20/09/2022

WHERE TO LIVE GREEN EVERYDAY?

In Hanoi, which is densely populated, a house with an enough area for daily living is already good. What more can we expect!

As the capital’s population is increasing day by day, the density of construction is dense, with high-rise buildings crammed together on a bank of land a millimeter could not expand that even. With reinforced concrete and skyscrapers, Hanoi quickly becomes cramped and stuffy. People also accepted a living environment lacking greenery, fresh air and entertainment space. Then, every weekend, people close their houses and travel to the suburbs or find a house lean the mountain, face the sea, or a home stay with an open space to nature to enjoy fresh air and children to play freely. At this time, when the capital is regarded an inch soil an inch of gold, owning a house with fresh natural space, abundant sunlight every early morning, and a space to stroll after every exhausting working hour of labor is impossible, or too difficult!

Then I had to change my perspective after visiting an urban area in the city’s northwest.  It was an outing on the weekend as usual. We decided to stay in the city instead of going away like every other week.

My first impression of this place was a prosperous green space, with plenty of shade from the layers of trees from high to low. I did not believe that there is still a place in the inner city of Hanoi with so many trees. Because, from the entrance to the internal roads, along the pedestrian lanes, and the parks, trees and flowers are planted meticulously and trimmed, creating miniatures and a thick vegetation. It made us feel like walking in a nature conservation area with cool temperatures, and a few degrees lower than the outside. Children were running comfortably, playing under the shade of trees, and the adults were strolling pleasurably along peaceful streets without smoke or crowded car horns. I still did not think I was staying in the inner suburb!

Overwhelming green space

Despite being overwhelmed by the picturesque green space, I was impressed by a low construction density. No need to mention the exact number, just looking at the distance of buildings and subdivisions, I felt very comfortable already. In contrast to other urban areas, these buildings are not close to each other. Each subdivision contains only two or three buildings, and is separated by one kilometer. This ensures that all apartments offer ample views, and natural light that we often refer to as “million-dollar views”. Due to the constrained construction location, these apartments are extremely uncommon in each building and are always covered by following adjacent projects.

Apartments with unlimited views

In addition, I keep dreaming of one day to come here to live because of the image of the villas shining down on the canal bank sparkling with sunshine and the flowers, and to touch the nature every day and breathe fresh air every morning.

Peaceful water-shadowing villas

Each step made us go from one surprise to another. Perhaps, the surprise is not over yet! Usually, in each urban area in the inner city, I often see that they only have a small outdoor playground with a few simple games, and the site has to be placed on the roof due to a lack of land to build on. Children are scrambling to play in those areas, which are crowded and noisy. Here, just a few hundred meters away, you can see a spacious playground surrounded by grass and flowers with modern equipment. The smiling faces of the children have seen their satisfaction with their life here with no fussy expression.

Children have numerous playgrounds and safe walking paths

Every playground is shady with trees and flowers.

Not only owning a spacious fresh communal space, but each resident’s house also possesses a space for the garden. Some families plant flowers, some other families grow trees, and some others make home garden grill or playground. I wonder if I were dreaming when everyday I used to the four walls of the office space and the stuffy apartment in the street. I only think that this is a suburb a few tens of kilometers from Hanoi to have a space like this, but I did not imagine that it exists right here, only 15 minutes away from the center of the Old Quarter.

A corner of flower garden in the garden villa area

I kept wistful about that day’s outing with mixed feelings. I have been looking for a miracle that I thought I could only see when I go far away. The scenery, space, architecture and utilities that I experienced are located in Ciputra Hanoi International City. The township is at the gateway of Hanoi, between the two major bridges, Nhat Tan and Thang Long. It is far from the center of Hoan Kiem Lake a 15-minute drive, but owns an impressive, charming space of a place far away as Hoa Binh or Da Lat.