Hi
There are several websites online that will let you see what you can get for $20k in various neighborhoods around the city. I would have the caveat though that you'll get a cheaper price "on the ground" negotiating with landlords or an agent--I would never rent directly off a website--but it is a helpful way to see what is available.
gohome.com.hk
spacious.hk
squarefoot.com.hk
Kennedy Town is a good place for someone young and new to the city. A mix of local shops and gentrified new places with an MTR. I lived in a modern building called the Manhattan Heights for awhile with some nice services like a shuttle to Central. There are other modern buildings as well within your price range.
As a side note there is a growing number of French expatriates in Hong Kong. I think many (with families) head to the South Side near Stanley, but you'll hear French being spoken frequently in many expat areas.
"More right" depends on experience and applied judgement.
I appreciate that you're actually trying to be helpful, but it's not good advice if you can't overcome the prejudices of "being local," and nothing you have written so far indicates that you can separate prejudice from logic.
Prejudice is "I don't like being living in the same area as old poor people or recovering drug addicts." Which can be fine, if you're honest about it.
Logic is asking whether old homeless people and recovering drug addicts, (methadone users seem to spend most their time sitting down exhausted, listlessly staring into space, where I come from, methadone users are occasionally beaten up by 14 year old kids), present the threat of violence. Especially to very conspicuous Westerners who are by and large known to be vocal and mafan when presented with the first hint of trouble.
For what it's worth, I wouldn't want to live in SSP for a list of other reasons which I've already given, but I frequently bring my kid there to visit the stores, look at child-relevant knick knacks, or visit the fabrics market because there is nothing comparable on HK Island.
Last edited by jgl; 07-06-2017 at 01:55 PM.