Advice for single US expat moving to HK??

Hello,

I'm contemplating accepting a job in HK but my single greatest fear is the difficulty for a young single male to meet other English speaking expats.


Can anyone provide advice on best area to live based on following circumstance:


•Single 30 yr old US male

•Enjoy socializing at bars, pubs, restaurant, clubs

•Don't mind living in busy city center or in city outskirts as long as commute isn't too great

•Picky eater so will need access to westernized food

•Will be able to afford up to $30k-$40k HKD per month for housing

•Moving from Dallas and have lived in the uptown / downtown area for past 7 years - looking for similar scene / crowd / social atmosphere


Overall I'm looking for the typical part of HK that similar expats live, work, and hang out.

To be happy as an expatriate in Hong Kong you need to be adaptable, and self-reliant.



You can get all the information you need by researching this thread. If you can't, my advice would be to think twice about relocating.



For the record, I was posted to Hong Kong back in the days before the internet, and I survived, knowing virtually nothing about the place.



Good luck, and start researching the thread, there is a wealth of information here.

I think you will find it a walk in the park. I moved from AUS to LA in 2000 and didn't find it hard but missed a lot of things. I came to HK and found it easier than when I moved to the US. I guess the point is don't try and mirror your current life.

To answer your questions - There are mountains of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes and budget. Your housing budget will land you a great pad but look around before you decide.

The web sites below will give you a bit of an idea of what around a tiny area of HK.

www.ilovesoho.hk

www.lankwaifong.com

http://www.starstreet.com.hk/eat-drink-be/

Oddly I am leaving HK for Dallas soon!!

little comparison really but you can enjoy both. Be open minded, don't leave your drink unattended and wear a condom, standard advice really. Public transport is great and taxis are plentifull and cheap, you don't need a car. try to avoid the worst ex-pat ghetto's like mid levels and Discovery bay. Learn a little Cantonese and give the locals a chance, just like anywhere there are good and bad in all. For you budget wou will get a good but small appt almost anywhere.

It'll be a breeze. 30, male and single with a desire to be where the life of the city is, is about the easiest demographic to satisfy with this crazy town! Is your company offering a relocation services budget? If so, please send me a PM and I'll happily give you some pointers.


My 1st piece of advice would be to not ship too much stuff over as you'll probably find you'll be living in a significantly smaller dwelling and your old stuff won't fit. Try living in a serviced apartment or 3 for the 1st 3 months to get a feel or different areas. You can get a feel for whether you feel a 10 minute longer commute each day is a fair trade off for getting a 50% bigger living space. Conversely, you might choose to live in a sleek little bachelor pad within walking distance of everything you need to access like some of my single 30-something male friends do. So many possibilities.


like I said, PM me if I can help!