SoHo, Hong Kong

The SoHo (Chinese: ; also and 荷南美食區; formally 中環蘇豪區) district in Hong Kong is an entertainment zone located in Central and bordering Sheung Wan, within Central. The name is derived from its location: South of Hollywood Road.

The Central-Mid-Levels escalator was built in 1993; the now vibrant character of SoHo is attributed to the creation of the escalator system, which at the time was the longest escalator system in the world. Prior to the escalator construction, the area was populated by many elderly locals, old go-downs and porcelain shops.

The area now consists of restaurants, bars, nightclubs, art galleries and antique stores of Staunton Street and Elgin Street. SoHo also is home to the first full-time comedy club in Asia, The TakeOut Comedy Club Hong Kong. Hong Kong taxi drivers usually regard "SoHo" to mean either Staunton Street or Elgin Street.

Buildings in the SoHo area are a mix of commercial/residential, with the commercial businesses on the lower floors, and residential above the First Floors. Around the same time the Mid Levels Escalator was built, a few foreigners started to move into the area, taking up both commercial premises and renting flats. At the time the flats were cheaper than other expat areas in Hong Kong, and only a few minutes' walk from the business district.

The name SoHo was first mentioned in a 1996 article in the South China Morning Post newspaper attributed to Elgin Street restaurant owner, Thomas Goetz, who came up with the acronym. Goetz was also instrumental in forming SoHo's first business group, and The SoHo Association Limited (TSAL) was established in 1998 to represent its members in relation to difficulties they were experiencing with the local government departments in relation to licensing, and to collectively promote the area. The first Chairman was Jean-Paul Gauci, who had opened many businesses in the area.

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