Living in Kennedy town/Merton

Hi All,


We are considering to move to a bigger space in early 2014 and now looking at Kennedy town and Merton as an option.


Wanted to get a feedback as to how K-Town and Merton in specific are in terms of

1. diversity

2. for toddlers

3. Playgroups, play-schools, kindergarten

4. walking around in general (parks , side walks etc)

Hi gdep


I've been living in Kennedy Town (Belcher's) since 2003 when our first child was expected and love it. I have not lived in Merton but came close to buying a unit for investment a few years ago.


Some observations:


1. not as congested as Mid-levels. If you get a sea-facing unit you will have a very open and somewhat interesting outlook

2. the range of places to eat has exploded in recent years - lots of variety in walkable distances

3. there is a public swimming pool complex (a non-issue for me as we have pools in Belcher's)

4. transport to Central is good by bus or tram - taxis can be a bit hard to get hold of in the morning rush hour - and the commute is very short. - The MTR will add another option next year

5. we sent our kids to Victoria pre-school in the basement of Belcher's and have no regrets over that. There are play facilities in Belcher's so I did not look for others nearby although our children have done kids cooking classes locally

6. supermarket in Westwood is good and there are local wet/dry markets as well if you prefer to shop there (I have not used the other supermarkets)

7. historically it was mostly populated by lower income groups compared to Mid-Levels but with a number of new developments that is changing - it is gradualy and obviously moving up market

8. carparking is awful - there is an acute shortage so if you need a car park make sure you get one with the flat

9. there is a small park at the end of Kennedy Town (I do not use that myself as I only have to cross Pok Fu Lam Road to have access to the HK Trail. I can't recall what facilities Merton has

10. I would expect relatively little traffic noise around Merton because it is almost right at the end of Kennedy Town (shipping may or may not be different)

11. sidewalks are mostly average (there is one section near where I live that is too narrow)

12. there are plenty of out-of-school educational providers (English, Music, Chinese etc).


Hope this helps

Thanks TI , very helpful indeed.


Infact Belchers was one of our top choice, but with the same net area as merton 650sq ft around..there are mainly 2 BHKs in Belchers as against 3 BHKs at Merton. Rents are similar or slightly higher at Belchers but still withing 30K for this size.


Looking at 3bhks at belchers the rents go beyond 35K/month which is out of our range..


Is there a preference for ppl staying in Belcher's for admission into Victoria?


thanks

No, not preference for people living in Belcher's to get into Victoria pre-school (at least not when we applied). It was largely a matter of convenience for us.

thanks TI once again

Kennedy Town is an amazing area. I lived there for the first 3 years in the city (Mertons). With the MTR coming in the next year or so, the area will be as convenient as any other on the island.

Thanks Shellyfast .. Is it kid friendly and do you see a lot of families with toddlers around..

Only went to Kennedy Town once to check out apartments in Belchers & Merton - seemed like lots of college kids and expat bars. I'm definitely no expert on the area though.

GENTRIFICATION brings tensions to Kennedy Town


- says Howard Winn, writing in the LAI SEE column


+ Influx of people fleeing high rents in Central and Mid-levels

+ New bars and restaurants give it the name: "new Soho or Lan Kwai Fung"


District Councillor Chan Hok-fung (DAB) is "gaining a reputation as a scourge for some bar owners"


Quay West Bar - has received an objection from building residents

- A "deterioration in serenity and environmental sanitation"


Chan says he is not against all Western bars, only "the noisy ones" that do not obey the requirements of the licensing laws. He doesn't like the outside drinking.


(It sounds like the sort of rowdy crowds that surrounded London pubs.)

Kennedy Town is a big DAB stronghold and, to be fair to the DAB, they are quite strong on local issues. Residents fighting back in Happy Valley saw the Happy Valley Bar and Grill lose its licence. So many bars now. LKF and Soho have almost merged along eastern Hollywood Road and now spreading to the western end. The Centre Street escalator is also kicking in. We may have a bubble in bars to be honest. We can only drink so much beer.

"Hik!"

That's good to knnnoooww.