Posted by
BTS
18 yrs ago
Hi there,
my husband is being relocated to HK so like many others we are trying to work out the best place for us to live.
We are in our early 30's and have a 2 year old daughter. Although we are a family we don't feel quite ready to retire into the shadows and stop socialising with single people!! :-) However, we don't want to live in a high rise. A low-rise duplex with small outdoor space or at least accessibility to it would suit us best. We've been told to look at Discovery Bay and Park Island but I'm afraid that I'll be desperate for a decent cup of coffee and my hubby will be nackered from all the travel to and from work. I love the look of Repulse Bay but the rents are too high for us. Our maximum is 30,000 and we want 3 bedrooms. Can anyone advise us on a suitable area please???
Thanks Ex-pats!
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lace
18 yrs ago
What makes you think you can't get a decent cup of coffee in Discovery Bay?
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Don't rule out the hi-rise option. If you are up high enough you get great views and a real feeling of space and many of the buildings have good facilities like pools, playgrounds, gyms, bbq areas I know of one that even has a bowling alley. You wont get that living in your own low-rise. If that is definatley what you want then check out the Gold Coast (not just the actual GC complex but the buildings around it) and also Sai Kung.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Hi thanks for you post. Actually another Ex-Pats who wrote a thread said that the "Dark Side" of Discovery Bay was that there was no decent coffee shops and only 2 bars so if you feel like just chilling out with a news paper there aren't many options. Obviously I don't know if that's completely true or not which is why I'm asking for other advice. At this stage a high rise with a 2 year old sounds dangerous but we're open to suggestions. The area is the most important thing and then the clubs that we could become members of. Do you know any good links for the Gold Coast and Sai Kung that I could look at???
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qvong
18 yrs ago
Hello BTS. Okay keep in mind many expats here have young children and many live in high rises so if you are refraining from high rises for the sake of your two year old then need not be afraid. Most places have window locks etc..etc and great views.
Being myself in my early 30's with two little ones and here for the first time I feel that the Mid-Levels is a great place to start. It's convenient and LKF and Wanchai are right down the street so you still get the night life to appease the partying side of you. However your budget will limit you to the Mid-Levels as rent is quite hight here but you can go older building with less amenities. You will not find a place with a yard unless you go somewhere such as the South Side, Gold Coast and Sai Kung.
Where you live depends on the lifestyle you want, where your husband will be working and how far and long of a commute you want.
Keep in mind the more convenient you want to live the smaller the flat will get for your money.
I highly recommend if you have not been to HK previously try for the Mid-Levels and then go from there after yo acclamate yourself to the area.
Good Luck!!
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Thank you for your advise. I think we will try to stay in a serviced apartment for first 6 weeks in the Mid-Levels and see how we like it. I have been corresponding with a lady who lives in Discovery Bay and she has lived in HK for 11+ years and says it's the best place she's ever lived. With a little one it's important to have outdoor play areas and just be able to sit outside with them. They need it and drive you crazy without it. Hence my reluctance to go for th highrise. However.....some of the highrises do have amazing facilities and play areas for children. I imagine the Mid-Levels to be very congested and wall to wall highrises with very little outdoor space - is that true??? In a nutshell I need to find a happy compromise between somewhere good for our 2 year old (this includes a decent school too) and somewhere that's good socially for us too!! It's always tricky in any city but feedback from other ex-pats will help us to narrow down the choices and prevent us from wasting time and energy looking at the wrong areas. Our budget is max. 30,000 so I'm pretty sure the south side and probably the mid-levels is out of our price range anyway. I'm not so interested in the Gold Coast or Sai Kung as they're too far but Discovery Bay or Repulse Bay etc sound good. Any input more than welcome! Cheers
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Throughout mid-levels there are lots of 'sitting out areas' these are the substitues for parks. There is also the Hong Kong Park adn the Botanical Gardens/Zoo for a bit of space and if you go up tot he Peak there is the most grass I have seen anywhere in HK. HK is very green but there is not much grass. Everything is advertised by the building. ON HK Island some buildings you should look at are; Robinson 80 in Mid-levels, Parkview behind Happy Valley and Bel Air out near Cyberport/Aberdeen. Good plan to have 6 weeks ina serviced apartment first though because you really need to see HK for yourself to make a decision.
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Brit
18 yrs ago
I would agree that Mid levels is the place to start and 80 Robinson rd is a great building. Consider Pokfulam though - its only 15 mins from central but is greener/quieter and for 30k you should get 1500sqft (though not at belair)
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BTS
18 yrs ago
thanks everyone. Really appreciate your feedback. I'm starting to get a sense of HK now. My instincts tell me that the Mid-Levels would be great for my hubby and I as a couple but not for me as a mum. I'm in London at the moment and the one thing I know for sure is that my toddler needs to run around outside ALOT!!! In winter it's just aweful because we are stuck inside 80% of the time. We both go crazy if she can't run around and expell all that toddler energy!! I think getting around in the hustle and bustle on a daily basis may be too hard for us as well. BUT...I will def. have a look though and I will also def. look at Pokfulam too. 15 minutes from central is great!! Does anyone know a good agent who can help us line up some apt.s to look at so we don't waste any time when we come out there for a quick "look and see" next month???
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I can't recommend a specific agent but can assure you there is no shortage. Just head to Robinson or Caine Road's by the escalator and you will find dozens of agents and lots of pictures and prices in the windows to give you an idea.
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mrsl
18 yrs ago
BTS, what part of London are you in (i.e. how much green space do you have, how long is your husband's commute)? One thing in HK is that the commute is much shorter (on HK Island and parts of Kowloon, NT). People who have been here for a while are shocked that we have a 20 (sometimes 25) minute drive to Central. Even if we had lived in Mayfair, it would have taken longer to get to the City of London. So it depends on what you are after.
If you do decide on the southside, do not believe what you ahve been advised (on the DB forum, I think) about there being no ballet, music classes etc. for the children. I find that I do not have to go to Central if I do not want to (I do go though, mostly so that the children can see their father for lunch once a week).
You have probably done a property search, but this site and www.hongkonghomes.com, will give you an idea of what your money will get you in certain areas. I personally hate midlevels, and I am with you on the lowrise thing, even though some of the highrises have much better facilities. All we really want is a pool and space for the children to play. It's a lifestyle thing, I would much rather look out to sea than at Central, not to mention the air quality. Horses for courses.
It is also worth investigating places like Clearwater Bay and Sai Kung. You get a little more for your money and it is not too far to Central (cannot comment on rush hour traffic though). Not sure how long you plan on staying, but if you were considering the Australian International School, for example, you should definitely consider these areas as the school run would be a lot shorter than if you lived here on the island. Then again, if you are renting, you can always move.
A serviced apartment in mid-levels is worth trying, if you want to litmus test it as an area in which to live. DeRicou in the Repulse Bay complex, also rents serviced apartments, if you would rather try the Southside. Good luck with the move. It's a pretty easy place to move to.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Thank you. I completely agree with all that you've said. We have ALOT of greenery around us here in London as we live right near Wandsworth Common. My husband rides a moped here so for him to get to the city it takes 20 minutes max. He said he doesn't mind the thought of getting a ferry to and from work and as he'll be flying alot too DB is close to the airport. We've also just found out that his company have an apt in Central so we can stay there for the first 6 weeks and get a feel for HK before we move and settle. I'm really keen to try and get it right first up because we have moved soooo often that I am getting a bit over it. From what I've been advised I've narrowed it down to DB, Repulse Bay, Pakfulam (sorry if my spelling is all over the place). Sai Kung sounds too small for me as apparently it's like a little fishing village. I'm quite social and really need to be around people and I'm also really keen not to be putting my little girl in and out of a car. I do have to do that alot here in London and it's quite boring. DB is appealing because of the no car thing but like everything it is a double edge sword isn't it. Will I be too isolated??? I don't know but I'll def. go and have a look. We have scheduled a VERY quick "look and see" for mid November without our little one so I'll get a bit more of a feel then. Plus we have 6 weeks after arrival to really get the picture. I'm VERY excited about this move and I feel that I'll be happy in HK. Hope so cause we're there for a few years!!! Thanks again for your input, Beth.
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When I first lived in the Mid-Levels twenty years ago it was very much different. Nothing would induce me to live there now. It is very crowded due to rampant overdevelopment. And very overpriced - since landlords like to take advantage of newly arrived expats who are wary of straying too far from the CBD. Mid-levels is popular with people who work in Central and who want a short stagger/taxi ride home from the bars of Lan Kwai Fong. There are some sitting-out areas but you will be choked on the exhaust fumes and you may find yourself chatting to domestic helpers with kids/dogs, which is fine but you might sometimes prefer the company of other expats.
Sai Kung isn't a little fishing village. It was very popular with expat airline crew members but many moved to DB when the new airport opened. There are some great restaurants and shops there which people from outside SK love to visit at the weekends. For commute might be too much for your hubby.
Repulse Bay is a lovely area. You may not have a wide choice of properties there due to budget, also you will probably want a car there so you would need to make sure a parking space is included. The buildings are spread out and you may not find there is as much of a community feeling as say SK or DB, so you might feel a little isolated.
FYI, owning a car in HK is not cheap. Parking spaces are expensive and in some areas very hard to obtain. Car parks are not always handy for shopping. But then some people seem to be quite happy to sit in the queue for the carpark at Pacific Place shopping mall at the weekend. In twenty years we've owned a car only briefly - for us it's not worth the expense or the hassle (if we want a car for a weekend, we rent). Public transport is cheap and plentiful. Taxis are very cheap by London standards - the flagfall with first 2km on HK Island and Kowloon is HK$15 (about 1 quid) and $1.4 (10p) for every 200 metres. A telephone booking is an additional $5 (34p).
DB is a separate development - unlike the other places mentioned - with a mix of low and high rise accommodation. Plenty of green spaces, a small beach and a residents' club, golf club and marina club. The ferry is quite nice, it's fully enclosed, air-conditioned with cushioned seats. It runs very frequently at peak times and less frequently around the clock. Bit more of a sense of community there, with the Plaza as a focal point, and many expats. As with any place, some people love it and some hate it. For your budget, you should be able to find a 3-bed, 1 ensuite at DB.
Its website has more information and a photo gallery.
http://www.dbay.com.hk/dblifestyleapp/default.asp
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cd
18 yrs ago
Don't dismiss Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay without coming and having a good look. After having lived out this way for 4 1/2 years (after 2 years in Jordan and 2 years in Shatin) I wouldn't live anywhere else. I live 10 min drive from Sai Kung, which is a lovely village, good butchers, bakers, big wellcome, wet market,some nice bars and great restaurants.including Central ones like Cru, Jaspas and Pepperonis. It has a good public swimming pool, library, ballet school, yoga place etc. There are international Kindergardens. Hill walking close by, good beaches especially if you take the sampans from Sai Kung pier or Hebe Haven, the Country park. Both Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay have a huge amount of expats, but its very friendly, the shop keepers get to know you, you always bump into someone you know for a chat and despite people thinking its miles away it really isn't. It does help to have a car, but the running costs of one are comparable to the UK, and virtually all apartments, villas etc out here have at least one designated parking. Car park charges haven't really changed in the 9 years I've been here, and a lot of the time you can get free parking from shopping. I can drive to Stanley in 30mins, Wanchai in 22 mins and Central in 25 mins. (not through x harbour tunnel. My husband goes to the airport every day and it takes him 35 mins.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
ok will check out Sai Kung but I'm certain my hubby will want to be closer to the airport as he'll be travelling ALOT!! Sounds like a lovely place to live. Do you know what style of Yoga school it is?? ie: Hatha, Ashtanga, Bikram etc I love Yoga and def. want to have classes near by.
cheers,
Beth
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cd
18 yrs ago
The yoga place in Sai Kung is called The Studio, don't know any details, my daughter goes to a place in Clearwater Bay, known as The Red House (i'll try and find out the real name from her), its $3,888 for 6 months, and you can go as many times a week as you like, they hold classes during the day and evenings. Not sure what style it is.
I don't think 35 mins travel time to work is too much.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Sorry Patrick I haven't received anything from you. Please try sending the listings through again to bethbrodie06@aol.com
thanks so much,
Beth
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Thank you cd. I'd appreciate that info if it's possible. I'm going to try to look at the yoga schools when I check out each area.
all the best,
Beth
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Beth, my wife and I are doing the same, I have been here for the for the last 4 weeks looking for a place, return to london on wednesday then we'll move out here with our new nipper in jan. If you have 6 weeks when you get here thats bags of time to chose the right area, best just to wander around and get a feel. Personally i find central, midlevels etc like canary warf on speed and have looked further afield. South of the island is great but £££, clear water bay fantasic but a wee bit far away, disco bay is a bit like somehthing out of the Truman Show (that jim carey film) but gets my vote - very child friendly, no cars, clear air and you'll find a nice place for 30K - not quite Wandsworth but a cool alternative for a few years. Good luck.
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BTS
18 yrs ago
Thanks so much for that. I laughed out loud at your descriptions. I actually said to my husband that DB sounds like something out of the Truman Show!!! I have a very strong feeling we'll be moving to DB though as it does sound like the best option, especially having the airport so close too. We'll have to meet up after we're all settled and compare notes. Good Luck JeffaJeffa!!
Beth
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cd
18 yrs ago
To BTS, it sounds like you've already chosen but just in case, I think the web site for the Red House in Clearwater Bay is www.yogalimbs.com
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