Hi other mums, I'm suddenly re-locating from Australia to HK in one week with my husband and 11 mth old daughter. We are looking for a serviced apartment... husband working in central but is this area pram/baby friendly? Where are the nice flat areas to walk with a pram and maybe a park or similar? Any advice/tips would be most appreciated!!
Moving from Australia to HK with baby... where to live??
- Thread starter Jayne11
- Start date
carang
Registered User
hong kong is a bunch of coastal mountainous islands and the relatively flat peninsula of kowloon. central is fairly flat, as is kowloon. however, the north of hk island is separated by the south by mountains, just as kowloon is separated from much of hte new territories by mountains.
as such, there are some flat areas for walking, but even those are interrupted by streets, stairs, roads and more.
you haven't provided any necessary information (except that hubby will be working in central)....
we need to know:
(1) budget
(2) commute times you/he is willing to put up with
(3) what you like to do (other than walk in a park)
(4) size?
(5) ammenities?
(6) are you looking for a long-term service apartment/flat or are you looking for something for a month or two until you find a regular flat?
as such, there are some flat areas for walking, but even those are interrupted by streets, stairs, roads and more.
you haven't provided any necessary information (except that hubby will be working in central)....
we need to know:
(1) budget
(2) commute times you/he is willing to put up with
(3) what you like to do (other than walk in a park)
(4) size?
(5) ammenities?
(6) are you looking for a long-term service apartment/flat or are you looking for something for a month or two until you find a regular flat?
We will be staying in serviced apartment for first 3 mths and then re-assess. Ideally a 2 bed apart. Up to a 40min commute to central would be fine. I'm thinking I'd prefer to be on main island but somewhere a little quieter than central. We would both like to be near beach if possible. After reading some past posts, perhaps Stanley would suit us? Is commute to city by public transport difficult from here? Are there supermarket, shopping & medical facilities nearby? Is this area expat family friendly with space for walking/running? Thank you so much for your advice.
carang
Registered User
stanley is lovely. there are a lot of expats and there is a large supermarket plus a couple of specialty import shops. there is a beach that seems nice (17.5 years in hk and i've never been to stanley beach!). there are doctors etc nearby, but the closest hospital would be either matilda (expensive private hospital) or Queen Mary (cheap public hospital).
there are buses to central but there are only routes (1/2 of both is made of a single road) to central, so if there is a car accident or road work, it can take a long time.
stanley is also EXTREMELY expensive. which leads me back to question #1... what is your budget? this isn't a personal question, it is a necessary question so that we can tell you if it is even in the realm of possibility.... rents here can vary from $5000/month up to $250,000/month.... so budget is question numero uno.
there are buses to central but there are only routes (1/2 of both is made of a single road) to central, so if there is a car accident or road work, it can take a long time.
stanley is also EXTREMELY expensive. which leads me back to question #1... what is your budget? this isn't a personal question, it is a necessary question so that we can tell you if it is even in the realm of possibility.... rents here can vary from $5000/month up to $250,000/month.... so budget is question numero uno.
EarlyYears
Registered User
Park Island is only 30 minutes from Central by ferry and about 45 min by shuttle bus to Tsing Yi metro station then train to Central. Ferries are every 30min and shuttle buses every 5-10min.
Rent for 2bdrm apt ranges from 11,000 to 15,000 depending on view, phase and choice of balcony.
There are also lots of expats, interracial families and tons of kids and dogs. Also, 3 clubhouses with plenty of kids activities to do over holidays and weekends.
Rent for 2bdrm apt ranges from 11,000 to 15,000 depending on view, phase and choice of balcony.
There are also lots of expats, interracial families and tons of kids and dogs. Also, 3 clubhouses with plenty of kids activities to do over holidays and weekends.
Stanley is lovely for families. Realistically the commute from Stanley to Central on the bus takes about 40-45 minutes in traffic in the morning. It can be much quicker if you drive and leave early. Getting home in the evening takes about 20-25 minutes after 7:30, except on Friday and race nights in Happy Valley. Feel free to send me a private message if you want to know more about Stanley. Have been living there for a while now. agree with Cara, budget is a major consideration.
Thank you for your advice! We love the sound of Stanley but a little reluctant given the commute issues... I think closer to Central probably makes more sense (approx 15min commute). We are prepared to pay up to $60,000/mth for the first 3 months in a serviced apartment somewhere...
Have you looked at Parkview? They have serviced apartments and the commute is approximately 15-20 minutes to Central on the bus depending on traffic.