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Where to live for HK$20,000-25,000

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  1. #21

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    Nov 2011
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    Thank you all for your valuable input. I think ultimately we will need to come and look at the various areas (and what is available for how much in each) before we will really know what we want to go for -- but this helps with a shortlist of areas to explore.

    It sounds like West Kowloon/Olympic (Florient Rise, Island Harvourview, Park Avenue and maybe One Silversea etc) are worth exploring for the newbuild, facilities, good commute and lower rents -- but we should watch out for what it's like for pushchair access and being connected to street life.

    The more traditional expat districts of Happy Valley, Mid-levels etc also sound worth exploring, but we probably won't get much for our money (the suggestions for which roads in Mid-levels to look at are valuable though).

    I think Park Island we will park for now -- maybe something to consider along with Discover Bay once we've spent a year living somewhere more central if we then decide to move further out for a bit more space.

    A general question -- there was some discussion of property prices -- are prices still rising rapidly in HK, and what is the feeling for what the outlook is like? Reading the international papers from the UK, you see quite a bit of discussion of whether China's property bubble is going to burst (and what impact that might have on the Chinese economy), but don't see anything specifically on HK, which I imagine is a distinct market. Any thoughts?


  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by bookblogger:
    All of West Kowloon is like that, a huge planning failure. I don't know why anyone would want to live in towers on a massive podium surrounded by highways, with no life at street level.
    It looks cool when you go past those towers in a bus at night though, with all their bright lights.

    When I do that, I feel like I'm in the future!

    OK, I'm just weird.
    Last edited by justjoe86; 11-11-2011 at 09:14 AM.
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  3. #23

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    May 2006
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    To the OP, the other thing to remember about randy's advice is that he owns half of Park Island and is probably desperate to rent them out before rents decrease.

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  4. #24

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    If you are working in the Center, dont rule out Discovery Bay. Its a nice relaxing ferry commute where you can enjoy free wifi, quite a lot of space to read newspaper, drink coffee, etc. Certainly more enjoyable than bus or MTR. Also its a nice air conditioned walk through IFC from the ferry to the Center, but as SS points out its a bit longer than 7 minutes.

    However, having said the above, I moved from DB to Olympic because there are no school places for my kids in DB. Now my kids are going to the Aussie school in Kowloon Tong. But if you only have a baby, you will be fine in DB for a couple of years and even kindergarten is fine. The trouble starts at year 1.


  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by bdw:
    If you are working in the Center, dont rule out Discovery Bay. Its a nice relaxing ferry commute where you can enjoy free wifi, quite a lot of space to read newspaper, drink coffee, etc. Certainly more enjoyable than bus or MTR. Also its a nice air conditioned walk through IFC from the ferry to the Center, but as SS points out its a bit longer than 7 minutes.
    Thanks for the advice. How long is the commute -- say assuming you live 10 minutes walk from the ferry terminal in DB. How frequent are (fast) ferries? Time on the ferry seems to be anything from 25 mins to 35 mins depending on who you believe/how hard they are trying to sell it to you! And how long is the walk from ferry terminal to the Center (an a/c walk doesn't sound a good way to avoid turning up at work drenched in sweat from what i hear of the HK humidity)

  6. #26

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    I used to live in Chianti at the far end of DB, and worked at the Center. It used to take me an hour door to door, including the internal DB bus, waiting for the ferry, walking through IFC. But as I said, it's about the most relaxing commute you can imagine. If you live closer to DB ferry pier (highly recommended), you can probably do it in 45 mins. The inconvenience really is having to stick a ferry timetable behind your door and discipline yourself to leave at a certain time in order to catch a certain ferry, otherwise having to wait 30 minutes (off peak) or I think 15 mins (peak) to catch the next one.

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  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fragrantharbour:
    Thanks for the advice. How long is the commute -- say assuming you live 10 minutes walk from the ferry terminal in DB. How frequent are (fast) ferries? Time on the ferry seems to be anything from 25 mins to 35 mins depending on who you believe/how hard they are trying to sell it to you! And how long is the walk from ferry terminal to the Center (an a/c walk doesn't sound a good way to avoid turning up at work drenched in sweat from what i hear of the HK humidity)
    Frequency is good 15 - 20 mins peak times. ferry costs abt HKD 1400 per month though.

    bdw is right, don't rule out DB its a decent place you'll get more for your money in terms of space + 10 or 15 thousand people live there significant proportion are expats who work on HK Island

  8. #28

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    Oct 2010
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    Ferry from DB to Central is 25 mins. From Park Island to Central its 23 mins.

    There are a few things I like about the ferry:

    1 - you always know what time it will leave. So you get there a few minutes before, wait, guranteed a seat, and off you go. And you always know what time you will arrive too! Anyone who has lived in Mid Levels will have experienced waiting for a bus or taxi, and for whatever reason a taxi seems impossible to catch, and the minibusses are full. Always seems to happen just when you have an important appointment or are going to the airport! So, bear in mind, that it might seem that being in Mid Levels is a shorter commute, but actually when you factor in waiting time, it may not be. And then once you are on, you sometimes have traffic jams, and also often cannot easily get a seat (even worse if you have shopping and a baby to carry etc). Ferry from PI to Central is half the price of the DB one, which also helps

    From Ferry to Center, it pretty easy and most of its aircon. I know many people who do it.

    For PI, apart from ferry, there is also taxi and bus transport, (which DB does not have as far as I know).

    Also, in DB, many people need to walk or get a mini bus to and from their DB apartment to the ferry terminal. On PI, everyone walks, and for most people the walk is 5 mins or less (all under sheltered walkways).


  9. #29

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    We're in Mid-levels, Mr SS's office is close to Center, on Queen's Road Central. By foot, 9 mins, has done it in 3 mins in a taxi (obviously early morning!)


  10. #30

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    so randy - that's fine if you work in central ferry pier.


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