Rent or Buy? - in Tseung Kwan O

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  1. #21

    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Posts
    8

    Sorry guys another off the topic question but are there many expats in Ocean Shores and TKO in general? We are not after an expat 'enclave' but just think it might be nice for our kids to have some English speaking friends close by. There doesnt seem to be too much info about the area that I can find via google, I guess it may all be in chinese. Thanks


  2. #22

    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Ex Sai Kunger Sunny Qld for now
    Posts
    8,318
    Quote Originally Posted by jac8:
    We are not after an expat 'enclave' but just think it might be nice for our kids to have some English speaking friends close by. There doesnt seem to be too much info about the area that I can find via google, I guess it may all be in chinese. Thanks
    One thing that Tim has forgotten to mention, is that if you have school age children, remember that its not culturally accepted among local kids to hang out at each others homes after school. Not like western or Mixed kids do, who in the "enclaves " will hang out, or be seen kicking the football around outside. You owe it to your children to give them a bit of a life also, or they will drive you up the wall, factor in limited apartment space at home, and you have a recipe for a home life disaster.

    So if your kids have had a relatively western upbringing, I sincerely suggest you don't cut your nose off despite your face, and find a much more evenly balanced community area, that has a good proportion of other nationalities, that have mixed/immersed into the HK broader community.

    Some family friendly area suggestions below, that are very popular, and have the most English speaking family facilities employed into theirvery active communities as a result.

    Sai Kung Explore Sai Kung http://www.exploresaikung.com/docume...pr07_final.pdf Discovery Bay DiscoveryBayForum.com - Index , Stanley , Happy Valley Everything Happy Valley!-Home are logical "family friendly area's, where you will meet other parents in the same boat as you, joining various activity groups for your kids, that are aimed at English speaking as well as local Cantonese speaking kids.

    You get a pretty good idea about the sense of community via the above websites, as its all too easy , to become a brick in the wall so to speak, if you choose the wrong area to live. HK locals generally mind their own business, especially where Sai Yan ( you ) are involved, within very populated ( local majority) apartment complexes.....

    Good luck, and hope your family makes a smooth transition, into a best family fit community..
    Last edited by Skyhook; 14-03-2009 at 11:41 AM.

  3. #23

    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    1,419

    i didn't 'forget to mention it' Skyhook, i didn't mention it because OP made no mention of kids in any of his posts...and jac8 was asking about parking and commute times...certainly it is a more local living experience, but one i won't deprive my daughter of as she is as much Hong Kongese as Canadian..other expats would rather live somewhere that slots nicely into their comfort zone, and thats fine...i have a more adventurous spirit and am able to adapt more easily to my surroundings and make local friends as well...


  4. #24

    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    1,419
    Quote Originally Posted by jac8:
    Sorry guys another off the topic question but are there many expats in Ocean Shores and TKO in general? We are not after an expat 'enclave' but just think it might be nice for our kids to have some English speaking friends close by. There doesnt seem to be too much info about the area that I can find via google, I guess it may all be in chinese. Thanks
    to answer your question, there are more and more expats moving into TKO all the time, as evidenced if you spend any time here, esp. on weekends...lots come from Sai Kung for shopping, movies, restaurants etc, as well as from Clear Water Bay as its on the way to points farther along, and everyone's access to the train system. Much of the newer properties here are geared at upper middle class HOng Kongese, whose children very likely go to ESF/EMI/Int. schools already, again, evidenced by the scores of buses from those schools picking up every morning as I walk to the train....
    One of the reasons I like were we live is the family friendly nature of OS and TKO...our playgrounds are full of kids (all from different families unless some couple has been VERY busy! lol) mixing, playing and hanging out....the extensive bike/running trails in TKO are always full of kids during the day, riding running, walking, or hanging out...ditto the soccer pitches, basketball courts, malls and public housing estates. Granted they prob. wouldn't want to hang out at home because they don't live in a 2100' house with a garden, so unfortunately they may not be able to play video games or watch TV ad infinitum, such a shame,
    OS has a VERY busy clubhouse, with leagues in bowling, tennis, swimming comps., outings all over HK, festivals for every holiday, Chinese or Western, dance, TKD, squash, billiards, basketball, badm, table tennis, the list goes on...this is NOT a human warehouse by any means (my greatest fear of these types of properties when I moved to HK...)

    THere is NO DOUBT that Disco Bay is a more western style type of living, and one I've suggested is probably the easiest one to 'get into' for the newly arrived...LOTS of western kids, many of whom go the the same schools, so are friends after school, lots to do, but also a growing rep. for having the typical western teen problems (drinking, vandalism, drugs). Not surprising when you put like minded kids together...and I'm not one to preach and tsk tsk, believe me...

    At the end of the day, it's your decision as to what is comfortable for you. I would suggest you don't discount this area...you might want to show your kids another side of HK, one which is less alien than you might think!

  5. #25

    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    3

    OS Vs Metro Town

    I know my post seems too late from you guys but it is related to the place i am checking out now.
    I had viewed both OS & MetroTown today. Actually i kind of like MetroTown than OS due to the inside layout & furniture are generally newer may be due to the age of the property...So may i know more from you guys regarding your latest advise and view on these 2 areas? eg : the quality of the property is still better in OS compared to Metro Home?
    I am interested with Unit B of Block 2 in Metro Home and can you guys advise me whether it is a good choice?
    My husband is working in Mongkok and convenient transportation is our top priority and 3rooms with spacios built up of minimum 900sf & above are our preference.
    In addition, despite the big area of the club house in OS due to its high density, i still think Metro Home comes with a more classy and unique club house, please correct me if i made a mistake in my judgement.
    One last & most important questions, how bad is the mold or humidity issues in this area? I currently staying in western Kowloon, and never experience any humidity problem. But am ery worried with the mold prblem over the East side. Do you think my target unit in MetroHome will not have such problem as well? or any good reccomendation?

    Urgent please!


  6. #26

    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    1,419

    we looked at many flats in both MT and OS, and in our opinion, OS is miles ahead of MT in fit and finish quality, including interior appliances and bathroom fittings, plus OS has wood floors (which we preferred) compared to MT's tile; and while the club house in MT might look more fancy (al la the hideous 'french provincial' look that so many large developments favor these days), we liked the more contemporary look of the OS facilities; and the fact that while OS has 15 towers to MT/LP's 8, the actual density of people is far greater in MT...almost everyone is funneled into the single lift lobby to get down to the mall/MTR, and tight surrounding podiums mean there are always people walking everywhere..I live in OS but visit MT every week to tutor...and every week I'm glad we chose OS over MT...as for mold, i can't speak for MT, but OS often has strong breezes coming off Junk Bay, and with the proper use of aircon, we've had no worse mold problems than anywhere else we've lived...


  7. #27

    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    TKO NT
    Posts
    431

    I do quite like both clubhouses and think perhaps the facilities for very young children in MT are better than OS, plus as its newer it does have a slightly fresher feel. Although I agree with Timkilps view regarding the 'French Provincial' look - perhaps its an acquired taste

    WRT to the flats though the layout of flats in OS is way better (better use of net floor area) whilst MT flats are newer and shinier I felt cramped when I visited them. Its inevitably a trade off (newer but smaller) MT vs (slightly older < 10 years) but better OS. My preference is OS.

    Be warned though OS is comparatively costly (900sq foot to purchase is around 4.5-5M HKD atm), but is run by good management and created by prestige developers so you're also paying for the peace of mind


  8. #28

    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Posts
    1

    Hi,

    We are planning to move to TKO (or Tiu Keng Leng) and wondering if anyone has any suggestions based on recent experiences.
    We plan to rent for about an year (preferably in the same building) before buying

    We have recently seen a few apartments in The Grandiose, Ocean Shores, and Metro Town. Can someone share their experiences which may help us decide between Ocean Shores and Grandiose?

    Thanks