NYC to HK Move

Single male moving to HK on Dec. 1 - living in corp housing for 30 days, then on my own.


Will be working in Kowloon...I am used to a short commute, and living in an area that is young (20's to 30's), popular and filled with nightlife and restaurants.


Based on what I have read, I would think that would mean Soho would be the best place to live as the commute to Kowloon wouldn't be that far and the area is popular.


However, am I wrong in my thinking? Should I be looking at other places like Stanley or in Kowloon or anywhere else?


Budget would be ~ 30k/month and from what i understand rents have been drastically reduced - in neighborhood of 50% of asking so my 30k budget may go down for the same type of place...


any advice on the above (thoughts of where to live and the downward movements of rents) would be greatly appreciated.

Hi yaost,


I've lived in Hong Kong for nearly 25 years but have never lived in Kowloon so I have no idea what it's like over there.


Yes, Soho/Mid-Levels would be a good place for you as it's definitely full of nightlife and restaurants. However, you might want to consider living further away in order to get a bigger flat and/or better environment. It really depends on how far you're willing to travel each day. As Ken has asked, where exactly will you be working? Kowloon is a big place.


I'm a property agent, and I'm sending you a pm with a list of flats to give you an idea of what to expect.

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I recognize value can be had by travelling away from the central district but would like to keep the commute to ~ 30 mins. I would be in the ICC bldg in Kowloon.

Soho or Midlevels would be the best option for you for now. It will take about 30 mins to ICC using the escalator and Tung Chung line MTR. Although there are lots of new apts near the ICC, there is not really much in the way of entertainment except for a few sterile bars and restaurants in the Elements mall at ICC. They may of course become more lively when the ICC is actually finished and occupied and living near may become a good option later but I think rents there are not cheap and 30K will not get you an awful lot in the near future, unless you don't mind living in a 700 sqft home, crammed with 2 bedrooms, smaller than a 1 bedroom in Manhattan.


Good Luck