Laguna Verde (yes, I searched...)

[MovingIn07]

I'd look in Shatin if I were you. Find somewhere nice that meets all your accomodation requirements, have a relaxed commute etc and save money on transport to work, then just get a cab home for your infrequent trips to Central for fun. Otherwise you just end up compromising on everything and nothing works well!

I'd love to recommend the Gold Coast: I think you'd like it here, but the commuting would probably drive you nuts......

[mamamia]

It's not so much that I don't want to drive, but the cost is a bit much right now. We have property in the US that we'd like to sell, but we took such a beating on value in the past year... We're hanging on to see if the market is better in 2010. So with a mortgage to pay there, living costs here, and trying to save a bit, a car is a luxury too far for the moment. And I let my mannerly Southern Gentleman upbringing take the piss out of me again, and I rented our US house to my outlaws for well under market value. Gotta be a good son, y'know.

yeah i know it's hard. and the cost of driving is pretty high in hk.

then i second MovingIn07, go for Shatin, nice houses with both balcony and roof and cheaper rent ..... and you dont even have to take a bus to work, just ride a bicycle !!

again, i think Laguna Verde is not really that good. too close to industrial area and too far from the everything else (in hk scale, if you can't reach somewhere within 10min walk, it's too far).

[Hokuto]

I'm looking for some current opinion on Laguna Verde, and Kowloon accomodation in general.

I love LV. We looked hard around Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan before moving in -- Royal Peninsula, Harbour Place, Hung Hom Bay, both Whampoas, Bailey Garden, etc. -- and none have what makes LV great to me: A somewhat-secluded feeling, decent facilities, and great wind. LV feels 2-3 degrees cooler than, say, Royal Peninsula simply because of the strong winds coming off the water. Plus it's quite convenient for Jusco Supermarket, which is a decent change from the P&S, Wellcome, etc. (if you like Japanese products, at least, which I do).

I work in Shatin. [...] I'd like "easy" transpo access, which for me means 0.5K or less walk to the MTR, or a good shuttle or green minibus available.

There is a minibus (no. 26 "special train route") that runs directly from Laguna Verde to the Hung Hom station several times a day. Additionally, the regular 26 minibus (comes every 5 minutes or so in the morning) and the 8a (leaves from Whampoa Garden, which is quite close) both go to the train station. There is also a free LV shuttle bus to the train station that leaves every 15 minutes in the morning.

For morning transportation to HK island, there are two morning buses which specifically run from LV to HK (Cyberport and the Macao Ferry Pier). The regular routes of those buses stop 1-2 blocks away in the evening. I generally walk to the ferry or otherwise take the minibus to the train station instead.

Most of our current HK friends live on the island, and we like many restaurants/clubs there, so we expect much of social life will be there.

This is more or less our situation as well. Additionally, I work on HK island. There are many minibuses which stop at the Hung Hom tunnel junction; you can easily walk from there to Hung Hom station and take a taxi home (HK$25 or so). There are also minibuses that go to To Kwa Wan that can drop you off extremely close to LV (2-4 block walk, depending on your block).

We have a list of "musts" -- 3 bedrooms, a roof or a decent balcony, a "western-ish" kitchen (i.e. has an oven, not just a 2 burner hob).

No balconies in LV or in Whampoa, as far as I know. The 3/F apartments sometimes have some small "roof" space that you can access. Not certain about the top floor flats, as I've only seen one and wasn't impressed enough to pay the extra (required a walk up an extra flight of stairs; the lift didn't go that high). The kitchens generally don't come with ovens (3-4 burners is the standard), but we've seen some which have been renovated to include such.

[TS888]

Well, we landed -- near Sai Kung. A house in Wong Keng Tei to be exact. After nearly two weeks of looking at flats in Happy Valley, mid levels, Kowloon Tong and Shatin, the better half surprised me by deciding she liked Sai Kung. I'm happy -- we will have a home that feels like a holiday rental, and my commute is reasonable and easy.

[Mat]

again, i think Laguna Verde is not really that good. too close to industrial area and too far from the everything else (in hk scale, if you can't reach somewhere within 10min walk, it's too far).

That is pure bollocks....

you are 5 min walks to the UA Whampoa, 5 minutes to the Park n Shop , 5 minutes to the Hunghom center.....unless of course you go there by crawling....

a lot of buses are running from to the estate (26, 8P, 115, 115P, 107...) without counting the residence minibus that drops you a bit everywhere in Hunghom..the only thing LV is far from is the MTR.