Commute from Bel-Air

We recently saw some apartments in Bel-Air (Phases I, II and III) and are considering moving there. Could anyone on this forum advice how long the commute is to Exchange Sq/IFC (by public transport) during the rush hours? I generally go to work between 8 and 9am and return home after 7pm. And if by taxi, how long and how much? I am aware that there is a shuttle bus that goes to Sheung Wan.


We also have a child who will be attending kindergarten in North Point so if anyone could advice on this commute it would also be helpful.


Lastly, if you have recent experience living in Bel-Air as a family with young children, it'd be great to hear your general impression of Bel Air and living in the Cyberport area.


Many thanks in advance.

8-9 in the morning really is a killer time. I'm not an expert but I think about 30 minutes with a bus and a bit less with a taxi. If you leave before 07:30 you can probably be at IFC in under 15 minutes. In the evening you're catching the tail end of rush hour, so perhaps a bit under 30 minutes.


"Lastly, if you have recent experience living in Bel-Air as a family with young children,"


Mixed reviews. On the one hand the facilities are nice (the playgrounds aren't very good though). On the other hand the complex doesn't seem to have a very child friendly attitude. I've heard residents complain that the guards tell kids off if they bike and play in front of the buildings and generally aren't very nice to kids. A far cry from where we live, where the guards are out stopping cars so they don't run over children playing on our internal roads.


Bel-Air is one of the ultimate expressions of HK style luxury mass living. It certainly isn't for everyone.


Cyberport itself is ok, with the big green area in front of the mall. There's a cinema and some shops.


"We also have a child who will be attending kindergarten in North Point so if anyone could advice on this commute it would also be helpful."


Much further than IFC. That's a long commute for a young child. I think you're talking 45-60 mins at times. North Point is also in the middle of some of the worst pollution. Personally I would not send my children to kindergarten there. The air quality, especially in winter, is just awful. I would find something in Pok Fu Lam or even somewhere on the South Side. Shorter commute and less pollution.

We have a 4 year old and a 1.5 year old and have been living at Bel-Air for 2 years now. I love it in terms of a safe and clean environment for my kids. My son went to school at Victoria Belchers and took the bus everyday. My daughter goes to the playroom almost everyday and both love to swim at the outdoor and indoor swimming pools.


In terms of guards telling kids off, I have never seen or experienced that.


My husband works at Cheung Kong ctr and takes the shuttle then the MTR into Central. It takes him around 40 minutes total. If you work at IFC, the 30X is great since that's the last stop. During peak hours it takes around 30 minutes or so to get to IFC, during non peak around 20mins.


Is there a particular reason why you must send your child to kindergarten all the way in North Point? There are quite a few kindergartens in the Pok Fu Lam area. I chose Victoria for my son because their medium of teaching is Mandarin and English.


The only negative thing is that other than Park n Shop and Wise Kids which are at Cyberport, there is really nothing else around here. If you need to go to a pharmacy real quick, the closest would be Chi Fu or Aberdeen would be next.


Hope this helps.

Thanks very much for the replies.