Posted by
Miamour9hk
15 yrs ago
What is the general expat point of view about living in Kennedy Town (aka K-town)? How much would a single person willing to pay for a 2 bedroom 550sq-ish apt of a move-in-with-suitcase condition?
I recently bought a small 2 bedroom apartment there, did a complete makeover for the flat which makes me feel welcome every evening when I got home from an exhausted day.... anyway the traffic to Central/ Sheung Wan is a bit annoying... I really wish the MTR will go through the soonest they can. Long story short, I wanna discuss with people who have a brief idea of k-town and some insights about rental in k-town. Cheers.
Please support our advertisers:
I don't get it.
I fail to understand the expat obsession with tiny, tired, and old flats in over-priced Midlevels, or grotty Sheung Wan and K-Town.
Why pay through the nose for something like that, and tie yourself into a long, frustrating and unpredictable commute? I reckon it is because most expats in HK are very sheeplike, and follow the crowds (of other expats) and are unwilling to think for themselves.
Friends I know who live in Kowloon Central, Olympic, and even Tsing Yi like it. They pay far less rent for a modern flat, and zip into Central using the airconditioned MTR.
In the end, it is a matter of taste and comfort. But I can tell you when hundreds of people call someplace "the dark side", and have never even investigated it, there may be an opportunity in going someplace that the sheeple-with-big-housing-allowances avoid.
But, hey, the (lazy) Estate Agents won't tell you this, will they?
Please support our advertisers:
Depends on the condition. Before MTR I'd say 8,000 easily. If it's quite spacious and has a great view then maybe above 10,000 - but I'm not up to speed on Kennedy Town rents. OffThePeak. I can see your argument but I'd take Kennedy Town over West Kowloon and Tsing Yi any day. Firstly, I think there is some more upside in the prices given the fewer number of flats and secondly, it's on the island and has quite a good school network. The MTR should be up and running by 2014/2015 I think.
Please support our advertisers:
LGMV, Have you ever visited West Kowloon?
Maybe I should go you a tour.
Please support our advertisers:
I've been to West Kowloon OTP, I don't like the area and I have to agree with LGMV. First of all, it's a major reclaimed land, nearly all the new property developed there are built on top of a shopping mall or share a shopping mall with another housing complex. I like the convenience of being close to Central (for work) and the pure residential living environment at K-Town or Sai Ying Pun. I hate to say but going home after a hard day at work through a crowded busy shopping mall is so not my cup of tea. When I go home, I just want the homey feeling and not racing through tourists wandering downstairs of my home!
Please support our advertisers:
I live there, and so know the area better.
I might not choose one of the places you have seen. And you should admit (if it is true) that you have not seen them all.
I think many people in HK have fixed opinions based on heresay, that they have not investigated.
I call myself "Off the Peak", because I used to live there -on Barker Road, where the most expensive property was recently sold. I can tell you that I prefer where I live now, for a number of reasons. Only only of them is that it is far cheaper to live here. That is of some importance.
Having a very easy commute to Central - it is much quicker from Olympic than from the Peak, and also much quicker than midlevels, from my own experience, is a big plus. Taking a few steps near shopping is hardly a minus, when you compare it with the problems getting a bit of food on the Peak.
Please support our advertisers:
OffThePeak. I'm sure there is lots around there that is interesting - and you are right it is convenient. I quite like the idea that it has become some kind of mainland colony (have you ever been to the bus station there - you hear nothing but Mandarin). Anyway, each to their own. I still think the downside with West Kowloon, though, is the school network but - to tell the truth - I'm not familiar. In HK, a good school network really puts a floor under the value of the flat - especially if it is over 700 sq ft (ie big enough for a family).
Please support our advertisers:
OTP, I'm a local, born and raised in HKG. You think I don't know, I KNOW! Yes, much cheaper to live in west Kln, point taken. I've been to all the new and old complex there, they all look the same to me, however the way they're named (usually they have pretty names that ppl don't even know it refers to an apt complex) anyhow, I would prefer the east than the west, Kwun Tong, Tiu Keng Lan for example.
Please support our advertisers:
Okay. It is your own choice, of course.
I have lived on the Peak, in Tung Chung, and now in West Kowloon, and my own experience is you don't really get to know the merits of a place until you live there. Perhaps if I tried K-town I would love it. And if that's where you want to live, I wish you well there. Certainly, if you are happy there now, it should become even more convenient once the new MTR is finished,
Please support our advertisers:
OTP-I guess fresh air isnt a top priority for you? Dont you miss the fresh air just a bit?
Where to live and where to invest are two totally different issues. Sheung wan and K-Town, although i would never live there, offer a better long term property investment in my opinion. IMO renting out property in hong kong is the best and easiest way to see gains. Expats are always going to want to be located near the Central/soho area. With the MTR going to K-town, im sure you'll see that area and sheung wan further develop. with the buildable land on hk island only being around 20%, and the poplulation of hk set to dramatically increase over the next decade, that seems the better investment in my eyes.
that being said, i wouldnt get a place smaller than 600 feet in k-town. you need to offer size to a renter, or else they'll just take soho/midlevels
Please support our advertisers:
appreciate your insight bawlucks.
Please support our advertisers:
Bawluck is right. I have 2 small flats one very close to the escaltor and the other 10 minutes walk away on Bonham Road. I can rent the former in days whereas it usually takes a couple of weeks to rent the other (though hopefully that will change with the new MTR). To lure a tenant from Mid-levels to Kennedy Town, you're either going to have to offer more spent or a much lower price. On size, I would say at least 650-700 sq ft gross would equal 450 sq ft gross in SOHO/Mid-levels (all things being equal). As a general rule of thumb, I would say the flat would have to be at least 40-50% bigger to bring in the same rent - if that makes sense.
Please support our advertisers:
Fresh air?
I have plenty. I am next to the sea on the 50th floor.
The air must be much fresher than in Central, Midlevels, Sheung Wan, K-town etc.
In terms of commuting, the time from door-to-door to get into Central, say the FCC (where I was yesterday to hear about property opportunities in Japan), must be far less than from the places that you mention. That is one of the advantages of being close to Kowloon Station, or Olympic. Another, is the easy transport to the airport.
Please support our advertisers:
THe 'sea' is nasty. :0 the only thing helping the air quality in hk are the trees lol
I am moving to old peak road this week and really hope to be getting a little better air quality.
That being said, i have been in those apartments near the FCC and am quite impressed. im sure you have a really nice flat.
Please support our advertisers:
You must be logged in to be able to reply.
Login now
Copy Link
Facebook
Gmail
Mail