Apartment Complexes in HCMC

Hello there, I am currently living in D2 as well. No mosquitoes have been found yet, but ants are annoying. FYI my apartment located in 11th floor

There are some choices such as ; novaland botanica, Xi, masteri tower 3,2, ascent hoa bình. Some times price  is đepeneded the spacious room, number of br..... I found that
average price will be $900+++

i bought two apartments with two different developers in district 2 beginning of 2018. One of the two, a Vietnamese developer, must be avoided for sure.
The thing is last time I mentioned the name of that residence, I was banned from this forum for a certain period...

Thao Dien Pearl has many foreign residents as I understand. Just be aware that District 2 floods a lot during the rainy season. District 2 has the most Western residents. District 7 is another big expat district but mostly Asian expats. Districts 1 and 3 are nice because they are in the city center, but harder to meet up with fellow expats and far from international schools. In general, each district has numerous options for apartments with different price ranges and qualities. It all depends on your work situation, family situation (kids), social life and budget. You could get in touch with a real estate agency in HCMC and they will propose options based on your needs.

Zac Herm wrote:

Thao Dien Pearl has many foreign residents as I understand. Just be aware that District 2 floods a lot during the rainy season. District 2 has the most Western residents. District 7 is another big expat district but mostly Asian expats. Districts 1 and 3 are nice because they are in the city center, but harder to meet up with fellow expats and far from international schools. In general, each district has numerous options for apartments with different price ranges and qualities. It all depends on your work situation, family situation (kids), social life and budget. You could get in touch with a real estate agency in HCMC and they will propose options based on your needs.

It's true. Though the apartments in District 2 looks modern and newly built, the municipal road construction is not good, really flood a lot even the rain is not that heavy.

Nevertheless, it is a good choice with lower price comparing to District 1. Most of the apartments are located near the highway, so there is rarely traffic jams in rush hours. Easy to find International schools, shopping malls (Vincome Mega and Estella) and Supermarkets (Big C, MM Mega).

I don't understand why so many expats like to live in Thao Dien if it floods so much.  I just moved here and looking for an apartment myself (staying at AirBnb currently).  The flooding scares me.  I hear it's a nice part of town.  It's also really far from D1.  I took a Grab to D1 from VinHome Central Park, and it took 15mins.  I'm looking at D1 and D3.  Any thoughts on D4?  I stayed there once, and the walk over to D1 was a breeze, literally 10min walk.  I wonder why it's hardly ever mentioned as a desirable place to live.

sflxn wrote:

I don't understand why so many expats like to live in Thao Dien if it floods so much.  I just moved here and looking for an apartment myself (staying at AirBnb currently).  The flooding scares me.  I hear it's a nice part of town.  It's also really far from D1.  I took a Grab to D1 from VinHome Central Park, and it took 15mins.  I'm looking at D1 and D3.  Any thoughts on D4?  I stayed there once, and the walk over to D1 was a breeze, literally 10min walk.  I wonder why it's hardly ever mentioned as a desirable place to live.

Vinhomes Central Park and The Manor are big complexes in Binh Thanh. And there are lots of small apartment buildings for expats along Truong Sa road across the water from the zoo. You can walk around the neighborhood and see signs for rent. Binh Thanh district is convenient for commuting into District 1.

District 4 used to be known as the "gangster" district but the city tried to crack down on those activities and get rid of its reputation. But in general it is one of the less desirable districts to live in.

Zac Herm wrote:

Vinhomes Central Park and The Manor are big complexes in Binh Thanh. And there are lots of small apartment buildings for expats along Truong Sa road across the water from the zoo. You can walk around the neighborhood and see signs for rent. Binh Thanh district is convenient for commuting into District 1.

District 4 used to be known as the "gangster" district but the city tried to crack down on those activities and get rid of its reputation. But in general it is one of the less desirable districts to live in.

Omg, so glad I asked about D4.  I guess I can scratch that off my list.  Binh Thanh could be a convenient if you commute to work.  For me, I'm on a long term tourist visa.  I want to walk out and go to cafes, restaurants, and coworking spaces.  My previous home was San Francisco so my idea of convenience is getting everywhere with my feet.  For my purposes, Binh Thanh seems very INconvenient.

Zac Herm wrote:

District used to be known as the gangster district but the city tried to crack down on those activities and get rid of its reputation. But in general it is one of the less desirable districts to live in.

Ha!    I used to tease my friend about the gangsters, but his condo building on the canal across from Bitexco was super posh and I would live there over D1 CBD any day (central business district).  [Yeah If I could afford it, probably twice as expensive for equivalent in Thao Dien or Phu My Hung.]

Wikipedia has a good overview of the gangsters, "History of Organized Crime in Saigon", looks like the famous gangs were removed by 2004.

Less desirable? Sounds harsh. It is a residential/industrial pass-through district for traffic from the south. Some expats might want a more-Vietnamese experience that is cheaper, less touristy, less western restaurants and shopping, but only one bridge away from D1 and D7. I predict there will be big developments that replace the ports on the river side in the future before Thu Thiem ever gets sorted out.

FYI I just found out from the local committee when renewing my TRC that I am one of only two foreigners out of ~ 20,000 living in my wife's ward in D8, and I think that is cool!  Also I would admit Q8 is less desirable for several reasons!

D4 is a place to buy for the future but not to live right now. I've stayed there for a while and it's a bit dead. Most foreigners just commute through to go shopping in D7. Nothing worth stopping for in D4.