Empire City Residences Suite

Across the Saigon river from district 1, this is a new apartment complex with restaurants and grocery shops. There's no traffic here, and so far it's been quite peaceful with no construction. The complex area is expected to expand in the coming years.

It's one of the best high end condos in HCMC. The place is quiet, green, clean, and very high end. I love staying here, though I wish management did a better job of cleaning and maintaining the buildings.

There are a few cafes nearby, and at night you can find food by the river with a nice view. The place itself is quiet and feels safe to stay in.

After seven months here, I’m definitely not renewing my lease. I’m glad I rented instead of buying, since I only have a few more months to get through this rather than worrying about selling a property too. We pay some of the highest prices imaginable in HCMC and still get treated like we’re in a dorm or government-assisted housing. Management acts like residents should be grateful to live here and pay $$$$. The amenities aren’t great, either. Guests have to pay 300,000 to use the pool and register their identity with a passport or photo ID. This isn’t a day club. Getting around has become a hassle. Because of the road construction, cars can pick people up at the road entrance, then have to go through the underground parking lot and leave through the exit. There’s no security guard managing access, so residents have to walk out, which takes about 10 minutes in the scorching sun. I have to do that every day to get to work. It feels like they’re making travel harder instead of providing a convenient route. Anyone looking to rent here should avoid it. Management repeatedly ignored my request to call or text before coming to my door. They rang the bell three times in one week and woke me up, even though I work night shifts and sleep during the day. They also make residents go all the way around the unit instead of allowing them through the gates or moving the drop-off point somewhere more suitable, while the manager goes through the gates every day. Security guards told me they photograph residents and share the pictures in a group chat for discussion. I could hardly believe it when several of them said this. There are wild cats all over the building. I’ve seen them defecate inside the gates, but management tried to blame residents’ dogs, even though we carry them through the gates. Lots of small things are broken and known to be broken. There are signs saying things are under construction or will be updated, but nothing has changed in the seven months I’ve lived here. Another time, a friend dropped me off and his motorbike had an engine problem. Security told us to move after five minutes. We explained we were fixing it, but the same guard came back another five minutes later and told us to move again. We were stopped near the sidewalk, weren’t blocking a road, and there were no cars around. We had to push the bike more than four blocks outside the neighborhood to make a small adjustment that got it running. They wouldn’t give us ten minutes to sort it out. The place is run like a refugee camp, and management is on a major power trip. They can’t seem to keep staff either, with a new doorman or security person every few weeks. It’s truly a shame.