Hi, my husband has just been offered a job in HK. We have been recommended to live in Discovery Bay. What would you say about this area? How long would it take to commute to Tsim Sha Tsui? I am happy with the web information about Discovery College - any comment on this school?
Any advice would be appreciated.
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Disco Bay has it's pros and cons. It's quite "manufactured", as in controlled by the developer(s). So choices of stores and restaurants have been criticized for being limited, although apparently this has improved.
Certainly it is calmer than many other areas.
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cd
17 yrs ago
Personally I would not like to live there, there's just something about it I don't like whenever I've been over there, I would hate to have that ferry journey every time I wanted to go somewhere.
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If you have kids though, it is probably one of the best places in Hong Kong to raise them, they will definitely meet lots of other kids their own age, there is a massive discovery bay clique that continues well into adulthood, they get to play football on the street or at the beach and do loads of exploring up at the rock pools and just be kids. there is just tons to do for children out there. I grew up in Hong Kong but didn't live in DB and I will say this of the kids that I grew up with, no one reminisces quite like the DB lot, and the strength of their bonds to this day, still amazes me.
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It's an expat family orientated ghetto full of surly loud teens ,bratty toddlers and grubby- looking babies .
Has an extremely weird vibe.
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As you can see, Disco Bay brings out strong feelings. It seems to be a love it or hate it kind of place.
As I see it, it is a very manufactured communitiy that was built to give expats more space and "nature", and also be further from the city feel than, say, the South Side.
As for kids having other kids to play with, that may be true. But it is equally true of plenty of complexes in other locations. In our complex there are over 100 children, so finding playmates in the same age group is never a problem.
I also agree with the ferry ride issue. I would never live there for that reason alone.
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Me thinks that Hongkong7 doesn't have children and has quite a negative attitude toward family life in general. Yes, there are lots of children out there so if you were a single party person or "older" you may not like it. But I would guess it really is good for families. It does seem a but surreal though the few times I've been there.
I disagree the ferry ride is quite nice. At least for my ferry you will always get a seat and you can sit and read or get some paperwork done on the way to work. Very civilized as opposed to the trains which involve a lot of pushing shoving and standing.
Although I would say that DB would be OK if you worked in Central but TST makes it quite a distance to travel.
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DB to TST will take approx 45mins? Would have to take 2 ferries!
1 from DB to central star ferry and then take the star ferry from central to TST.
I hope you like taking ferries! he he
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Thank you for all the info. We are still deciding where to live, other options are Sai Kung and Tai Po. Any comment on these places? How much would it cost to rent a 3 bedrooms accommodation in these places?
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100 expat kids in the same apartment complex is quite unlikely these days. Pre 97 definitely. In those days there were quite a few, Baguio or Scenic Villa's in Pok Fu Lam, Mount Butler in Jardines Lookout, or Mount Nich towards the peak etc etc all had high ratio of expat kids. Typically govt owned complexes or apartments where senior civil servants lived and since in those days senior civil servant were almost always expat, you had tons of expat kids to boot. Nowadays its all been localized and there are far fewer expats in general. That doesnt mean to say there aren't English speaking kids left in those complexes. Those flats are still for senior civil servants or been privatised, populated with parents who send their kids to English medium schools, but its really not the same without the diversity. Plus now they have restricted all the areas we used to mess about in as children like construction areas ( a good thing) or fenced off jungle and green areas we used to play in.
These are peripherals that those complexes just cant compete with DB for, playing football or rugby on the beach, diving in at the rock pools during summer hols, joyriding parent golf carts, and when you get to you teens hanging out with everyone else down the plaza or at the club
I am pretty ambivalent about DB myself, not particularly fussed about living there, cant be bothered with the ferry ride or its schedules, much prefer taking a taxi home when I want. I can see why people really dislike it, its a microcosm and very insular. What I can say is I know the kind of adults the kids who lived there grew into, I had plenty of friends from DB whilst growing up, and it never ceases to amaze me how tight those relationships were and are to this day, precisely because of its insularity I suppose. Relationships which transcend age group, ethnicity or the different schools they went to and you can see it now with the various HK expat facebook groups that have emerged on facebook. It can make one envious sometimes when you are at reunions or get togethers, and sometimes it is downright nauseating because the DB reminiscing ends up dominating conversation. I had a great childhood growing up in an apartment complex with loads and loads of expat kids, few relationships have lasted however.Somehow something tells me those DB kids, they had something special.
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"It's an expat family orientated ghetto full of surly loud teens ,bratty toddlers and grubby- looking babies .
Has an extremely weird vibe."
Don't sugar-coat it HK7, tell us how you really feel, lol!
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you are not tied to the ferry btw...you can take a bus to tung chung or sunny bay MTR and then the train(s) to kowloon...also very convenient if you are a frequent flier, and i think if this is your first time overseas, an easy transition to hong kong
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Thank you for all the feedback, really appreciate it.
Well, it seems that there's no chance to get into the schools in DB so there's no point to live there as I'd hate to have to do the schoolruns on the ferry everyday.
The next choices are Sai Kung and Tai Po. What's your opinions on these places?
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Sai Kung is definitely not city living. Nature and greenery. At least you won't be working on the Island but the commute can be long.
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Bella's Mum, as you have seen with DB's school, available seats are going to be a major factor. I would recomment you first contact schools to check if you can get seats in September, then chose the place of living from there (the main group of International schools is English Schools Foundation and they have catchment areas rule).
Tai Po: you can look into Hong Lok Yuen development where the houses will be at similar or maybe even lower prices than in DB, I think the international school there stops at end of Primary.
Just keep in mind that both Sai Kung and Tai Po will mean car, and driving, and also a longer commute to and from school for your kids as distances on Kowloon and new Territories are bigger than HK island.
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annej
17 yrs ago
Hi Bella's Mum, seems lots have offered their opinions on DB but not so many on SaiKung or Tai Po. Like you, these were the three areas I looked at moving to when I came out to HK three years ago. We considered all very carefully and plumped for Tai Po - more specifically Hong Lok Yuen for the following reasons:
1. Hong Lok Yuen is unique in Hong Kong as it is a large, gated, secure community of (mainly) houses with gardens in quiet safe streets. It has a very 'spanish villa' look to it and the location, surrounded by mountains with lots of safe hill-walking, is just spectacular.
2. HLY is full of kids of all ages and nationalities. Don't know where you're from, but you will find Brits, Oz, NZ, US, Canadian, Dutch, French, German and more here! (Also great socially for us parents!)
3. HLY has it's own international school which now intakes up to Yr 9 - spaces no problem.
4. If you decide to go for one of the major ESF schools - Shatin College or Renaissance - there are school bus routes already organised. (My kids used to go to Shatin).
5. Rental prices here are very competitive compared to other expat enclaves. Example - HK$40 k for a 3-bed 2000ft semi, HK$55 k up for a 4-bed 3000ft detached. You can probably get a bit cheaper if you're good at negotiating.
All this aside, the negatives are that you do live a bit far out from the city. It's a long commute to central (1 hr approx), but not so bad to TST (40 mins). HLY has its own shuttle bus which takes you to the local train station. A taxi there would only cost HK$25. We lived here for a few months without a car, but if you've got kids, you'll probably end up getting one. There are always loads of 'bargains' available on the local supermarket noticeboard as there are so many expats living here.
Anyway, I wish you luck - it's a big decision isn't it ??
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Bella's mum - I live in South Side on the HK island and we love it! Tons of schools (whether you get in is another matter but it is the same all over HK), living by the beach, 30 min into central and you do not have to depend on ferry.. Check out all of Southsed - around Stanley, Tai Tam, Redhill..
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I think Idsllvn is correct, you should also look at Refuge Bay, much of this depends on your rental budget as HK rents can be quite daunting compared to most other cities in the world, particularly for what you get. Although we live in the mid-levels (no kids) most our our friends with kids live in Refuge Bay, Stanley, Pok Fullam (spelling?) and certainly enjoy it. A couple also live in the New Territories although it's a long way out but you can get quite a lot for your money if you are prepared to travel, and there are apparently some good international schools out that way.
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rbatka1409, do you mean Repulse Bay? I can attest that it certainly is very nice and a very reasonable distance from Central. However it is quite expensive. The further East you go, the cheaper the rents, but of course the commute gets longer in proportion.
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I guess that would be Repulse bay? I however do prefer Stanley/Tai Tam to it (of course I understand that it is totally subjective!) as it has more of a village feel - shops, restaurants - Repulse bay does not really have that... And you can walk in Stanley/Tai Tam - nowhere to walk really in Repulse bay... Bella's mum, you best come out and have a look around yourself i think!
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I would love to!! I just had another baby a month ago and now facing this imminent move and am struggling to find a school in HK for my elder daughter, I just felt overwhelmed with all the changes and am just not able to make the trip with a tiny baby and a 4.5 year old on my own that's why I'm relying on this website and I have to say it's been so good with all these feedbacks. :')
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Repulse Bay has shops down at the beach front, Obviously not as many as the market but it has what is necessary I mean there is a Wellcome up at the hotel, which is far larger then the park n shop at Stanley a 7-11 and there is a Mcdonalds and KFC for those craving fast food. The only thing really missing that Stanley has which Repulse Bay does not in my view, is an expat boozer like the smugglers. I wouldn't really eat to often at the restaurants that are on the strip, that's just me. Tai Tam's nice too but its just such a bugger to get to. I am of course biased Repulse Bay is where I grew up and funnily enough where I choose to live as an adult.
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"And you can walk in Stanley/Tai Tam - nowhere to walk really in Repulse bay... "
There is a good bit of walking available in Repulse Bay. There's the nice promenade that goes pretty much from the temple on the eastern end of the beach all the way to Deep Water Bay along the water. There are a few nice shops and restaurants but no, it's hardly Stanley.
There's a big new shopping arcade at Repulse Bay beach that is nearing completion. Rumor hath it there will be a Taste there. Along with the very nice Wellcome this makes for good grocery shopping.
Stanley is of course much more of a town, but it should be noted that Repulse bay is 15 minutes closer to Central, meaning 15-30 minutes instead of 30-45.
I guess I'm biased too since we love living in Repulse Bay.
"Wellcome up at the hotel,"
It's not a hotel anymore. ;) Hasn't been since they tore it down in like 1989. The new building fronting "The Repulse Bay" is a replica with restaurants, shops, kindergartens.
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Yeah actually I forgot about that walk through to Deep water bay, that is a lovely walk, actually used to run that when I was a kid not sure why I stopped doing that. That building will always be the hotel to me whether or not there is a hotel there or not, just like star ferry will always be star ferry even though there are no ferries any more, and Connaught centre will always be Connaught Centre, even though it is actually Jardine House now.
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Without question, Repulse Bay, Deep Water Bay and Stanley are all fabulous places to live.
Tai Tam and Redhill are a bit of a stretch, however -- too far out and in my opinion, both lack character. A car would unquestionably be a must have.
Pokfulam is another great area to live, especially for families and dogs (Cyberport Park). Easy access to schools, grocery stores, movie theatres, restaurants, greenery/trees, Cyberport Park, fresh air and beautiful views. It also offers about the quickest commute to Tsim Sha Tsui (through Western tunnel) from just about anywhere else on Hong Kong Island either by car or bus. There are many families living in Bel Air, Baguio Villa, and Scenic Villa -- these 3 are the largest of all other apartment buildings in Pokfulam. There are many other more quaint colonial-low-rise apartment buildings available too.
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Bel Air is nice in some ways but it certainly isn't for everyone. ;)
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cd
17 yrs ago
If your husband is working in TST, would not recommend Stanley etc, way too far. I live between Clearwater Bay and Sai kung, can drive to TST in 25 mins depending on traffic, can take longer, Central in 30 mins. Would recomend you look at the triangle between Fei Ngo Shan, Wing Lung Road and Marina Cove. Between these 3 are shorter driving distances and good bus links to Choi Hung and Hang Hau Mtr stations. Several Kindys in the area, and Clearwater bay primary school is excellent. Good for shopping in Sai Kung or Hang Hau. Beaches, good hiking, mainly houses and low rise living. Rents have gone up a lot in the last 2 years but still some bargains around. 1400 sf with roof around $20k, we pay $57,500 for 300osf with garden and shared pool. Can still get some village houses for around $40k.
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We moved to DB from Uk early October last year, my husband had been visiting Hong Kong for 28 years previous to this move, so he did his 'homework' on areas to live, and I had my reservations, we are older so don't have any children here with us, but I love DB, it is a great place to live. I enjoy visiting other parts of Hong KOng, and Kowloon to shop but I'm always relieved to get back 'home ' to DB. My husband works in Causeway Bay, so he gets a taxi when he gets off the ferry, transport her is so cheap, and easy. We brought our dog and cat out here, and there are lots of them around in this animal friendly DB society. There are lots of couples with children also, they soon find friends, and there is lots of activities for children to do. DB has its own forum, where you can ask and find out anything you want to, it is www.discoverybayforum.com take a look. DB has a lovely area near the ferry pier with lots of restaurants, and a plaza with most things you want to buy, the foos store sells most things you buy in UK and is multinational, plus there are lots more shops, you can use online services for lots of things including meats, fish etc, and have it delivered to your door. It is a very easy commute to the airport, and other parts of Hong Kong.
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Bella's mum, it basically comes down to 3 things:
a) your budget
b) school for your daughter
c) commute for your husband
as you can see, everyone loves to live exactly where they are, so not much help to you - all of the above are lovely areas. Guess, you have to figure our which school you can get your girl into - ask your husband's company to help. Are they a multinational or a foreign company? quite a few of them have debentures in certain schools, which should help...
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"as you can see, everyone loves to live exactly where they are,"
That's because the place where we live is the best. ;) For us...
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oh the other around - the place is the best, that's why we live there!! :)
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