Feedback needed on apartments

Hi,

We have just relocated to Hong Kong last week and are looking for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom plus maid's room to cater for a family of 4 with 2 young kids (ages 4 & 6). Our budget is up to $55,000 each month but we are undecided on whether to rent in The Belchers, Kennedy Town (HKU MTR) vs Harbourside or Waterfront, Kowloon (above Kowloon Station).

I will be working in Admiralty but my daughter's school is in Kowloon Tong. I like the feel of the less densely populated (and concrete jungle) of Kennedy Town but my husband likes the convenience of living in Kowloon. Any recommendations and/or suggestions?

Any assistance is appreciated!!

You might also check out some properties near Olympic Station (one stop from Kowloon Station):

3BR flats at Park Avenue/Central Park, OSS, Imperial Cullinan, or The Long Beach

Thanks for your feedback! Will check them out.

I personally feel Kowloon living is preferable as you have larger complexes with more facilities (great for the kids) and you can get better value when compared to hk island! If you need any other reccomandations I could also recommend Hung Hom Royal Peninsula in particular with good sized room which are hard to find sometimes in luxury developments! Or even Masterpiece in Tsim Sha Tsui it's just one stop from your work.

Finally you should check if the school has school buses to the areas you are looking at as it can be a hassle otherwise

A slightly late response but hopefully it helps.

Similar situation to yours. I work in offices at Olympic and Central. and Little One goes to school in Kowloon Tong.

Must have viewed at least 20 - 30 properties all over Hong Kong (Pok Fu Lam, Happy Valley, Kennedy Town, Mid Levels, Lantau Island, Mong Kok, Shim Shui Po, Tsim Tsa Tsui), before deciding to choose Sorrento @ Kowloon Station in AUG-14.

Main reasons for choosing Sorrento at Kowloon Station were:

1) Location Work - Easy to get to both Olympic and Central. Admiralty from Kowloon Station would be one stop to Hong Kong, then a 5 minute walk to Central and a 2 minute ride to Admiralty.

2) Facilities - I Love the clubhouse sauna and swimming pool (only open in warm weather). Lil One takes swimming, tennis, art and karate classes all at the club house. Sorrento has some of the best kids options as far as club houses go.

3) Schools - School bus does a pick up from Elements Mall @ Kowloon Station to Kowloon Tong. Loads of private schools have pick ups there so there is a small community of kids and Moms who get to know each other from seeing themselves every day. Taking the train is a convoluted option which we tried for the first month until my Lil One told me that all the 'cool kids' took the school bus which made everyone's lives easier.

4) Airport & Guests - Two stops on the Airport Express. Perfect for visiting guests to get themselves here on the train.

5) Quality of Life - Although HK is very dense and we are surrounded by high towers, I do have to say that I find the open spaces, large public playground and the Civic Centre rooftop restaurants a nice break from the chaos. Also there is a fabulous hidden garden near by where the older locals do Tai Chi in the early mornings. The cinema and ice skating rink are nice too. If you and the hubby go out at nights, the Ozone Bar at IFC is nice. The breakfast brunch at the W Hotel is lovely too.

6) Grocery Shopping & High End - Elements Mall is too high end for day to day grocery shopping but 360 is a nice grocers (more like Waitrose), for ocassional items. For regular grocery shopping we go to Taste at Olympic which is just one stop away on the MTR and a lot more affordable. The upside of Elements being so high end is that it never really gets too crowded compared to a lot of the other malls which can feel like you are in the middle of a train station. If you live above a mall, trust me, you will notice how densely packed it is after a while.

Other buildings worth looking at are The Cullinan which looks very very swish.

I paid 35,000 HKD for a 3 bed plus maid room last year and I see similar properties going for about 30,000 HKD now.

Do let us know which option you go/went with eventually and why.

A year in, I am considering looking at places in Olympic Station, largely because I like its proximity to Jordan and Mong Kok, but I still think Kowloon Station (Sorrento, The Cullinan, etc) is a wonderful and family friiendly place to live in.

Rentals Link
http://www.squarefoot.com.hk/search/?type=rent;area=2;rent_min=25000;saleable_min=700;sort=pa;perpage=30;from=211;districts[]=66;districts[]=10;from=241

The Reasons make sense.

But I am surprised you could not find something suitable in the Olympic station area

The 3BR flats at Long Beach should be worth a look, and maybe Park Avenue too