Is London suburb Mill Hill a British version of Hong Kong’s affluent Kowloon Tong neighbourhood? We put marketing claims to the test

‘London’s own unique take on Kowloon Tong,’ claims a real estate firm about Mill Hill, on the north-western outskirts of London

Both have posh houses, prestigious schools and peaceful streets, and Mill Hill even has good Cantonese food, though it is lacking in love hotels

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Mock Tudor houses along Devonshire Road in Mill Hill, in the London borough of Barnet, which has been compared to Hong Kong’s wealthy Kowloon Tong district. Photo: Delle Chan

Published: 4:15pm, 27 Sep 2020Updated: 5:24pm, 28 Sep 2020

It was perhaps inevitable that as soon as the British government suggested throwing open its doors to Hong Kong’s BN(O) passport holders, real estate agents across the country would begin clamouring to capitalise on the potential housing boom.

One marketing scheme in particular is trying to tempt Hong Kong migrants with a “taste of home”, declaring that Mill Hill, a suburb in the London borough of Barnet, is “London’s own unique take on Kowloon Tong”, referring to the affluent neighbourhood on Hong Kong’s Kowloon side.

This claim by Poly UK, a branch of China-based real estate firm Poly Developments – whose upcoming Plaza Collection complex is situated in Mill Hill – is somewhat surprising given that the low-key suburb, while fairly affluent, hardly ranks among the British capital’s prime neighbourhoods. (Unlike Kowloon Tong, for instance, it does not even have its own square on its city’s Monopoly board!)

Intrigued by this bold proclamation, I decided to see whether Mill Hill, on the north-western outskirts of London, had what took to be the English equivalent of Kowloon Tong – posh houses, prestigious schools, peaceful streets and all. Maybe I’d even find a love hotel or two.

A tree-lined street in Kowloon Tong. Photo: Google Maps

It is just before noon on an uncharacteristically balmy Tuesday in September and I am not looking forward to the long, stuffy Tube ride I am about to embark on. Mill Hill East Tube station is the lonely terminus of a single-track branch of the Northern Line – which, unfortunately for me, is a 30-minute journey from Central London. To my relief, the train I board holds only a smattering of passengers, all of whom are masked and socially distanced. The hint of a breeze wafts through the carriage windows, making the ride a tad more comfortable.