Good spots to live in HK

[A. Le Rhone]

As far away from the pollution as possible?.........Canberra!

Sorry, smarty-pants answer (but it's true, well maybe Sapporo or Darwin).

15k in DB no problem but you're in the thick of the smog there. Not a real happening place either unless you're in to smelly nappies/diapers etc.

[Ex Cathedra]

Priority number 1 is being as far away from the pollution as possible, noting also that the accomodation budget will not be much higher than 15k per month (33k salary). What can you get in discovery bay for that price?

Oh well, as long as you're not being unrealistic...


Rent a cheap pad in TC. If you're willing to live in HK on a monthly budget of 18k (good luck with that), I assume you have no wife & kids. In which case DB has nothing for you (it wouldn't anyway).

But if you're serious about it I suggest pitching a tent in the mountain somewhere behind the golf course, far enough that you won't get evicted by the guards of course. Nice views from up there...
Maybe a cheap flat in Mui Wo?

PS: You can't get away from the pollution anywhere in HK.
PPS: Welcome to hell.

[broadband circuit]

Glorious

Your profile says you're from Canberra, so the simplest description would be "The Manuka of Hong Kong"

[jonathon68]

The big issue is the cost/availability of good school places, if you have kids already or plan to have them in the next decade.

PM me if you have a specific question.

[NoseGear]

Roxy....I'm going to make a leap of faith here...if your a chick, and you're HOT....you will have a great time! PM me for more....

[Get-a-raise]

Tung Chung's main residential apartments are the Tng Ching Crescent, Seaview Crescent, Carribbean Coast and Coastal Skyline, all of which I are managed by the MTR. In terms of size, the indiviudal units range from around 450-2000 sq ft, but most are around 450-800 sq ft, with some around 1000 sq ft. So you have to decide if that is too small or just right for you.

The main advantage (and also disadvantage) is that Tung Chung is close to the airport, which will save you travel time. The upside is that there are some decent public parks bulit around the residential estates, this open space you won't find in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. The main downside is the air pollution, as the place is exposed to the Pearl River Delta's factories emission, which often hits Tung Chung first.

There use to be fair number of pilots living in Sai Kung back in the Kai Tak days, but of course the airport was alot closer to Sai Kung then. In terms of scenery, it is the most green place in the city. Also some nice hiking trails.

You could also try those village houses that are scattered around Lantau Island. Those on the South side of the land has slightly less pollution and some great beach views, although public transportation may not be as convienient as the rest of the city.

[hongkongfooey]

PS: You can't get away from the pollution anywhere in HK

But you can move to Sai Kung and kid yourself your away from it, only 240,000ppm compared with 300,000ppm in DB ( average day ).
60,000 is the WHO limit BTW

PPS: Welcome to hell

That's a bit harsh !!! Hell is nowhere near this humid ! ( or polluted )

[pill]

Roxy, as grim as this sounds, becomeing the second or third wife of one of our older gentlemen captains (over 55 years of age, can't live with the thought of '"not continuing to give something back to aviation" but sitting on stacks of cash), sounds better than living anywhere in HK with 14k left over a month. Thats living on 500 Aud a week in one of the worlds most expensive cities. Doable, 80% of the locals do it, but hardly "living the dream".

[hongkongfooey]

, becomeing the second or third wife of one of our older gentlemen captains

I think a certain Captain Parker may be receptive to this idea after the macing he recently received

[cxlinedriver]

Tung Chung shouldn't be residential

Good luck with AHK.

When it was proposed that apartments be built in Tung Chung, an air quality specialist at HKG Uni said that due to air flows around Lantau and the pollution from the Pearl River Delta, that the air is too bad for humans to be exposed to without serious health problems. The apartments were built and the government collected its stamp duty.

Since then the air is a whole lot worse (China's economic miracle - f$%k the world).

[Bye Bye Baby]

To be completely honest, I wouldn't make pollution a deciding factor on where you live in HKG. It is simply degrees of filth, will it kill you in 12 or 15years, one thing is for sure it will shorten your life span. Just hope your bag loads of cash make an early death worthwhile.

[etrang]

as the place is exposed to the Pearl River Delta's factories emission, which often hits Tung Chung first.

The factories are largely electronic assembly or garment/textile. They don't release pollution into the air.

[404 Titan]

etrang

Three questions:

1. Where do you think the power comes from to power these factories?
2. Also where do you think the power comes from when the power fails, as it frequently does on the mainland, to power these factories?
3. Lastly how do you think most of the workers from these factories heat and cook in their squalid living quarters?

[Runway101]

When it was proposed that apartments be built in Tung Chung, an air quality specialist at HKG Uni said that due to air flows around Lantau and the pollution from the Pearl River Delta, that the air is too bad for humans to be exposed to without serious health problems.

Says who? Your dad's friend?

[etrang]

Titan, 3 answers

1) Coal fired power stations are indeed a major source of pollution in china. But light manufacturing is not energy intensive. Countless millions of air-cons, fridges and TVs in Shenzhen and Guangzhou are more to blame. Which is a shame because the factories are steadily moving inland in search of cheaper land and labour. The cities will only grow.

2) It doesn't fail often, which is ironically not such a good thing as diesel powered generators are generally less polluting than the power stations.

3) The dormitories i've seen are not squalid, and if necessary heated by electric fan heaters. A fire in the room would be a sacking offense - dead workers is bad PR, causes problems with the authorities and delays production. The workers eat in the canteen. They use gas to cook and the food is usually not bad.

[hongkongfooey]

Etrang, the last 20 times I landed in CAN, maybe bar once or twice, the vis was around 3000m in pollution, so where does that come from ? Or maybe like 1/2 of Hong Kong you just like to pretend it's not there, or maybe it's fog ? and who really gives a crap, if the pollution producers move to the extreme north of China it will still reach hong kong.
Also, I guess the reason there are so many suicides by factory workers is that they live in paradise.

Bye bye baby, seek immediate help, you sound exactly like me

[goatliner]

Hi guys,

I'll be moving to Hong Kong end of the year and I am thinking about moving to Tung Chung because of the distance to the airport.

I have done my homework looked at the net to see the rental prices.
My budget is between 15000 and 30000 hkd.

Which are the better condos there, what size of condo do i have to expect and which agencies can you recommend.?
How many months security deposit do i have to pay?
How much does the real estate agent get?
I am living there with my girlfriend , which is working too.

Any places or ares you would recommend?

THKS
GL

[404 Titan]

etrang

I think you need to do a little more research regarding the chronic electrical power shortages and outages on the mainland, particularly in the Pearl River Delta region. Power outages are averaging twice a week lasting several hours at a time.

Most of the mainlands electrical power comes from coal fired power stations. Most of these power stations use poor quality local coal which is higher in sulphur content and they also lack completely the particulate separators and scrubbers which are mandatory in most western countries.

Most people living in the Pearl River Delta region actually heat and cook their dwellings with coal fired heaters and stoves. There are two reasons why they have to do this. The first is they couldn’t afford the power and the second is there isn’t enough electrical power supply to provide them all with this luxury even if they could afford it.

[NoseGear]

I've been to a number of mainland Chinese cities, and it is a common sight to see the coal markets, for lack of a better term, small trucks all lined up, must be hundreds of them, loaded with coal and all the locals from miles around trooping to get their daily coal requirements. Now multiply that by a billion.... Its one of those days here today in fact, as its been a bit cooler lately, so in rolls the "HZ" or "FG" I read somewhere there is a new coal fired power station built every week on the mainland, and anyone who has flown the Northern route to Europe over China has gazed down on a country completely blanketed with pollution. Its just one reason my kids are moving home, both of them having had more than one serious bout of Respiratory illness. Its just not worth it.

[Capt Toss Parker]

Here's my two cents worth future "Cadets"

If you think living like a chicken couped up with your family in a small box is bad, wait till your training starts.

I have a sinister dislike towards anyone not from a military background and I make that point known very early in the peace. Unless you are a psychic mind reading pilot, I will end up berating you for the entire flight. Nit picking you to death for the shear pleasure and my own ego gratification.

You will need to predict the future - then read my mind and then from the mind reading ... perform a task or give me an answer that is inline with MY WAY OF THINKING.

I have this delusion that this is (my airline) .... all other training, procedures and information is inferior to what I have to offer. I'm happy make that known on the flight deck as well.

You'd rather be in a Austrian dungeon with Fritzel, than on a training flight with me.

Join the Air Cadets and practice your salute that's the best preparation you could make before coming to the far east.

Must dash I have a photo shoot of (me) in my old military regalia ... kind of a then & now expose so to speak ... toodaloo chaps