District 1, Analysis

District 1 is the CBD center of the HCMC which makes this area is the busiest and most visited area in the city, you can find 5 stars hotels, night life, malls, coffee shops, high end restaurant as well as typical food, museums and markets. This can be called the district at HCMC with the greatest number of visitors. The district continues to grow with new luxury projects and metro stations being develop in the following years, it seems D1 is continues to change with each passing year. Although D1 is known for being home of premium international business, top hotels, landmark office buildings and luxury retail, most families decide to live elsewhere and just have fun and visit D1. 

Main attractions:
There are many things to do and see at D1, beginning with it’s streets which have a French colonial style granting trees and nature along the roads. The combination of modern buildings alongside colonial architecture is beautiful, never the less there are different important landmarks in this district which are the main attraction.

The Bitexco tower is a very attractive landmark to visit they have a great Skydeck at the 49th floor with a 360-degree view of HCMC and bar at the 51 floor. This building changes color and night and paints the city with life and exclusivity. 

The independence palace is one of the places you must see while at HCMC. The museum shows the history of Vietnam war, with replicas of tanks and the actual rooms where head of state slept and hide during the bombing, you can even see the underground bunker. 

Other iconic places at D1 are the zoo, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office which represent the old Saigon as the pearl of the orient enjoy their colonial structure and internal decoration, these places are a popular hangout for students who want to practice their language skills with foreigners. 

Another must be Bui Vien Street at night, this is the busiest place in D1, loud bars and food is everywhere in the street. Make sure you take a night or two to enjoy the essence of HCMC.

Infrastructure in D1: 

The infrastructure of D1 is involving and being this the CBD center of HCMC you can see many projects from both developers and government taking place. Right now, you can see D1 has the most amount of modern buildings and facilities in HCMC but there also a few luxury projects which will take the district to become a modern metropolis center. Alpha city, the nexus, the one Saigon, Nguyen Cu Trinh Center are some of the many projects in D1 that will promptly change the city. The developers behind this project are positive about the potential and growth for all investors since this city’s growth is well supported and working hand to hand with the estate (government is investing 5.2% of their yearly GDP to improve infrastructure, efforts mainly focused in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Not only modern and luxurious buildings will be in this district but since is the center of commerce and business it will have access to 4 metro lines; Line one which is crossing downtown will be ready to use by 2022. D1 has well-constructed roads and 3 bridges to connect 2 of them with D4 and other with D8, never the less traffic during rush hours can easily take one or two hours of your life. The metro is meant to reduce this daily problem, but it is highly unlikely that new streets or roads expansion would happen in this District due to the limited space available and the high value of property. 

Investment potential:

D1 one is recognized for their luxury establishments, markets, night life and basically being the most dynamic district in HCMC, all of this let us know this is a place where most people living and visiting HCMC. The current projects are having great return on investment with average rental yield in D1 of 5% per year and estimated to grow up to 7% with the upcoming luxury projects. 

The properties at HCMC are some of the cheapest in Asia, their price is more convenient in square foot than Singapore, Bangkok and others, price in Luxury condominiums can be found between $4000 to $10,000 USD, this makes luxury projects a hot item for local and foreign investors. The projects in D1 are own by world-renowned developers  that have managed projects which high capital gain.

Location:

District 1 is one of the big districts in the city and it has many geographical advantages since it is located in the heart of HCMC. The location alongside Saigon River and surrounded by many large roads makes this a very desirable place for investors. District 1 connects with Districts 2 (separated by Saigon river) ,4,5,3, Phu Nhuan and Binh Thanh. although the CBD area is expanding to D2 and nearby districts it is safe to assume the most important commerce and business area will remain to be D1.