Where to live?

skibadee · 27-05-2014, 04:44 PM

My partner and I both have job opportunties in HK and although having been a few times, have no idea where would be a nice place to live (as you don't really see those areas as a tourist). I would be in working in Sha Tin and she would be in central, we are both quite outdoorsy and ideally would be near somewhere where we can run (is that possible with smog?) or generally be outside somewhere nice quite quickly. We are not big party animals but like good restaurants and coffee shops. Budget ideally not more than 30k, any suggestions of areas or even condos to get an idea most welcome.

P.s. is it worth buying a car?

jmbf · 27-05-2014, 06:30 PM

Depends on how long you are both willing to commute to work.

If you want to be closer to work, check out the Shatin and Tai Wai area.

If you are willing to commute a bit, give Sai Kung a look. It has more of the vibe I think you are looking for.

Owning a car is really a luxury in HK, the running costs can be quite high. However, if you are thinking of living further away from the main areas, it could prove to be very useful.

skibadee · 28-05-2014, 09:54 AM

Commuting ideally not more than half an hour if thats realsitic, for both of us, so me to Sha Tin and her to Central. I will check out those places but do they work for Central also?

Bob Loblaw · 28-05-2014, 10:52 AM

Fellow runner here. We faced somewhat similar issues when looking for a place - we wanted somewhere where we could walk out of our apartment and go for a run without having to get on any public transportation, and didn't want to have a car.
In/near Sha Tin, it is easy to live near the Tolo Harbor, which has a path to run along. It's flat, no cars, air on it *seems* good (and the official numbers haven't been bad lately for Sha Tin). The amount of running you can do on that path and the paths that attach to it is pretty much unlimited. There are mountains that you can access from Sha Tin as well - it's in a valley, and if you want to climb up out of the valley you can get some spectacular trails, views, etc.
Hong Kong Island also has great mountains. I don't know the island nearly as well, but there are a lot of runners there who somehow manage to run.
Between Central and Sha Tin, though, you have Kowloon, which is kind of a runner's hell. Pollution, insanely congested sidewalks.
My guess is that you're best off deciding which one of you will have a long commute than trying to split the difference.

jmbf · 28-05-2014, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by skibadee:

Commuting ideally not more than half an hour if thats realsitic, for both of us, so me to Sha Tin and her to Central. I will check out those places but do they work for Central also?

Sai Kung to Central would be more than 30 minutes I believe (could someone confirm this?).

Strictly geographically speaking Kowloon Tong would be ideal if you could find a place close to the MTR station. I'm pretty sure both of you could make it to work within your time frame. It's a low rise residential district with much less population density than the rest of the Kowloon peninsula. It is still in the city so you would have to travel a bit to get to the countryside (although it wouldn't take that long, couple stops on the MTR).

In terms of cafÃ©s and restaurants, Festival Walk is nearby, it's a large upscale shopping mall with a lot of eating choices.

In terms of overall atmosphere and vibe, I still think Sai Kung would suit you better. However, if the commuting time is an issue, you could check out Kowloon Tong.

Sent from my iPhone using GeoClicks

Bob Loblaw · 28-05-2014, 12:56 PM

yeah, Kowloon Tong isn't bad for running either. I don't think about it as much because I suspect it's too expensive for us anyway, but I do see people running there and the sidewalks are far less congested.
I don't get the attraction of Sai Kung. It's far from everything, there's no MTR, only a few buses, and once you're there it's nice but it's not that nice. Ok if you can live in the hills and telecommute, but going to Sha Tin from there isn't easy, neither is going to Central, and I sure wouldn't want that as my daily commute.

jmbf · 28-05-2014, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Bob Loblaw:

I don't get the attraction of Sai Kung. It's far from everything, there's no MTR, only a few buses, and once you're there it's nice but it's not that nice. Ok if you can live in the hills and telecommute, but going to Sha Tin from there isn't easy, neither is going to Central, and I sure wouldn't want that as my daily commute.

Horses for courses I guess. I wouldn't live in Sai Kung either, but then I'm a city boy

si0001 · 28-05-2014, 01:08 PM

I live in Shatin and commute to Central daily. If you lived in City One, there is a direct bus into Central which takes around 30-40 mins depending on traffic. Of course there is also City One MTR station but it is 3 changes to get to Central which is why I don't take it.

jmbf · 28-05-2014, 01:19 PM

City One has very good bus connections, thats true. However, I'm not sure it fulfils the requirements of the OP for good restaurants and coffee shops.

si0001 · 28-05-2014, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by jmbf:

City One has very good bus connections, thats true. However, I'm not sure it fulfils the requirements of the OP for good restaurants and coffee shops.

There's a Starbucks there

There are a few restaurants but I guess "good" is really quite subjective. Not as many as say by New Town Plaza for sure.