Would we like Tai Tam?

S

SarahHK

Registered User
I've posted previously about moving to HK and finding the right neighborhood and geobaby has been an amazing resource. We like the idea of living on HK island but really liked DB when we visited. I feel a bit schizo with my typical need to be near the action (Mid-levels) and desire to have some peace/quiet, "fresh" air, access to kid-friendly activities. Needless to say we are spoiled by California life where we get both urban access and quiet respite in San Francisco!

So I've been doing more research and am wondering if Tai Tam might be a good fit? Close to water, On HK island, suburb-y, buildings with amenities and grocery (Pacific View, Manhattan, Red Hill), lots of green. What is commuting to Central really like in early AM (7-8am)? Seems there are shuttles to central, stanley and MTR which could mean less reliance on car?

Around there is Repulse Bay of course which is very nice but I fear out of our price range. Also, I felt it was really car reliant and too hilly to walk around?

The things that worry me about DB are reliance on ferry, extra hidden costs, and being so far from the action. Is this unnecessary?

My husband is in HK for two weeks now and will be checking out West mid-levels area around Kotewall Road and Hatton Road (told it's a bit greener but still convenient?) and I'd love to tell him other places to check out. We'd like to be in popular expat areas/buildings to help w homesickness too.

Welcome any further advice and thanks in advance!
 
The only thing about Tai Tam that I can see that it would be easier with a car. Otherwise, you are relying on taxis and buses and sometimes traffic can be killer going out there because it's only one lane for each direction.
 
Going up Midlevels or towards East would also be good. Keneddy Road, Bowen Road, Magazine Gap Rd etc etc
 
really, tai tam would be at LEAST a 30 minute drive to central, longer at rush hour.

DB is a 30 minute ferry ride to central, irrespective of time of day.

personally, i think that for the $ in tai tam, i would prefer DB.
 
I live in Tai Tam and very happy with the compromise environment vs closeness to central. I can tell you that a Taxi to central before 7.00am will take 20 mins. However as soon as you hit 7.15, it is not the traffic but the actual availability of taxis as they all seem to end up at HKIS!! However you can drive or book a taxi. We do have a car and that suits us just fine as it means that we can easily access Big Wave Bay etc with our three children. If you are in Park view then you are very close to central but it is not really tai tam in the sense of being near stanley and is right at the far end of Tai Tam Park . Manhattan is the staple expat diet and the ultimate compromise of value, facilities and space. We have been here for three years.

JC
 
i cannot imagine a taxi ride from redhill taking only 20 minutes. i like to drive fast, but i would be very hard-pressed to make it to central in 20 minutes from there, no matter the time of day.
 
I have a colleague who lives in Tai Tam - she drives to work (Central) and says it's about 20 minutes early in the morning.
 
tai tam is a large area... which part do you live in? i used to teach there 3x/week. and never once did i make it in less than 30 minutes going through repulse bay...but if you go across the reservoir, then perhaps, if you are not behind a double decker, you could make it via chai wan....
 
If your husband is going for a finance related job, you guys might consider the short-term serviced apartment route before you make any longer term decisions on where to live. I was personally really against this idea because it feels so unsettled, so I understand why you wouldn't want to, but the hours in HK for the finance guys is really unbelievable, and at the end of the day we had to experience it to understand it. In the end, it made more sense for our family to live really close to my husband's work, so that I could spend more commute time taking the kids to see green, but he could maximize his family time at home.

It also depends on your kids' ages. My kids are really young, so a clubhouse playroom, local playground and local parks are enough at this stage. If they were older, I'd think about distance from schools (which seem to be all on HK island, close to where you are looking) and activities.
 
We moved here in April and just had a baby, living in Pacific View, Tai Tam. My husband's commute by taxi early morning is 20 minutes. When you come home rush hour it can take up to an hour. We have been lucky so far. The building has a bus that leaves central at 6:45, and sometimes we have made it home by 7:05! the area is gorgeous, great views, close to Stanley. I do feel a bit isolated at times, and grocery shopping is difficult...you need to either take the shuttle bus or taxi to the store, cannot walk there. But, for me with a newborn I didn't know if I could negotiate the hills of midlevles with a stroller. You get more space out here, that is for sure. I have friends that live in The Repulse Bay...that would be the IDEAL spot, but alas....a bit outside of our price range as well.
 
By Tai Tam, are you referring to Redhill or Pacific View/ The Manhattan? Redhill seems more isolated to me, but I have friends there who love the relative quiet. All three places are quite pretty.

Commute to Central: you can definitely get to Central (before or after traffic) in 20 minutes from Red Hill, but 30-45+ minutes is more realistic during the day (after 7am and before about 8pm). Traffic definitely affects the commute time during the day, at night it really is only 20 minutes. If you are referring to Pacific View/ Manhattan, add just under 5 minutes. These commute times assume taking the route to Chai Wan and then the highway to Central. It will be a bit longer if you go to Stanley and take a bus over the hill or through Aberdeen tunnel.

Facilities for kids: Each of these developments has facilities for kids, including playgrounds and nice pools. Pacific View has an indoor pool also. The outdoor pools at Redhill are more resort-like (waterfalls, slide, etc). There are several preschools/ formal playgroups at Redhill plaza. There are also preschools in Repulse Bay.

Shuttle bus: Each development has shuttle busses to Stanley and Central. The shuttles to Stanley depart much more frequently than the shuttles to Central.

City bus/ mini-bus: You will also have frequent number 16 minibusses to Chai Wan MTR station passing each location. From Chai Wan you can get around to the rest of the north side of the island/ Kowloon, etc. pretty efficiently. Once in Stanley you also have a number of city busses going to various locations in HK.

Commute to Stanley: Pacific View/ Manhattan are about 5 minutes from Stanley by bus/ taxi, the drive from Redhill to Stanley is a few minutes longer. The big difference is that walking from Pacific View/ Manhattan to Stanley is possible (it takes about 15 minutes) whereas you cannot safely walk from Redhill to Stanley (no sidewalks along a fair bit of the route). Stanley has an indoor playroom for young (under 5) children, an outdoor playground and beaches, in addition to restaurants, grocery stores and a nicely remodled plaza hopefully re-opening soon.

Beach: In addition to Stanley's beaches, Pacific View/ Manhattan and Redhill each have beaches within walking distance. Each complex also has sea views from most apartments.

Country park access: Directly across the street from Redhill, no need for a taxi. Will need a short (under 5 minute) cab ride from Pacific View/ Manhattan because there are no sidewalks on the way there.

Other stuff: Each complex will have plenty of families with children of various ages, a mix of local and expat families and some stay at home moms. Each complex has a small room for a domestic helper, even in two bedroom units. Most units in each building will come with one car park space also.
 
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Thanks so much to everyone for all the helpful feedback. My major takeaways deciding between DB, Tai Tam, Mid-levels are to consider:

1) Commute time by ferry (DB) or car (TT) or no commute at all (Midlevels)
2) Whether I am more willing to commute to kid activities/dinners out (Central) or to fresh air/beach/green activities
3) Husband's "real" working hours and commute toll on him/family time from Central

If anyone is willing to indulge a few follow-up questions:

1) Seems Pacific View apartments are smaller with more difficult layout yet have a higher price tag compared to Manhattan - is there are reason?
2) What is the deal with the American Club country club - I've heard there is a forever long waiting list, etc. etc. It seems a shame to live so close by with no access accept through friends? Also, seems they got rid of their "young member" membership recently?
3) How's the "community" in Tai Tam? I experienced it in DB and have heard great things about the sense of community there - but not yet of TT.

Thanks again for all this help!
 
Sara,

1) I looked at both Manhattan and Pacific view. You would not be disappointed by either. Pacific View has the advantage of an indoor pool and also an onsite restaurant. The overall finish of the building is more upmarket with lots of marble and chandeliers in the common areas. However, the rooms are all slightly odd in shape due to the nature of the building itself which has many curved walls. They are also generally smaller than the manhattan. I believe also that Pacific view has multiple owners so the quality of finish within the flats will be different. I believe that the Pacific view prices are higher because the owner(s) believe the overall finish and environment is of a better quality than the manhattan ( my view is this is quite superficial). If it helps I would chose the manhattan every time and save 10k-20/month, but there is always a waiting list. You will also find that the manhattan rental prices fluctuate a lot less than pacific view as the manhattan is all owned by one landlord who is focused on maximum occupancy rather than max profit in any one year.

2) American club is 2million dollars if you want a debenture and loads of the banks have them. They are also doing weekly memberships for 36k/anum but that means you cant use it at the weekend.

3) Community in Tai Tam/stanley is very good and as always is driven by schools, rugby, clubs etc

Hope this helps

JC
 
I absolutely love living in Tai Tam! But my husband and I both drive to work which probably makes a huge difference. The environment and easy access to country parks is ideal for families...especially since we have two large dogs. American club can be quite pricey, but if you choose to live in Pacific View/Redhill/Manhattan, the clubhouse facilities are very well appointed. No need to join the American Club unless you plan to take advantage of their restaurant facilities or social gatherings.
 
P.S. I would like to add that my husband's commute to Tsim Sa Tsui in the morning takes roughly 20-25 minutes thru the cross harbour tunnel (the middle one). He does have to leave home by 7am to beat the traffic though despite driving himself.
 
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