Creatives and curios
新奇創意
Kwun Tong has silently established a small collection of factory outlet stores that for some reason are not widely publicised or featured in guide books. You'll find the outlets along an alley between the Camel Paint Buildings, with brands such as Initial, Nike and Adidas.
Boats from North Point run to the dilapidated Kwun Tong Ferry Pier, once a bustling travel hub that has since rather fallen out of grace. The pier is now left vacant, but its expansive waiting halls and slightly eerie atmosphere is sometimes utilised, such as for the Around Sound Art Festival a few years ago. Osage Gallery hosts exhibitions by both local and international artists and has been touted as one of the most exciting art destinations in town, while Geneyclee Gallery specialises in Chinese and contemporary art with a new exhibition every month.
Local designer Michael Leung runs HK Farm in collaboration with other artists and farmers to produce local urban foods from a Kwun Tong rooftop, highlighting the importance of urban agriculture. They are also the people behind HK Honey, harvesting honey from their own beehives. Visit them to pick up some genuine local produce or take part in their workshops. Kacama Design Lab specialises in products made from postconsumer waste materials, with an aim to instil eco-awareness in the public. Check out also the Easy-pack Creative Precinct, housed in the Easy-pack Industrial Building, where several designers have set up base. Fans of thrifting will love Simple Living, 7,000 square feet of shop space packed with vintage trinkets you never knew you wanted.
觀塘在不知不覺間成為工廠直銷店的集中地，卻鮮有被傳媒報道或記錄在旅遊指南內。你可以在駱駝漆大廈之間的小巷內找到不同品牌的直銷店，包括Initial、nike及adidas。昔日觀塘是個繁華的旅遊中心，從北角駛來的渡輪停靠在碼頭，但現在已風光不再，殘破的碼頭已被掉空，偌大的等候區雖然氣氛怪異，卻另有新的用途，例如數年前舉行了「聽在」聲音藝術節。Osage Gallery為本地及國際藝術家舉行展覽會，被譽為城中最令人雀躍的藝術點，而專注展出中國及當代藝術作品的Geneyclee Gallery則每月會推出一個新的展覽。
本地設計師Michael Leung聯同一班藝術家和農夫在觀塘的天台開設都市農莊，栽種本地蔬菜，以展示在都市務農的重要性，他們還經營HK Honey，在自己培育的蜂巢採蜂蜜。你可以參加他們的工作坊，亦可順道購買些本地生產的農作物。Kacama Design Lab專門利用廢物作生產，目的是向大眾灌輸環保意識； Easy-pack Creative Precinct位於依時工業大廈內，是不少設計師聚集的小社區；喜歡古物的人士一定不要錯過到佔地7,000平方呎的Simply Living尋寶。