where to live with a newborn?

hi,


we are moving to HK in 2 months time and would like some advise. we are a young couple in early 30's and have a newborn of 4 months. where is a good place to live? husband works in central and we wanted to stay in a service apartment for the first month while searching for an apartment. which is a good service apartment?


thanks!

I have a 2 month old and we are about to move to PokFuLam next month because of the space, it's stroller friendly and has less pollution. My husband works in central and a taxi to his work from Pokfulam takes about 15 mins and cost about $60hkd. We have been living in the mid levels for the past 18months which has been very handy to everything and fantastic for going out to restaurants /nightlife but not easy for getting around with baby.When we first arrived in HK we stayed at Ice House Steet service apartments in central which was great for finding our feet in HK.

Hope this helps

The Air Pollution in Pokfulam is horrific! If you look at the Clear the Air website you will see just how high the polution levels are here in HK compared to the World Health Organisation pollution idex it will horrify you. Pokfulam has no less pollution than most other areas of Hong Kong and it is a rare day when you can see Lamma Island from Cyberport - so in terms of pollution there is no good place to live in Hong Kong. You may want to think again about subjecting your little 2 month old to the thick smog here - good ness knows what the long term effects will be on all who have to breath it.

Let's face it Central is just not baby friendly, Parkview or Repulse Bay may be a good place for you to start and then take a look to Clearwater Bay area

Not so sure about that Patrick. I pay rather a large sum of money over here in Repulse Bay for my smog view and sore throat... sure is bad.

I have been struggling with finding an apartment in an area with clean air since I moved out of Shanghai recently.


Shek O is the only place where I have looked where I can say that the air is significantly cleaner than any other place in HK. Problem is it is almost impossible to find an apartment in that location - and even if you can its a long ride into Central if thats where you work...


A compromise would be Stanley - not as clean as Shek O but at least there are apts available.

We have only lived in HK for 4 months and the pollution is getting me down big time. We have also just found out we are expecting our first baby in July.


If I had a choice there is no way I would have a baby in HK - but my husband has a contract for the next 2 years and we simply can't afford to break it and relocate back to Australia. So our big question is the same as yours - where to live? Firstly, it's best just to assume the pollution is as bad anywhere you look, and make sure you invest in some air purifiers for home, and clean your air conditioner regularly.


I have been thinking about the Gold Coast area (not the site itself, the surrounding areas) - do a search on this site for more info. Ignore the blue skies, pure white sand and sunshine on the ads - photo shop has a lot to answer for!!


If you wish to live closer to Central but in a more baby friendly place, have a look at apartments around Olympic station (on Kowloon side but only 2 stops from Central on the MTR) - there are a lot of complexes with clubhouses, pools etc and also direct walkways to the supermarket (much more pram friendly than anywhere else I have looked).


For the record, we are not on a high income package in expat terms - so the rents we are considering are at the lower end of the scale (around 15,000 per month). Obviously if you are on a great package there are bound to be better places available to you.


Good luck.

We live in the GC complex. Moved here with our baby a year ago for all the reasons that have already been covered in various threads. Both hubby and I work in Kowloon and HK island so really only came here for baby. Its peaceful, not crowded and at least you aren't looking into someone else's apartment (i.e. only 4 apartments per floor). But we are now seriously considering moving. The service from the leasing office has been appalling to say the least. Transport options are extremely inconvenient when it's not peak hour and even then sometimes. I hate having to organise my life around someone else's unreliable transport schedule - so we are now looking at moving to somewhere where there is MTR access within walking distance. The other thing that depresses me about GC is the supermarket which never seems to have what I need when I need it.

In a few threads I have suggested Bellagio at Sham Tseng as a viable alternative to the Gold Coast. Tash3 raises a good point - a lack of good supermarket food can drive you crazy. Sham Tseng is not on the MTR but does offer better transport options than GC and best of all just a few months ago the Park n Shop got totally renovated and is now an 'International'. SO GOOD. Previously we had to do the rounds of all 3 supermarkets in the village plus the GC and some in town to get what we wanted...now you can get almost everything here - it really has made a huge difference for us.

Granted we do go out a fair bit on the weekends during the day but I don't share vantastic's perspective and would go so far as to invite you to visit me on the weekend if you want to check it out for yourself.


There are 3 outdoor levels - 1 is a podium with 3 playgrounds, golf putting green and 2 massive empty areas where kids ride their bikes etc but after the morning tai chi these areas are hardly even used, the next one has 2 tennis courts and the bbq area which is very well used and then there is the swimming pool further down and then there is a public promenade that runs right around the outside. Also only half the apartments overlook this recreation area.


The facilities in the building are very well used but as a friend said if you shared your apartment with 6 members of your extended family you would want to get out alot too. In saying that I never feel that Bellagio is overcrowded.


Don't get me wrong, this is not paradise but I think it is a pretty good option in HK.

Hi Allynz,


I have done some research into the Bellagio as you suggested. It certainly does look like somewhere we would be interested in moving.


I have tried to send you a PM, but was unsuccessful. So, a couple of questions......


Does the Bellagio have a site office that handles leasing enquiries? If not, are there any local agents you can reccommend?

We are thinking of taking the bus there sometime next week to have a look around.


Are taxis easy to find in the area? Roughly how much would it cost to get to TST or Central? My main concern in the nearer future would be getting around with a newborn - not keen on having to rely on a bus all the time.


Are there medical facilities anywhere nearby (that English is spoken?!)


Thanks!


RachRobin

I will PM you my phone number if you want to know anything else but to answer your questions.


Sham Tseng is somewhat overrun but estate agents so no shortage there. I would just visit several and go with one you like..I wouldn't recommend the one we ended up with.


Taxis, buses and mini-buses are constant and the complex runs a service to TST and Tseun Wan for residents. Sorry i don't know the cost to TST maybe $150 - but that is a total guess. You need to tell a taxi to take you to SUM ZHENG.


I have not seen a doctor in my 2.5 years in HK but there are doctors in Sham Tseng and a hospital in Tuen Mun. A guy from work went there because he got sick here on a business trip...we sent a Chinese speaker with him but he said it wasn't necessary and the care was good. I imagine some Gold Coast mums could point you in the right direction, we are only about 5-7 mins drive from there.

I moved to HK 3 months ago and moved to Park Island and LOVE IT!!! I have two small children and think this is one of the best places in HK to have kids. It's clean (cleaned to within a whisker of its life every day), there are no cars to worry about exhaust fumes and the little one being hit by a car, and contrary to what some may say it is really convenient. Only 20mins to Central by ferry which is a nice relaxed way to travel, there are shuttle buses every 15 minutes to Tsing Yi and Kwai Fong which connects to the MTR and another ferry to Tsuen Wan.

Whilst it is true that everywhere in HK is polluted you can breathe with relative ease out here. There are tonnes of playgrounds for your little one as they get older and lots of great facilities at three different clubhouses. eg, swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball, bowling, rock climbing. It's a beautiful place to take your little bub for a stroll in the pram and there's a little beach as well (great for making sand castles but I wouldn't necessarily go swimming). Lots of greenery and trees too.


My family comes from Australia and having space for my little ones was a huge priority and there was no way I wanted them to be on HK island with all the noise, cars and pollution. True, if you're the type who wants to go out to restuarants every night then it is more convenient but, for an Aussie 20 minutes to get to the centre of town is still pretty great! There are heaps of families out here and I just breathe a sigh of relief every time I get off the ferry after work. It's so relaxing and I can look out my window on any given day and barely see anyone...which for me is perfect as I hate crowds and noise. The expat population out here is growing and we all just love it. Some people, travel quite long distances to work but all say that it's well worth it to have somewhere so nice to come home to. Add to that the rent out here is half what you'll pay on the Island.

We stayed for a month in a serviced apt on the Gold Coast but although spacious I hated it as it was such a huge effort to get anywhere. It's almost 30minutes by shuttle bus just to get to the nearest station. So unless you plan on getting a car I wouldn't bother. Also, the facilities are nothing compared to what we have on Park Island. That being said, I loved the cafe lifestyle that they had at the Gold Coast. We just have a few small shops but all your basic needs are covered.

Anyway, as you can tell I'm a big fan of Park Island and I really do suggest that you at least take the time to come out here and have a look before you decide where you want to live.

BTW, just as a sidenote, last time I took the stroller into Central I think I ran over about 8 million sets of toes.....it was a nightmare!!

RachRobin just in case you don't know where Park Island is you will be able to see it on Tuesday when you visit Sham Tseng. It is the island right in front of Bellagio just by the bridge. Unfortunately you can get there from here...there is a pier and a timetable but for some reason no ferries which is a shame. You have to go back to Tsing Yi to get there. The islands real name is Ma Wan.

christineseckel, this thread seems to have strayed a long way away from your original enquiry. By now you may have found out about serviced apartments anyway (there are plenty listed on this website) but I've sent you a PM so please check your inbox.

Hi

We have lived in HK for almost 8 years, we lived in Stanley for a short while and then moved to Clearwater Bay, we now have 2 children aged 3 and 7 months. There is so much to do here, the beaches, the country parks, swimming pools, 20 mins to Sai Kung where you can get sanpans easily, there are lots of nice walks and many playgroups for children.

My husband works near Pokfulam and it takes him 30 mins driving in the morning and around 40-45 to get home in the afternoons.

The air seems much cleaner here too.

Hope this helps and good luck with your move.

G

Oh forgot to say that you can rent property here at a cheaper rate. For a full village house, 3 floors, 700sqft on each floor and a roof you will pay anything from $25,000 to around $70,000+, depends on the view and which landlord you get. I know there are a few places going in Sheung Sze Wan for $42,000. There is also one going with a bigger garden and a sea view for $55,000, this inlcudes 2 carpark spaces.

G