interesting architectural sights on Ho Chi Minh City’s Nguyen Hue Walking Street, the cafe apartment at No.42 certainly stands out as one of the more unique. Let’s explore the cafes, workshops and boutique fashions of this famous Saigon landmark. Built in the mid 1960s, the apartment block at 42 Nguyen Hue has seen many changes. It once held American military officers and high ranking officials working for the South Vietnam government. After the Fall of Saigon, however, some of the apartments were given to shipyard workers. As the city developed and construction changed Nguyen Hue to what it is today – a center of tourism – the tenants began renting out their apartments. It was illegal, but people did it anyway, and that is why there are so many shops in this apartment building. Unfortunately, the law is pushing back. Notices of eviction for all the businesses make the news regularly. They’re still open, but nobody knows for how long. #travel #cafe