Where to Live? Stanley, Repulse, DB?

C

cathryn

Registered User
Hi all
We are moving to Hong Kong at the end of February and am trawling through the internet trying to work out which is the best area to live in Hong Kong with young children, best places to meet other mums, things to do etc. I have a 2 1/2 year old and my 2nd is due in August. I will have a good look around once I am there as we will be in a serviced apartment to begin with but if anyone can recommend a particular area any advice would be greatly appreciated. Places I am thinking about at the moment are - Discovery Bay, Stanley & Repulse Bay....I think I am swaying towards stanley or repulse just because I am not sure I want to be somewhere you have to get a ferry to the mainland.
Thanks
Cathryn
 
the MAINLAND is china.... you take a ferry to get to hk island, which only takes 25 minutes. you can take a bus from DB to tung chun or to sunny bay, both of which are serviced by the MTR.

driving from stanley to central would take at least that long, possibly longer depending on traffic. repulse bay has a VERY small shopping centre with a supermarket and a few other things and a beach. that's about it.

stanley has a lot more shops, a slightly larger shopping centre, a beach and the market.

db has all of the above as well.

i will admit that i'm partial to DB as we lived there pre-kids, and through the birth of my two childrne. i found it a GREAT place to meet other mums and i consider myself lucky that even though we moved to sai kung over 3 years ago, some of them are still friends.

sai kung would be another place to add to your list.

the problem though is this: you have given absolutely no idea of budget or requirements... without that information, it is extremely difficult to recommend any place
 
When we arrived here, we spent 6 months in a serviced apartment, just so I could get my barings and have time to decide what I liked and didn't like about areas we wanted to live in.
When we first went to DB I loved it there, but by the third visit, I hated it and knew I would never like to live there. I really liked Stanley but the bus journey was too much for my husband with commuting to central every day (the time wasn't too bad, but the windey, bendy roads can sometimes make you feel sick!)
We then decided to look around the new territories as I wanted to live a bit away from "the island" because it was just too crowded for me, with the buggy and a four year old (6 now!) to manouver.
we eventually settled in Gold Coast which is out near Tuen Mun. It can be a trek on the 962 to get to central but they have shuttle buses on in the morning and it takes my husband about 30 - 40 minutes to get to work and also to get home in the evenings. They also have the shuttle to the MTR quite regularly.

Another thing to take in to consideration is schools - I have heard (but no experience) that DB schools are nearly impossible to get in to, so it might be worth checking the forums about schools in the area you are interested in.
Good luck.
 
Thanks for all the info.

Carang - our budget is going to be around 50-60,000 hkd per month for rental and we will need a 3 bed apartment. About Sai Kung - can you tell me a little bit about it? Are there many expats there? Many young families etc? What are the positives about this area?

Amy - Can you tell me about the gold coast aswell? I presume there are several places within the gold coast? Is there any particular area you recommend and what do you like about it?

Thanks alot
 
Hi Cathryn,
It's definitely challenging on trying to decide on a place to live. It's great that you'll get a chance to see each place before you actually decide. Right now, we're living in the Belcher's which is considered Pokfulam, but it's very close to Central. However, we are moving because we need more space and the prices have gone up 20% in this area. I have a one year old and expecting our second in April. I haven't lived in either place, but I can tell you if you choose Stanley or Repulse bay, it's a more difficult commute unless you have a car, and even then you're fighting traffic because it's only one lane in and one lane out. DB is very family friendly...no car traffic (they rent out golf buggies for a very high price) and yes, you do need to take a ferry, but you can take the bus to the nearest MTR. We've actually chosen to live in Tung Chung because there is an MTR, lots of shops and a huge clubhouse with lots of facilities. It's also close to DB and different beaches. They also have a direct shuttle service in the am going into Central or TST and in the pm going back to the complex we've chosen. Your budget is higher so you can probably find a VERY nice place there with lots of space. In Saikung, you need a car because it's quite far out but you could probably get a village house on your budget. Just some food for thought. Good luck!
 
Cathryn,

I would recommend staying in a serviced apartment for the 1st month as well and exploring all the areas when you get here.

Good luck!
 
We live in Repulse Bay and love it; we have a 4 and 1 year old. There is enough here that you can get all the essentials (which was a huge bonus for the first 3 months when I didn't have a helper and had to take both kids everywhere - I was used to this at home but it was harder work here), the beach to play on (given the lack of grass and open space on HK island), great hikes/runs in the area and it only takes my husband 30min door to door commute on the shuttle bus. I know it depends on what you are used to but it does make me smile when people talk about the commute from here as that is so short in Australia or the UK. It is 10mins to Stanley on the bus or by car, same to Aberdeen where there are lots of shops, including a Toyrsus.

It is really easy to meet other mums, there are so many families here and 3 preschools in RB itself. I am sure the same could be said about DB and Stanley, plus Sai Kung and GC, but just thought i'd add my comments as we looked at a lot of different areas and have been very happy with our choice. It is easy to get to Central and Kowloon for going out etc. However i do know that prices have gone up a lot since we moved here, but think that is the same everywhere. I had read that it was v expensive here and while there are some very expensive places, the ones we looked at were better value that the same budget (similiar to yours) in Pokfulam, Stanley, Tai Tam and also Midlevels - we didn't view any places in DB because our research showed similar value for money and we preferred to be on the island. But agree it makes sense to take some time to suss out once you are here as my views have changed on a number of places since being here and everyone has their own preferences and priorities.
 
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for that budget in db, you should get a larger (1500-2000') house/ground floor of a low-rise with a garden of your own.

in sai kung, you could get a full stand-alone house with car parks and possibly a private pool in your garden.
 
I love it in DB. Brilliant for kids but agree that schooling is difficult as the two primary schools there are well booked out and unless you can pay the debenture price, unlikely to get in. If you can negotiate a debenture through your work (or husband's work) then I would ask about that. The ESF school which is designated for DB is Bradbury which is a 40 min bus trip away and Bradbury is very full as well. There is an ESF school in DB but it is the only one without a catchment policy so can take kids from anywhere in HK and you are not guaranteed a spot by living in DB.

If you want more info on DB let me know and I'd be happy to PM you my experiences. We spent 2 years in the New Territories (near Gold Coast), 5 years in Midlevels and 1 in DB so far.
 
Hi All,

So we are now living in HK, I got here last Saturday. We are currently staying in a serviced apartment in Causeway Bay and I have started looking around different areas we may move to. On Sunday we went to Stanley which I really liked, but today I went to Discovery Bay which I loved. I just wondered if anyone living in DB can answer this question. My husband said people at work have said one thing we need to consider is during Typhoon season they are known to stop the ferries. So I wondered if anyone knows anything about this, how often it happens usually and how long it goes on for?

Thanks
Cathryn
 
Hi

I have not experienced a typhoon causing the ferries to stop but have only lived in DB a little over a year. You can still catch the MTR to Sunny Bay and then a bus from Sunny Bay direct to DB so that is what I would be doing if there was a typhoon 8. Usually the HK observatory gives you some warning that they will be raising the signal to an 8 (which means people can leave work and go home) and I understand that the ferries run for a while after that but there is still the MTR/bus option.

If you have any other DB related questions then happy to answer here or by PM. I was a big DB hater when we lived in mid-levels pre children but am now loving it since we have a family (although note the schooling concerns I raised above).

SB2
 
Hi Starbucks - thanks for the info on DB. I think it is definitely narrowed down now to either DB or Stanley. So I was just wondering if you can give me a bit more info on the schools in DB.
My Son will be 3 in May, so is he likely to get into a kindergarden on DB itself or am I likely to have to go over to Hong Kong Island each day?
At what age do they start proper primary school? If it is 4/5 as in the UK my son would be due to start Sept 2012, so do you think even if I got his name down now he would not get into a school on DB?

His schooling I think is going to be a bit issue for us as I wouldn't want to move there to then have to take him over on a ferry or a 40 min bus journey every day to school.

Any help on this would be great - or if anyone else has experience with this your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks
 
Hi, my son has just turned 3 and we have him on the waitlist to start at DBIS in August but no chance as he has only been on the list for 1.5 years (its crazy ...). If you pay the debenture at DBIS then you could still get in for the August intake. If that is an option then I'd suggest you give them a call to find out how much it is. Can't recall exact amount but it was too much for us. There are other options for kindergarten 1 (ie: our sons' first year) in DB - DMK Kindergarten and the new Montessori school in DB North Plaza. Not sure what availability is like for the August 2011 year but you could email them. We are hoping our son will get into DMK. DMK and Mntessori do three years which gives you some time to wait and get into the primary schools in DB. I come from a country where kids start school at 5 years old so am a bit relaxed about K1 options.

Good luck. DB is great but school options are hard.
 
Another option could be Tung Chung because you don't have to rely on the ferry...and it's a bus ride to DB. There's also an MTR and shopping is very convenient. There's a DMK near here too...I don't know too much about schooling yet as our little one just turned 14 months. There's a direct shuttle bus into the city which you need to join a "club" to buy the tickets which cost the same as the MTR if you choose the Caribbean Coast complex for the business hours. We just moved here a month ago and love it!
 
Starbucks - wow you have him down to start DBIS this August at only 3yoa! That seems so early to start school, I'm not sure I'm ready to loose my son to school just yet! Or is it Kindergarden at DBIS? I'm a bit confused as to how the schools work out here. In the UK they go to pre-school a couple of mornings a week from about 2.5yrs then when they are about 3.5-4yrs they start going 4-5 mornings a week, then they start school the sept after their 4th birthday.

Well if we move there then I'll try and get his name down to see if he can start Aug next year when he will be 4, which I am sure there will be no chance! I'll just have to see what happens I suppose.

Banane - Are there many expats with children in Tung Chung. I really like the feel of DB and feel it would be a great place to meet other mums. Also how long does it take to get to Central from there?

Penelope - thanks for the info, I'll look into sunshine too.
 
Hi

I was just as confused as you were and still am! It is kindergarten I am meaning. 5 mornings or 5 afternoons a week - 3 hour sessions. There are a lot of places that offer K1 or an equivalent of this. For DMK the kids in K1 range from around 2.5 to 3.5 as you start in the August of the year in which you turn 3. So my son will start at K1 this August as he turned 3 in Feb. I think DBIS does a different calculation but for my son it would still be starting at Reception (K1 equivalent) in August. The waitlists are crazy as sibling take priority over new entrants (which grudgingly makes sense). I had forgotten about Sunshine House but that is also a possibility although not sure if they do kindergarten or just a playgroup. My son currently in the DMK playgroup (5 mornings a week - 2 hour sessions) and enjoys it so am hoping for a smooth transition to kindergarten which is longer sessions and more structured. At home, kids start on their 5th birthday (in state schools) and at the start of the term in which they turn 5 (for private schools). So I see this as a big difference in HK given they start so much earlier. I have heard really good things about DBIS so am hopeful that we will eventually get in there. DMK and Montessori (and maybe Sunshine House) offer options for a few years at their schools (for DMK and Montessori - 3 years - 2 kindergarten and the first year of primary) so that you can wait to get into DBIS or the ESF school Discovery College. Discovery College starts from primary 1 but DBIS has 2 years of kindergarten. Friends who put their kids names down at birth have got places so we were just behind the 8 ball as we were living in midlevels when our son was born!! Who knew we needed to anticipate where we would be living when he was 3!!

There are a lot of expats in Tung Chung and is conmvenient for shopping and transport into the city and airport. My impression is that it is more high rise living whereas there are a lot of options for low rise living in DB. That is what made us move from the convenience of midlevels as we were sick of high rise living and needed easy options for entertaining our toddler (and newborn in time to come). The entertainment options for them in DB are so easy as parks and playgrounds everywhere and awesome clubs with pools and indoor play areas for the summer. Gets a bit same same for the adults in terms of same restaurants etc (although a few news ones at the DB North Plaza which is good news) but its a compromise for a place that is awesome for kids. And on schooling, the same issues of finding a suitable place at a suitable school exist all over HK.

SB2
 
Hello everyone! I've following your msgs and found them very useful and informative. Great job!
We are moving to HK this summer, and we have a 2 year old toddler, a 5 months old baby and 2 cats. We are wondering what would be the best neighborhoods for our family in HK, and after reading a lot, I find that Sai Kung may be an interesting option for us, since our housing allowance is miserable and can't really pack all of us in a shoe box if we choose to live in HK Island (or am I wrong?).

My husband and I will work in the Central, so we can't move too far for us to commute. How do people commute from Sai Kung? How's Sai Kung for living with small children? Is there a town with suppermarkets and stores? Can you do your daily shopping on foot? Or do people live in isolated town houses? Are there a neighborhood? Any comments will be very much appreciated. Please help!
 
Starbucks - thank you so much for all the info on the schools. It makes much more sense now, I think I get it all. Well it looks like we have decided to come to DB, viewed some properties on Sunday which were really nice so just need to make a decision on which one. I also have 2 more to view this Wednesday.

I do find it so scary the thought of my son going to any school/playgroup 5 mornings or afternoons a week though, he was only on 2 mornings a week at pre-school back in the UK and it took him so long to get used to it, he got so upset every time I left him and took him about 3 months to stop crying every time, then when we left the UK he loved it and really looked forward to going. So I just hope we wont have the same issues here, I really hope they might let him gradually start a couple of mornings/afternoons a week and build up to 5, rather than straight in at 5.

Anyway we will sort all that out once we know when we will be moving over there.

Thanks again

Tanitsky - sorry I dont know anything about Sai Kung, hopefully someone else might know something
 
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