G'day PontyEnd,
feel I must add my 2cents worth here - I'm a DBer and I find it an ideal place for my young family AND myself. What you have to realise is that DB is the place that Cathay people
love to hate!. (In fact, DB bashing is one of the most popular pastimes that the idle majority of Cathay expats love to partake in).
Common terms like "The Truman Show" & "Stepford wives" are often bandied about - my guess is the majority of criticism comes from those who have never lived there, and the remainder comes from people who HAVE lived there but are "glass is half empty" types.
Sure, DB is NOT HK, but it is a nice compromise and provides a smooth transition to expat life in HK. Whilst I applaude those who go straight into Happy Valley/TST/Midlevels and immerse themselves in "HK proper", I could not fathom that with 3 kids under 5! My kids need plenty of (flat) green space, a safe environment with no/minimal traffic & somewhere where we don't have to rely on a car for daily life. DB fits the bill perfectly. Most importantly you have to remember that the
family will be spending most of the time there, not you. Sure, you can sit in the plaza all day and whinge at the "B-scale bar", OR, you can whack the kids in the backpack, put on your boots and tramp to Mui Wo, take a ferry to HK, etc... etc...
In short, DB can be a great place for a young family and to echo the sentiments of a previous poster, make sure you spend a few days checking out places various to see for yourself.
Feel free to PM me if you want more detailed info.
Cheers.
PS. there is ONE major drawback to DB. I have been here a while now & NOT ONE person has offered to swap their wife with mine..! MInd you, I don't blame them, my missus has a head like a deep sea racing lobster
