Posted by
BTS
18 yrs ago
Hi there, we are thinking of moving to Clearwater Bay or Sai Kung with our 2 year old daughter and are wondering what kinds of facilities are available for children in those areas? ie: are there good nursery's, play groups, childrens play areas/parks etc. Also looking ahead.... how far is it from the International School and is there a long waiting list???? Can anyone help with any of these questions???? We went out to Discovery Bay yesterday and it totally freaked us out. It was just too quiet and too western and we felt like we'd be missing out on the fantastic inter-cultural experience that this vibrant city has to offer. We want to be somewhere that still offers variety and the cosmopolitan benefits without actually being on Hong Kong island where apts are small and expensive etc. I'm sure you all know what I mean?! Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks. p.s hubby also wants to know about travel time to central? p.ss keep hearing negative things about pets in Sai Kung - is it a problem there to have a pet?
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Great questions BTS. We are about to move to HK and all those questions have been running around in my mind esp the commute to central Is it possible without buying a car is what I would like to know.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Hi Chwaer,
we went out to Sai Kung and then to Clearwater Bay (which are further apart than we expected) and basically it is too far to commute. A car would be absolutely necessary both for myself and our daughter and for my hubby who would have to drive to the MTR (15 min) then a 45 min train trip to central. We've pretty much ruled it out! We also looked at Pokfulam and that was just scarey!! It is all high rises on very steep roads and the shopping centre (called Cyberport) is like empty space ship plonked by the sea. Actually it was empty everywhere with NO sense of community whatsoever!!! No people walking around the streets etc. I can now totally appreciate why people end up moving to Discovery Bay. At least there it's got some kind of community and feels safe and clean. I think coming from somewhere like London, Sydney, Melbournet etc....we are spoilt for space and our houses are like palaces when doing a space vs price comparison. I'm back in London now and when I walked into my home here it seriously felt like a mansion!!! I'm now re-thinking the whole move to HK and wondering if it's all worth it??? I found it a HUGE culture shock (the pollution, the population, the lack of space both indoors and out and the cultural difference itself). Where I live in London there's mum's walking around with buggies or chatting in cafes....there's kids playing in parks etc but in Hong Kong I didn't see that. Put it this way...my husband's company are going to have to sweeten the deal ALOT more for me to consider packing up my family's life to move to what I would consider "a lesser life-style"!!!
Good Luck with your move and if you haven't already - I'd be going out there for at least a week and looking at every area and every flat possible. All the best, BTS.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Hi Saikunga,
I can appreciate your point of view and I'm sure that eventually I would get used to Hong Kong living. However, from experience the commute time really matters to us. My hubby works LONG hours but still really likes to get home just in time to do the bath, book, bed routine with our daughter. If he had to commute that far he would miss that valuable time with her.
Someone else suggested we look at Hong Lok Yuen in Tai Po as well but when I looked on a map it looked just as far as Sai Kung. Can you shed some light on that? Is it closer? Does it have a sense of community or a village feel ie: cafes for mums to meet in etc??? Are there any nursery's, kindergartens or schools out there. An agent sent me some pics of the type of properties we could rent and they looked great but again area is very important. I'm quite a social person and really don't fancy being isolated. Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks BTS.
p.s Did it really take you 5 years to adapt? You're brave hanging in there for that long - I must admit I'm not that patient but I will give it at least a year if we can work out the finances to our favour!
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hkkm
18 yrs ago
Unfortunately, I'm not sure that what you want exists. The areas that expats tend to live that have the cosmopolitan/intercultural feel that you are looking for are either on HK Island (where you pay a lot for not very much space) or a fair commute away (ie Sai Kung/Clearwater Bay).
The main advantage of Kowloon Tong / Shatin / Tai Po is that they are on the KCR line, and thus easy to commute without a car (although not necessarily shorter timewise). I live in Tai Po and it takes me at least 45 minutes from leaving home to get to Central (that's getting to the station, then KCR and MTR trains). It will be considerably faster from Kowloon Tong because you can get straight onto the MTR.
Socially it might be better for you in Kowloon Tong because there are some places in the big shopping centre (Festival Walk) to have coffee etc, and also easier to get to HK Island which is where most of the expat-oriented stuff happens.
I don't know what Hong Lok Yuen is like to live - they have a good supermarket, a clubhouse and an international primary school, and probably some other facilities that I don't know about, but not really a village/cafe atmosphere.
I'm somewhat lucky in that I don't have kids and my husband works in the Tai Po area, so the commute is short for him. We did look at moving to Sai Kung, but the commute to Tai Po put us off.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Thanks Saikunga. I completely understand the "put up or shut up" state as I've had to do that in London. We are originally from Sydney and I've found it challenging to leave both family and friends behind and start a new life here. I guess that's why I'm sooo reluctant to have to do it all again unless it's really worth it. I've just started to settle in here....well as much as a Sydney girl with a VERY active 2 year old can in London with the weather being so horrendous all the time!! Anyway, I could see that in order to have space and any kind of out door life we are going to have to move at least 1/2 hour out of Hong Kong Island - it's just a matter of finding the right fit for us. To summarise the areas I've looked at so far: Discovery Bay - too sterile and too culturally barren, Pok Fu Lam - too many high rises and no sense of village/community, Stanley/Repulse Bay - lovely but too expensive and out of our budget!, Sai Kung/Clearwater - too far and I actually didn't see one westerner the whole time I was out there which was scarey for me. You're obviously out there but I didn't see anyone so that put me off a bit. Being my first time to Hong Kong I'll need to ease in (I'm sure you can relate?) Kowloon was just plain aweful with the highrise thing completely overwhelming. So I guess next trip (in 2 weeks time) we'll look at Hong Lok Yuen and maybe Mui Wo (not sure) and we'll go back to DB and see if we could use it as a "soft landing pad".
Thanks so much for taking the time to share you're experience and insight into HK, I really do appreciate it.
I would like it to work out cause it's my chance to get closer to home again. Cross your fingers for us!!!
TBS
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Wow - 4 under 5!!! I find it tough with one at times - you must be VERY patient!! Congratulations on surviving it!:-)
You have given me alot of places to look at - thank you. I'll see what the prices are like and if they're in our budget will go and check them out.
I'll keep you posted!
Thanks again.
BTS
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BTS
18 yrs ago
ahh I'm still not that great with checking the PMs. Sorry Allynz. Yes we'll be back in 2 weeks on the 15th Dec and will continue our mad search for a nice place to live. It is sounding like I will have to make a BIG adjustment and accept that I'll have to choose between living space and the cosmo life style I'm used to. Oh well...lots of trips into central to get my fix I think!!!
BTS
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Beth,
I seems you have reached the same conclusion I did 6 weeks ago - looks like it's Truman Show Disco Bay for us both.
I have been through the finances several times and it doesn't get more comfortable but we have to believe that there is some career benefit in this further down the line and that's the risk i'm taking. That said my wife hasn't seen DB yet (and I'm not going to show here your comments) so we may be in for an interesting wee while on arrival. Eitherway, too late to turn back now we're going in early Jan and hopefully we'll see you there. At the moment I commute 2 hrs each way to get to the city for 45mins to Saikung wouldn't be too bad!!
All the best, JJ
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Hi JJ, it's actually nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels that Disco Bay is Truman Showish and perhaps knowing that there's other's out there who find it all amusing will make it feel more normal if that makes sense??? You're brave not taking your wife to "look and see" before you move for good though! I don't think my husband would have been so brave :-).
Anyway good luck with your move. We have postponed packing up here in London until we are sure it's definately worth it. As a family we need a little more assurance than "hope" and "speculation". We're passing through HK on the way to Sydney and then again on the way back so I'm hoping that those trips will shed some more light on living in HK.
All the best,
BTS
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Hi BTS - Today is beautifully clear and reminds you how nice it can be here. You have my number - give me a bell when you are back and I'd be happy show you around. As I kiwi I know what you mean but I don't have kids so for us it is worth it for another year then home to rennovate our house with the money we have saved. To answer your q. we currenty have a 45min commute to work but that will be cut to 15m in our new place hopefully allowing for some more time to do some exercise. Also our rent will be half allowing more cash for nice trips. Lots of good public holidays next year that we will take advantage of and I will defintly plan to get out more in the heat of summer and smog of Oct/Nov - I do love only having one real month of winter though.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Thanks so much. I do feel incredibly lucky to be receiving all this info from those who have tread before me!! I'll call you when I get there. p.s this will sound VERY dumb but if I wanted to PM someone how do I do it ie: how do I make the first move? Is it compose and then search for their post name on the list??? Sorry if that's a really stupid question :-)
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cd
18 yrs ago
I have lived near Sha Tin and in Jordan, but have lived right between Clearwater Bay and Sai Kung for 4 1/2 years and wouldn't move to any other area of HK. To BTS,I can't believe you didn't see any westeners out this way, there is a very large percentage of expats here. especially Europeans and Australians. I live in a group of 12 houses, with only 1 chinese family. There is such a good community feel out this way, the shop assistants get to know you, the bar staff get to know you, the air is better etc. It is possible without a car, Central would take about 45 mins by public from our place. Much easier by car, I can get to Wanchai north in 20 mins on a good run, 25 mins to cental, 35 mins to Stanley, 40 mins to the airport (which my husband does every day). Yes Central can take much longer depending on the traffic, but still worth it for the better standard of living. It costs no more to run a small car here than in the UK and is so much easier if you have kids, and as the previous post said, you do get to see a lot more of HK if you have your own transport.
There are several preschools, 1 ESF kindergarden and primary school. ESF secondary school is a 15 min drive away, AIS is 20 mins away. My kids went to GSIS for a while and I could drive there quicker than people who lived in stanley. It really isn't the back of beyond, I don't know why people have the impression its so far away.
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Hi Beth - yes that is the right way to do a private message. I wish I had found these forums before I came - we were lucky to have found a good place and this is why I don't mind sharing my experience. Although coming here is a bit daunting there are so many people in the same boat that generally people are very welcoming and helpful so that is a plus for HK.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Thanks cd. It was a rather unfortunate day trip to Sai Kung as we were rushed and very tired. I think we'll go back out and have a look but without knowing the area it's hard to know where to start. As so many others have said, HK suburbs aren't like English suburbs where there are little cafes and shops that form a centre point for the village etc. So unlike here where we were able to drive around and say "ahhh this is a nice little village/community" and pick our area that way, we are just going off streets and homes and will have no idea what kind of community lives there. Can you give me some clues as to what streets to drive down - baring in mind that we have a budget of 30,000 for a 3 bdrm and would like it to be as spacious as poss (the whole reason we're looking off HK island). Thanks for your input so far and any more info would be much appreciated.
cheers,
BTS
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BTS
18 yrs ago
and thanks Allynz for you thoughts. I'm actually feeling more and more ok with the whole move and having all of this incredible support from other expats whom I haven't even met yet is amazing!! It definately isn't that supportive in London that's for sure!!! It's not NYC.... but as the song says.... if I can make it here (in London), I think I can make it anywhere!!!! Thanks everyone...BTS
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cd
18 yrs ago
The square in Sai kUng has that Village atmosphere you're looking for, there are always many expats sitting outside enjoying breakfast/coffee/lunch/dinner etc in Ali Oli's/Jaspas/Cru etc while the kids play in the little park or race round on their scooters or play basketball. Even Macdonalds has al fresco dining. Would reccommend Sunshine properties and Eastmount as good agents to start looking with, both have websites although not sure how often they're updated. Prices have almost doubled on some places in the last 2-3 years but you should still be able to find a nice property for 30k. There has been a big influx of people moving from the Island which has helped push the prices up.
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Just curious, but does anybody, regardless of geographical location, have a husband who makes it home in time for bathing and reading with the kids? If so, what time do the kids go to bed? What job does he do?
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BTS
18 yrs ago
well mine trys to at least 3 times a week and seen as he gets to the office by 7.30pm it's not too much to ask that he leave in time to see his daughter sometimes!
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cd
18 yrs ago
My husband leaves for work at 7 and gets home at 6.
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RiceT
18 yrs ago
BTS - We're looking at a move to London and went to see the apartments there...wondering how we would possibly fit our stuff in THOSE apartments! : ) Too funny. Anyway, we're in Clearwater Bay (on Sai Kung border) after a move from Central, Hong Kong. Nice here. I THINK, and the SK people can confirm or not, that it's an easier commute if you are closer to where Sai Kung meets Clearwater Bay. There is one main road into SK from the main traffic circle (roundabout) and I think that one road's traffic can add onto the commute. But, if you were closer to Clearwater Bay / SK border, then you have a few more options / ways of getting to HKI (central area); options = good. If you'd like to know more specifics, just PM me. Hubby's commute to Central by train is 25-30 minutes. Drive to the train adds another 15. By car, it's 20-25 minutes to Central, less to North Point. I have found that we get to places on the Island more quickly than some of the people already on the island who are stuck in traffice on the Peak or in Pokfulam or even Happy Valley and Midlevels. I think it's b/c we drive on the outerskirts and then turn in when we reach the part of town we want to visit. Anyway, easy ride, and that's coming from someone who despises commuting. : )
For now, where do you live in London? We're looking at neighborhoods and trying to decide. Where is your flat that feels like a mansion????? Richmond? Hampstead? Need one of those. : )
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Hi RiceT,
we are now living in Hong Kong and were very lucky with what we found here. We magically found a lovely flat in Stanley so I'm over the moon!
I guess we are pretty fortunate with our properties as we also had a VERY large garden apartment right near Wandsworth Common station. It was in an area commonly referred to by real estate agents as "The Nightingale Triangle". Walking distance to the beautiful Wandsworth Common and also walking distance to a very popular little strip called Northcote Road. It's an area that is VERY family friendly and incredibly green. We loved it. It had cafes, restaurants (including one called Chez Bruce which was hailed as "London's best restaurant" last year and some really great schools. So we felt that it had everything we needed and was much more accessible than anywhere in North London. Hampstead, Primrose Hill etc are all extremely expensive!! Richmond's not too bad but a little too far away.
My husband rode a moped to work and it took just 20 minutes for him to get to the city - near Liverpool Street station. But for public transport Clapham/Wandsworth is great because you have the choice of above ground to either Waterloo or Victoria then changing to tube or you can catch the tube straight away.
If you need to ask anything else please do so.
Good luck with your move to London. I'm sure you're prepared for the weather - it's infamous!
Gotta say this Hong Kong winter is a breeze!!!
BTS
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RiceT
18 yrs ago
Hi BTS - Congrats on the move and the find! We're just back from London two weeks ago and were happily surprised that it wasn't too, too cold. Yes, very different from here, but then again, this is the beautiful time (we think) in Hong Kong --- perfect weather. It's the scorching hot and humid weather that we didn't like much.
Thanks SO much for the tip on the neighborhood. I'll look it up; not familiar with it yet. I may be in touch again. Next time by PM. ;)
Welcome to Hong Kong.
BTW, is your old apartment free? : )
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BTS
18 yrs ago
RiceT, fortunately for us we were able to lease out our apartment within a few days. We'd just renovated it so it wasn't hard at all!!
Sorry about that. I'm sure you'll find something though. Best of luck. BTS
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Hi Cara, thanks for the warm welcome. It's great to be here! We're really pleased with Stanley and don't mind the people at weekends - it gives it a buzz. For now it's perfect! You must be close to or have had your baby by now - CONGRATS. B
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Good choice BTS! Welcome and hope that you enjoy your time here!
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Thanks Dora the Explorer!
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