250-256 Sai Yeung Choi Street South

While contemplating the notion whether there is a place that could better summarize Hong Kong than Mong Kok, the answer would very likely be negative; yet pushing a step forward, is there a place more MK than Sai Yeung Choi Street? speaking from my personal experience, I don’t think there is.
There was a time when the street is lined with shops of different sort, a time when there were street artists performing; it was also a time you would see tourists, but not the tourists dragging a couple of suitcases behind them, a time when shops come in a great deal of varieties but not cosmetics and cosmetics only.
Until recently, smaller shops closed down due to the sky rocketing rents, only large chains survived the unreasonably high rent; residence complaining about the noise produced by the street artists and thus the government reopened the once pedestrian only street to cars and trucks alike forbidding them from performing on the street.
Is this the sai yeung choi street that I use to know? Is this the Mong Kok I like to go? Is this the Hong Kong that i once called home?
I am no longer certain…