Hong Kong or Kowloon for family of 3?

We are moving to HK from the US in April and choosing a neighborhood to live. My husband needs to travel to Shenzhen frequently and I work in Central and we have a toddler.


1. We are leaning towards HK over Kowloon because most of our friends are on the island, but we don't know if it'd be a nightmare for my husband to commute (especially if he wants to be able to come home daily). We have heard of direct buses from Wanchai to Shenzhen, does anyone have any knowledge of that bus or anything else about commuting to Shenzhen from HK?


2. On Hong Kong island, we like mid levels and happy valley. Is the location near the racetrack too busy or noisy for young kids? Would love to know the pro/con of both neighbors for a family of 3 with both working parents (we will hire a helper).


3. We came across a building called Happy Mansion in Happy Valley. Does anyone know anything about that building?


4. We hear from the agents that the rental market is getting tight and that we should sign places up if we see one that we like. Otherwise, prices will jsut go up. Is that true? Is it gettign harder to find inventory? How much time are landlords usually willing to sign ahead of time (ie. signing now for a mid Apr moving date is acceptable or should we wait till late March)?


Thank you in advance for your feedback.

1. Depending on where you are on the Island, you would of course be adding travel time to Shenzhen, but probably not a huge amount if you plan your travel times well. I think the direct bus leaves from China Travel Service by the Wan Chai MTR. Thing is, even from Repulse Bay you can be in Shenzhen in less than two hours. the Island is small.


2. It's very subjective. HK overall tends to be way more noisy than most places in the US. Depends on your own tolerance and adaptability. Young kids normally adapt pretty quickly to this sort of thing. Also, noise levels vary widely from building to building.


4. Of course agents say that. They want to sign. Prices have been going up for a while but I would not jump on something before you get here. There are plenty of buildings and you will have no difficulty finding something. Get a serviced apartment for a few weeks and look around. To answer your question, a typical landlord would indeed sign today for moving in in April.