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temajie

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Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum.

I will move to HK in July. My husband will work in Kowloon Tong. We have 2 young kids (10 months and 2.5 years). We are looking for a place to live not too far from Kowloon Tong, very kids-friendly (with nearby playgrounds and large enough streets to walk with a double stroller!), close to kindergartens where I will probably send my daughter after we settle there. Which district would be best? Do you recommend living in one of these big complex with playground, swimming pool etc.?

It is hard to figure out from abroad which area would match our criteria so I would really appreciate your help. Thank you.

Karen
 
I think you need to ditch the double stroller. HK is hard enough with a single stroller.
I think it will be hard to avoid the big complexes and be not too far from Kowloon Tong.
Also, what do you mean by "nearby" and "close"? There are a lot of schools clustered not too far from Kowloon Tong MTR/Festival Walk.
Honestly, you need to visit and stay in a temproary place and see all of these things for yourself. To try to make a decision like this from recommendations will be difficult.
 
first off, you are going to have to prepare yourself mentally for a HUGE adjustment... life in HK is VERY, VERY, VERY different than life in the US. once you come to terms with that, then you will have a great time. if you are constantly comparing the two, you will be utterly miserable.

this is coming from a 15 yr veteran of HK whose original home is the middle of canada.
 
totally agree with carang. if you arrive here and all you can do is think of is what your life would be like back in the states, then you will never enjoy what HK / Asia has to offer you and your family.

It's amazing city full of energy, culture and tradition.

We chose to live in a large condo (5 blocks) with all the facilities b/c we felt it would be easier for us to meet friends and children who were my son's age since there are communal spots within the blding that all the kids are out playing at the same time. My son was 6 months so we were not yet in a structured playgroup so this was important to us. If you children will be in school, then I don't think it's as important as they will meet their friends there.
 
Thank you so much for your replies.

I can imagine very well that living in HK has nothing to do with our current life in LA but I am really looking forward to it.

I am sad if I have to forget about my double stroller, it is so handy when I have both kids with me and I'm on my own! I will figure out what is feasible and what is not when I am there anyway.

I am definitely renting a serviced apartment for a month or two so that I have time to visit and find what is best for us. By the way, do you know of any in Kowloon that is not too pricey?

Tai Po is a good idea but without a car we may feel a bit far away from everything, no? My husband can easily take the train (you meant metro, right?) everyday to go to work but ideally I would like to take as little transportation with the kids as possible. If it is a hassle to just go to the park, we won't do it that often I am afraid.

I think it is important that our future apartment features communal spots for the kids as my youngest one won't go to school right away and my older one will probably go only part-time. So I am more and more convinced that we will be looking for a 3 bedrooms in a large residence like (from what I have read) The Arch or Sorrento or... Do you know where I can find a list of them so that I can already have an idea on the locations and facilities? In this case, do you think I will need the help of a rental agency or just go on site and see the vacancies in each complex?

Thank you so much for your recommendations.
 
Oze_Kid posted a good search website that many people use for flats:

Hong Kong Property and Apartment, for Rent and for Sale - Hong Kong Realty

the sidewalks here are not even big enough for double-strollers! you might want to consider then getting a Phil & Ted's stroller since they are on top of eachother vs. side by side if you like strolling your kids together.

My suggestion is going through an agency to help with your search and set up appts since some flats in condos are landlord owned so you'll need to coordinate with them on when you can get the keys etc....since you also have 2 kids, you want to make the most out of your time out and seeing the best properties for your budget and needs.

???? STATELYHOME

Property Agency in Hong Kong - Midland Realty
 
Substitutes for a double stroller that work better in HK:
(1) single stroler and baby sling or similar
(2) stroller that accepts one of those runnign boards on the back side so that one kid rides in the stroller and the other rides along behind; McClaren stroller and Lascal running board, for instance.

We rejected Tai Po for the very reasons you list. Too far from the train/metro.

You'll need a realtor to get into those places and to speak with the lanlord; unless you are fluent in Canto?
 
I have a Phil and Teds :) And I am using daily my Ergo too :) Great websites, thank you!
Someone kindly recommended me Laguna Verde in Hung Hom. Is it a nice place to live? Better than the southwest side of Kowloon (Victoria Harbour)?
Thanks.
 
Just on the Phil and Ted's we moved here 6 weeks ago from Australia and have found it mostly useless - yes it can fit on the pavement generally but if in busy places it is hard work and there are steps everywhere.You can get around them but usually this means such a detour it's easier to not bother! it might be a bit better in Kowloon though. I generally use the Ergo heaps and/or Maclaren Quest as Sleuth said. One good thing my daughter has been walking heaps more, but she is a bit older (3.5)

Would highly recommend using a realtor as Southside852 said, you'll get a much better range of apartments plus they can arrange appointments and a driver to take you around, which with 2 young kids makes the whole experience a lot more manageable. Plus she showed us some apartments and areas we wouldn't have otherwise considered and we ending up changing our minds as to where we wanted to live based on this.
 
I have seen the link, thank you, but I thought it was just to give me an idea of the properties from abroad and then once in HK I would have another interlocutor.
 
unless you have a relocation consultant, which some companies provide as part of your relocation package, who can do all the leg work for you (i.e. can access all the data bases and compile a master list for you and set up all the appt with all the realtors) then you'll have to go to agencies like Centaline or to Stately Home directly to access their properties.
 
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