16/05/2019
WHERE IN HANOI SHOULD WE LIVE?
Honestly, you can pretty much live anywhere you want to. Hanoi is kind of an interesting case study in zoning regulations. The story goes that, because no "slum" areas were ever zoned, none ever emerged. As a result, the whole city is pretty well taken-care-of (by Vietnamese standards at least). There are some areas that are more affluent than others, but none of them are dangerous. It's a very safe city. However, if you want to be in a neighborhood that has a decent sized population of foreigners who are also long-term residents, you basically have 3 options:
1. TAY HO DISTRICT
This is white person central. As such, there is a lot of infrastructure for foreigners—western dining, gyms, medical practices, stores, bars, etc. In general it is the most expensive option, but it is possible to make it more affordable if you do some bargain hunting. You'll find Tay Ho shown on the map below in green.
2. BA DINH DISTRICT
Ba Dinh is much more authentically Vietnamese than Tay Ho. This is where I lived, and I was glad of that fact. The neighborhoods are almost entirely Vietnamese with some “token” foreigners here and there. It can be very cheap and everything you need is right there. However, it might not feel as ‘nice’ by Western standards. You'll find Ba Dinh on the map below in blue.
3. D**G DA DISTRICT
This is the third Hanoian neighborhood that I would recommend for a foreigner. It’s directly adjacent to Ba Dinh, so the 2 neighborhoods sort of phase into one another. I’ve known westerners who have lived here as well. Many of the schools I taught at during my time in Hanoi were in this neighborhood, so I spent a lot of time here. It’s nice, and almost 100% Vietnamese, but it’s still a solid choice. But I’d look at Tay Ho & Ba Dinh first. You'll find D**g Da on the map below in the light shade of purple.
