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Moving to HK with New born twins - Need advice where to live!

  1. #9
    nicolejoy's Avatar
    nicolejoy is offline Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    North Point
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    1,751

    I have to agree with HC - I rarely go to the southside and have found it to be SUCH a pain from North Point (just one stop away from Quarry Bay). Public transport is sloooowww - and there are often traffic jams if you go by taxi. It seems like there are always two heavy vehicles on the road at the dam, and one of them has to reverse the entire way ;) One time we were stuck there in one spot for about 20 minutes just waiting for these two trucks to figure out who was going to give way to who. I love the area, I think it's gorgeous - but if I had to work every day on this side of the island, I'd probably give it a miss... there are plenty of options which are WAY more convenient.


  2. #10
    tenten is offline Registered User
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    Apr 2010
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    HK
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    64

    Congrats on your upcoming move! I second evgreen on Stanley/Tai Tam as a lovely place to live.
    In all honesty, everyone has different requirements, preferences and deal breakers with regards to areas to live. It's hard to gauge from afar, so take your time to find the right area. Suggest a serviced apartment for the first few weeks to allow yourself some time to check the various areas out.
    I find that a good property agent makes a huge difference - not to generalize but a newcomer to HK is often shocked at the state of HK rental apartments ( they can be very old and basic, circa 1970s or cookie cutter tiny in newer
    developments) so finding the right agent to show you round makes things easier.
    Take a look at Habitat-Property.com - they cater to the Expat market and focus on a few select areas in HK. The budget that you've indicated throws up quite a few nice options in Stanley, so worth giving them a shout. And no, I'm not affiliated in any way to Habitat! Just been here long enough and find their services useful and spot on for "a typical Expat".
    re Stanley/Tai Tam - it's on the Southside of the island so very low density, great sea views, beaches and a very relaxed way of life compared to the hustle and bustle that is HK. Great for families as a result.
    Getting to Quarry Bay is not bad as you're going against traffic, although yes, if you're trying to get to Central, I can see why others would consider it a distance but it's still only at best 40mins in lousy traffic. And coming from London, i guess that is not so bad, no?
    All the best for your move!


  3. #11
    MommyTo3 is offline Registered User
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    Feb 2008
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    HK
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    I am a mother of twins and moved to HK nearly 3 years ago from the States. We decided on Tai Tam. Our budget was little higher, and we were looking for a 4-bedroom since I have an older child as well. But in the $50-$62k range you definitely have options in Tai Tam and Stanley. The minibus to Chai Wan takes about 10 minutes and from there you hop on the MTR to wherever you want to go on the east side of Hong Kong. The Manhattan has a shuttle bus to Quarry Bay for people who work there in the morning and afternoon. You should be able to get a 3-bedroom there though they usually have a waiting list. Plenty of facilities including playground, indoor playroom, plenty of kids (plenty of twins!) and close to Stanley which is just nice and easy. Traffic is not great but certainly not bad, especially if you go eastbound via Chai Wan. Yes, minibusses at certain times of day (morning and late afternoon rush hour + weekends can be bad, but the rest is definitely NO problem). Shouldn't take you more than 25-30 minutes to Quarry Bay.

    However, quite a few nice buildings on the eastside as well. Overall, smaller possibly than what you can get on the southside and not necessarily cheaper per sqft. A few buildings were mentioned. Northpoint Midlevels (like Pacific Palisades) has some nice buildings too, but everybody is living "closer together". From my experience, most twin mothers live in Midlevels (start in Midlevels) then move on to South Side, Clear Water Bay area, etc. Also quite a few in DB.

    Check out the Mothers of Multiples in Hong Kong website: www.moms-hongkong.com. The new membership year starts in September and it's been great especially in the early months / years when we got here and they were still little (20 months when we arrived).

    HTH.


  4. #12
    Gracey is offline Registered User
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    Sep 2009
    Location
    Hong Kong
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    534

    @ Phil -- If you're coming from London, HK's commutes will be way faster, cheaper and easier than what you're probably used to. We've very spoiled here.
    People who live in Central / Midlevels talk about Quarry Bay or Kowloon as if they are on the other sides of the earth, but they're usually no more than 15-20 min by taxi, and 30 min by MTR. I work near QB and live in Kowloon -- on the OTHER side of town -- and I can cab it home in 20-25 minutes barring horrific traffic.
    Much of HK is within a half-hour of QB -- just about all of the downtown areas of HK Island, as well as much of the South Side.
    Your budget will go a long way in Quarry Bay / North Point -- you can probably get a 1,500-sq-ft flat in one of the nicer towers, like Grand Promenade, which has a seaview and clubhouse. (Not sure about pool, but you can ask).
    Quarry Bay is not quite downtown, but there are certainly enough restaurants / shops in the Tai Koo complex. (Plus, as I said, it's not like Central is very far by London standards.) North Point is a bit more local, with fewer Westernized shops / restaurants.
    The South Side is on the beach and more suburban / residential -- more expat-y, more green space, etc. Though you'll probably get a little less space for the same price.
    Have you considered moving into a serviced apartment for the 1st month to take a look around? Some of my colleagues have stayed at the Harbour Grand complex, which is fully furnished. You can then do a better flat search from there.


  5. #13
    balletangel is offline Registered User
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    May 2010
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    Tseung Kwan O
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    14

    Rental is rocket high these days in Hong Kong. Not sure how big of a place you are looking for? For suggested budget and requirements, you can consider the following:

    - Taikoo Shing (very convenient - MTR, bus, any public transportation you can name of). Only 10 mins from Quarry Bay. A large shopping mall to shop your everyday needs. Swimming pool accessible.

    - North Point Hill (residential area, no close by shopping but nice and quiet neighborhood). About 15 - 20 mins taxi ride to and from Quarry Bay. International nearby


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