Most bang for your Buck?

Hi all,


Me and my gf are thinking about moving in together next year. Currently I live in CWB paying 14k for a modern studio flat. The flat is really nice and spacious enough for me (about 500 sq ft), but not big enough for 2 people and all of their possessions/clothes.


She currently lives with her family in Kennedy Town, which is an area we are definitely considering, as there are a lot of good new bars and restaurants there, and it's not as busy/stressful as other areas close to Central. I think the prices for flats are ok too, plus it has a large Welcome supermarket not too far away.


We checked out Park Island at the weekend, but I was very underwhelmed. The beach was poor, and the choice of restaurants was very limited near the beach. I expected there to be a lot more going on to be honest, as I had read some very positive reviews on the internet. Maybe the flats/complexes and facilities are good, but if there is nothing else to do there, then you're always going to be going back to HK Island/Kowloon for activities.


I've only been to DB once and I wasn't thinking about it as a place to live when I went there, but it seemed ok, very Western. We will check it out again this weekend when we go to Silvermine Beach.


Another idea was Sai Kung, but the commute puts me off, I would prefer somewhere where the commute is around 30 mins max, and Sai Kung would be closer to an hour. We couldn't afford taxis each way every day.


Can anyone suggest other areas where the local area has enough going on, and has a nice 'buzz', with Western style supermarkets, restaurants and bars in walking distance, where a modern style 2 bedroom flat around 700 sq ft + would be 15-20k per month? It would be nice to have a sea view too and a beach close by. As I said we are willing to commute roughly 30 mins.


CWB is stressing me out now, always fighting through the crowds, so a peaceful area would be appreciated, especially after a long day at work!


Any advice would be appreciated.


Thanks.

Tai Hang and Fortress Hill - but they are close to CWB.

You should consider Tai Koo / Sai Wan Ho. It's an area that hasn't been fully exploited yet, and is a bit more peaceful. It's just a matter of time before this area gets more Western style bars/restaurants, so better to get in early before rental prices get jacked up. You'd have no problem finding a nice 700+ sq feet flat between 15 - 20k here.

Gold Coast? Its beautiful out there and there are a few beaches within walking distance. The restaurants are OK- nothing special but far better than park island. Only takes 40 mins to central too!

i think you need to do your due diligence. you can't expect a big "buzz" and then consider park island, DB, Sai Kung, etc. These places are further away from the center so as NOT to have too much "buzz". if they had "buzz" then they would unlikely have a lot of value for money

Must consider tungchung ....

Agreed, Gold Coast has amazing sea views and a beach close by and an array of restaurants & Bars and a Marketplace supermarket.