Moving from HK to Singapore

C

chelle_law

Registered User
So my husband is being transferred from HK to Singapore. We have been in HK for 1yr and I have really fallen in love with it and am sad to go. I am hoping to have the same experiences in Singapore. We have a 2 1/2yr old boy. We don't have a car in HK and are not planning to get one in Singapore either. We have been looking to live in East Coast but I want to live someplace close to shops, schools, playgrounds, etc. Any suggestions? I am looking for something similar to what we have now with and indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center, playground, etc. Am I asking for too much?
Also, any suggestions on pre-schools?
Is there anything specific that I can get in HK that I can't get in Singapore? Do I need to stock up on anything before we go?
Thanks for any input!
 
singapore is very similar to HK in a lot of ways except that it is hot, humid all year round and down pour almost every day. Because of that the air quality is 100% better than here iN HK. Education there is top notch, living condition is better (bigger space) with lots of plants and flowers. East Coast is fantastic place to live, it is closer to everything u r asking for. No need to stock up anything before you go. You will love the variety of food there.
 
There is a nice shopping mall called Parkway Parade @ East Coast. You can get everything u need there. near to the beach, supermarket,wet market, food court, shopping is very convenient there. There are also plenty of choices of pre-schools & enrichment courses nearby. Like mscheerful said it, no need for any stock up, you can find almost anything in spore.
 
I'm from Singapore and if I were to move home tomorrow, I wouldn't be able to think of anything that I need to stock up and bring over.

East Coast is a nice place to live and Parkway Parade has pretty much everything. The East Coast beach is not as nice as the ones in HK (and I'm comparing it to Repulse Bay and Shek-O) but have plenty of activities for kids - rentals of bicycles, roller-blades and an entertainment centre.

Most condos will have outdoor pools, fitness centres and playgrounds and BBQ areas (Singaporeans love BBQ). Indoor pool will be pretty rare because it's summer all year round. There are good quality condos in East Coast so you should have plenty of choices. It may not be very near a MRT station (same as the MTR in HK) but well-connected by buses. Taxis are in abundance and perhaps a little more expensive compared to HK if you add in peak hour surcharge and congestion charges into restricted zones (mostly within the shopping and business district but is quickly expanding).
 
The East Coast is great! As mentioned above there are many nice condos in the area, if you will like to live in a house there are also a lot of options in Katong and many expats also love to live in the traditional style shop houses in Joo Chiat. There aer condos opposite and next to Parkway Parade, one of them which is relatively new is the SEAVIEW.. There are plenty of good montessori kindergartens in the area and there is also a very good primary school " tanjong Katong Primary School' in the area, it is a government school so no crazy fees yet they have a good mix of nationalities and cultures in that school due to the many expats in the area.

Nothing much to stock up in HK as Singapore has good supplies, if you are looking for western supplies, i think they may have more options... The only thing I can think of is dim sum... hard to find nice dim sum at reasonable prices.
 
I've been in Singapore for 5 years now and moving to HK next month. I've begun to like this place for it's calm systematic way of life....you might miss the frenzy of being in HK. It's definitely clean, easy to get around, a taxi is just a call away. Just make sure you avoid peak times..it would put a big hole in your pocket! Everything is available here...from Indian to Australian to US foods...just need to go the right shopping malls. Don't need to stock up on anything! If you need anything just stock up on lot of summer clothes...the weather is terribly hot and humid all year round.
 
I would also add that early child-hood education is generally better and less expensive in Singapore. Our first went to MMI Montessori, which has a couple of branches on the East Coast. preschool. However, we switched to a local kindergarten to better prepare him to enter a local school as the locals schools in Singapore are really, really excellent. Lots of foreigners opt to go to local schools in Singapore, which is a fraction of the cost of international schools there, which is a fraction of the cost of international schools here. However, if you're at all considering going to local schools, you might want to move within 1km of the school, as the school gives preference to students in the immediate vicinity.

Generally, everything is less expensive in Singapore - schooling, medical care, groceries, restaurants, etc. The only thing, strangely, that is more expensive in Singapore than Hong Kong is Adam, Ltd.'s aqueous cream from the UK, which you can buy by the tub at Watson's here for about HK$40, but the generic brand you'd get in Singapore is from Malaysia costs twice as much! We moisturize the children everyday after their baths to prevent eczema, so we buy these things by the suitcase-full.

Have fun in Singapore - We miss it lots and we do hope to have the opportunity to move there again.
 
Thank you

Thank you everyone for your helpful replies. The tasks of preparing for a move can be so daunting, especially an international move. I am glad to have the help of some very insightful mothers.
Thanks again!
 
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