Hi everyone
Please help me, I need some advice from some people over there in HK.
OK, before I ask my questions, here's some background information:
I currently live in Australia. I've been to HK twice before, but each time only for about a week for a short holiday. Once in July 2005 and once just last month in June 2006. Loved it both times.
I'm coming to Hong Kong to stay for 3 months from mid Aug to mid Nov, because a girl and I are going to sorta try to start a relationship, and she is moving to HK in mid Aug. We've known each other 6 months here in Australia and decided to give it a go. For many months she has planned to move to HK indefinitely in mid August.
If it works out after the 3 months, maybe I'll come to HK to live, as she intends to live in HK for at least a few years.
I basically live on investments and can monitor them from anywhere in the world, as long as I have my laptop. But that does mean I am paying for my own accommodation, not getting some package from a multi-national company!
My intention for this 3 month period is to live in a serviced apartment.
Also, I workout every day. I am a member of Fitness First over here in Australia and that gives me the right to attend any of the 7 Fitness First gyms around Hong Kong (Sheung Wan, TST, North Point, Taikoo Place, Central, Causeway Bay, and Nathan Rd Kowloon).
The girl (let's call her Nat, because that's her name) will be based in Kowloon Bay. I also have friends over near the far east end of the island MTR line. So it seemed really logical to me that I stay near either the Quarry Bay or North Point MTR stations, since they both are on the Island line (approximately half way between central/LKF where all the action is and the eastern end of the island line where my other friends live), and also since I can get to Kowloon Bay by just hopping straight on to the purple line and changing trains just once to the green line up to Kowloon Bay.
Actually these two stations seem to be 2 of only 5 stations on the entire MTR system where you can get to any other station with a maximum of only one train change.
OK, so I asked a friend of mine here in Australia who grew up in Hong Kong which is better, North Point or Quarry Bay and she instantly said Quarry Bay is much better. Also, the Fitness First in Quarry Bay is in the PCCW building in Taikoo Place which is nice and close to the Quarry Bay station exit A. The Fitness First in North Point seems to be quite a distance from the North Point MTR station. In fact it is almost at the Fortress Hill Station.
So all of this led me to the point that I thought Quarry Bay was going to be the place for me.
So does all of the above logic seem right to you? Is there anything I've missed? Is there any reason why Quarry Bay maybe isn't a good place to stay?
Does anyone have any suggestions for a good place to stay for three months mid Aug to mid Nov? I definitely need a decent broadband internet connection. I'd like a 1 bedroom place, maybe 700 square feet or so. Something with its own laundry facilities in the building or a place to get it done nearby. And somewhere as close as possible to the Fitness First in the PCCW building in Taikoo Place as well as exit A of the Quarry Bay MTR station.
Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated :)
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Taikoo Place is just a group of office buildings so the nearest place I can think of is Harbour Plaza Hotel. It has serviced apartments - studio (338sf), one-bed (750+ sf) and two-bed (1100sf). All have in-room broadband internet connections. Guests have access to coin-operated laundry, fitness centre, sauna. There is also a 25m swimming pool.
About 10 mins walk to Taikoo Place which has some good places to eat.
The next nearest place I can think of is Grand Plaza which is at Kornhill (Taikoo Shing MTR).
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Hey Claire thanks for your help. Can I ask a really dumb question. I notice that exit C of Quarry Bay station is a long way from the other exits - it must a be a long tunnel that emerges near Harbour Plaza. Can I enter the station at exit C, not catch a train, just walk through it all the way to exit A and then just take the covered walkway through to my gym in PCCW building in Taikoo Place? I'm thinking about avoiding heat, humidity and/or rain.
Here's another really dumb question. If I stay at Grand Plaza which is next to Taikoo MTR, and I want to go to Kowloon station, I've got to take a one stop ride on the island line, change to the purple line, then change to the green line at Yau Tong. Is this a pain to do? I read somewhere that changing from the Island line to the Purple line at North Point is easy, but at Quarry bay is a bit of a pain (have to walk a long way including stairs or something).
Any help would be great. :)
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1) There is no access to Exit C via Exit A & B, if you've passed through the exit gates (ticket barrier). If you go through the barrier at Exit C and get out at Exit A, you will be charged the minimum fare, $4 I think.
2) Yes, there is a long walk to change lines at Quarry Bay (if you stay at Grand Plaza). But I recall there is a lift between the platforms - so unsurprisingly there is usually quite a queue.
FYI, this is not a putdown but just some friendly info because you had me checking out the MTR website for the "Purple" and "Green" lines. The MTR lines have names: the Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Island, Tung Chung, Tseung Kwan O and Disneyland Resort Lines - which I'm guessing you won't be using...
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Thanks Claire. I knew about the lines having names, I was just being lazy by not looking them up :) No offence taken, I'll use the proper names. Ok, now that I have that info, 3 new questions/scenarios:
1. Let's say I'm staying at Harbour Plaza and want to walk to PCCW Building in Taikoo Place to go to the gym (imagine I'm carrying my sports bag full of towels, toiletries, change of clothes, etc). Let's say it's a nice day, I just walk down King's Road right? Should take me like 10 minutes or so? But let's say I decide it's too hot/humid/rainy/streets too narrow/dirty/whatever, then I can just stump up my HK$4 and cheat by entering exit C which is right next to Harbour Plaza, then exiting exit A without catching a train, taking the covered walkway to PCCW building and feeling nice and fresh for my work out :) Maybe that's bit of a time saving too? Have I got it right?
2. Let's say I stay at Grand Plaza, and suddenly I'm feeling like going to Kowloon Bay. I get on the train at Taikoo Station. Would it be worth my while to avoid the whole line change thing at Quarry Bay by actually staying on the train an extra stop to North Point, where I can just walk straight across the platform on to the Tseun Kwan O line to Yau Tong, then changing to the Kwun Tong line to Kowloon Bay. Which option would be quicker?
3. OK, you're starting to get a feel for my life now :) What do you think is better Harbour Plaza or Grand Plaza? So far this is what I've come up with:
HARBOUR PLAZA
Pros
1. walk directly to Quarry Bay MTR therefore only 1 train change needed to get to Kowloon Bay
2. maybe get nice view over harbour
3. for HK$4 I can walk all the way covered to PCCW building in Taikoo Place (avoiding heat, humidity and/or rain) entering exit C of Quarry Bay MTR and departing exit A of same station then get covered walkway through Taikoo Place
Cons
1. mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com including some cleanliness issues
2. have to walk down long concourse C to get to MTR station
GRAND PLAZA
Pros
1. directly above Taikoo Station therefore in the train in 1 minute
2. maybe (??) looks a little nicer inside than harbour plaza
3. the one and only review on tripadvisor.com said it was great
Cons
1. have to change train twice to get to Kowloon Bay station including painful 5 minute change from island line to purple line at Quarry Bay although maybe can change lines at North Point which is straight across the platform but one extra train stop to the west
2. no view
3. Could be a bit of a pain walking to PCCW building and back each day through heat/humidity/rain as I don't think it is covered (I could be wrong though)
By the way, I definitely WILL check out Disneyland while I'm there... ^_^
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1. Don't assume the MTR walkway is nicely air-conditioned. Don't assume the MTR way is the most direct/fastest route. A bus from outside the Harbour Plaza will take to to within 3-4 minutes walk of the entrance to the office buildings (one stop). A minibus is even closer to Taikoo Place.
2. I think many people do the same. HK people aren't too keen on the whole walking thing (hence the queue at the lift) and will take the extra time to go to North Point so they can get a seat. It doesn't cost extra.
Grand Plaza isn't directly above the MTR. See:
http://www.mtr.com.hk/jplanner/jplanner/images/maps/tak.gif
Grand Plaza is No. 1 on the map and the MTR station is actually around E1,2,3 and several escalators down. Taikoo MTR station is very spread out.
If you are staying at Grand Plaza, you can take the bus. Lots stop on King's Road around the Exit C and stop metres from the covered walkway.
As for Disneyland... No. Ocean Park - yes. Disney - No. ^~^
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AYM
19 yrs ago
Just want to make a note to the cons of Harbour Plaza, it's right next to a funeral home. Many people really mind this.
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Just a note that if you stay at Grand Plaza, they have an in house gym (7/F I think). You can perhaps suspend your Fitness First membership for a few months, and just workout downstairs.
Between Grand Plaza and Harbour Plaza, I would prefer Grand Plaza. It is connected to Jusco where the supermarket is great (just don't go on the weekends), and through the MTR tunnel you can get to City Plaza, which is a big shopping mall selling almost everything you would need.
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Thanks for all your help...I'm still searching but getting closer :)
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KornHill is quite nice, My Parants used to live there, we were in Phase 1, the larger units on the mountain, looking down to CityPlaza. walking distance from MTR. But may i ask why Quarrybay or taikooshing?? There are no expat population there, in case you are looking for that.
we too are also debating where to live, currently in between Toronto and HK, moving to HK soon (cannot wait)
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