Repulse bay ?

M

movingsoon

Guest
Hi - would really appreciate any advice/opinions. please bear with me as have never been to Hong kong and trying to build up a picture.!Likely to relocate to HK in spring. We have been thinking that Repulse Bay would be where we would want to live but am now hearing mixed views! We are thinking this would be a more family orientated place to live with a bit more open space. Can anyone clarify:
a/ What is the commute like into Central?
b/ Can you go shopping or out for dinner/drinks in Repulse bay or would you need to go to the other side of the island? How easy is it to do this in the evening - is it a hassle?
e/ If you wanted to take kids in more central HK - could you drive or how would you go about doing this?
c/What kinds of things are there to do as a family - can kids play on the beach?
d/ Would you say it is much easier and more child friendly than say the mid-levels?

:thanks
 
Hi

a/ Express Bus from Repulse Bay to Central takes 20-25 mins, under normal traffic conditions. Regular bus with more stop in b/w takes about 30-40 mins. Taxi is also about 20 mins for about HKD 80+.

b/ Repulse Bay Shopping arcade has a very decent supermarket (with bakery), cafe, Spa, schools, doctor, photo store, and 3-4 restaurants (thai, western, chinese and japanese). By the beach, there is also a phamacy, 7Eleven & Pizza Hut. So the basics are all here. Nearby, 10-15 mins by car, there is Stanley (further south) or Causeway Bay (other direction), both of which have plenty of restaurants and stores that are even closer than Central.

c/ There is no MTR in repulse bay, so only way into 'the city' is by bus or car. Both normal bus & minibus (smaller, quicker) are convenient & frequent. Or if you hv access to car, driving is also good. If you're driving into Central, Admiralty or Causeway Bay, there is plenty of carparking space at shopping malls.

d/ The beach is great for kids to play. Depending on your apartment, most should should hv their own clubhouse / playground when the weather is not that great.

e/ Even though Mid-levels is more convenient to central (5-10mins), i would definately pick repulse bay since it was much less pollution, esp if you hv a family.
 
repulse bay: taxis + children = good BUT buses + children= not so great..
i live in mid-levels myself and i've got a pretty different picture in mind. as u know mid-levels is dominated by FAMILIES, or married couples hu want family, therefore why WOULDN'T it be family friendly?? i mean it's also got the best schooling network. and loadsa supermarkets, bakeries sum pizza places and restaurants scattered around)
on the other hand, repulse bay isn't too bad, although if u don't have a car it might be make life a little harder, ( i know this coz my a reli gr8family frds live there). Loadsa buildings there are built on hills and slopes so.. ya..
at the end of the day ur preference matters most, my bet would be go take a look at the places u wanna/ are considering to live in
 
children and buses are fine! mine love to take the bus: they have their own little octopus cards, and they love swiping them! plus in some repulse bay appartments they have their own superfast shuttles... you don't need a car if you don't want to have one, most people don't and do just fine with buses and taxis.
 
re: traffic to repulse bay. i drive, on a normal day, weekday, no traffic jam to central - 20mins. there is only one road fr repulse bay to causeway bay then to central side; or there is the longer way - where you go thru south thru stanley, takes 40 mins to central. if there is road construction, which there always is, add 5-10 mins to that eqaution. in the summer, since repulse bay is where most of the beaches on Hk lsland is located, everyone goes thru that repulse bay road to go to the beaches, traffic from 11am - 6 pm. pretty bad, i tell you. but if you r not used to living in hk which means u're used to driving 20-30mins to anywhere, then it's probably ok with you. i've always lived in central, which is 5-15 mins to drive to anywhere on hk island.

that said, the environment & air quality & pace of living in repulse bay area is DEFINTELY better than central. think of it this way, repulse bay is like a suburb where you've got bakery, supermarkets, some nice restaurants, nice play area, nice doctors. central & mid-levels is like downtown.
 
I must admit, I associate mid-levels with singles who frequent LKF and young couples. I do know a few small families living there, but most of my friends who started in Mid-levels moved to various areas (including Pokfulam, Repulse Bay and Stanley) within the first year of their eldest being born. The reasons most often cited were air quality (although mid-levels does not have the worst air in HK) and lack of outdoor space. Most of them had to pay more for the same amount of square footage indoors though - especially those whjo moved to RB. Older buildings in mid-levels offer much better value in terms of indoor space.

There's plenty in RB for families; as outlined above The Repulse Bay complex has shops, restaurants as well as kindergartens, doctors, dentists etc. Stanley has a lot more choice of shops and is only 8-10 minutes drive away, it also has a nice 'village' feel to it, but it is a longer drive.

I cannot comment first hand on public transport as I find driving easier and safer (ease of having car seats fitted) with 2 children, but I know plenty of people without cars who rave about the transport options. It comes down to what you are used to, if you live right in the centre of town now, you may find RB/Stanley too much of a hike. If you currently commute 30-45 minutes, as is typical in London, then HK Island commutes are a breeze.

You do have to decide whether you prefer to look out your window at the city skyline (which some people love) or beaches (more my cup of tea). Horses for courses. You'll probably know instantly what suits you once you make your first trip here. Incidentally, one 'suck it and see' option would be to rent a serviced apartment in one or other before you sign a 2 year lease (De Ricou is an option in RB). Good luck!
 
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