Where to live.....
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Where to live.....
Hello All, I'm currently looking for somewhere to live (for myself and a mate) and have been viewing places inTung Chung, DB and Park island.. Alongside a few near central, which seems less practical. I expect to be in an out of the airport quite frequently and with most of the morning flights depart at 8am, I expect to be needed at work from around 6am.
Would anyone be able to give and experienced feedback on the places above with respects to practicality for work and lifestyle OR recommend anywhere better.
Cheers!
Would anyone be able to give and experienced feedback on the places above with respects to practicality for work and lifestyle OR recommend anywhere better.
Cheers!
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Flyer.... Be prepared for a lot of very cynical, sarcastic and downright rude comments on this forum.....try and see beyond them though.....although you're options aren't exactly as appealing as they might have been a few years ago, you still have options ... Tung Chung is really the most realistic as far as space and value for money is concerned, ..also try South Lantau. If its just you and a mate then D B might seem a bit .. Well....weird! Otherwise, a lot of the guys seem to go for Sheung Wan....Still a bit central but cheaper!...whatever you do though try and get a balanced view of everything at Cathay...particularly from existing new joiners and experienced SO's..and above all DON'T believe half of the Sh..t you see on This forum.
Good luck
Good luck
...and also be prepared for the thread to be hijacked into lengthy diatribes on US economics and politics.
Good luck.
Good luck.
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I think your suggestion of a closer location like Tung Chung is probably worthy.
Any idea what park island is like for commuting? I enjoyed the island when I visited and its well linked with the city via the ferry, however the buses don't start until 6am. Doable by taxi every day that your on an early... Not sure........ :-/
I have noticed the post regularly get hijacked, maybe ill get lucky!
Any idea what park island is like for commuting? I enjoyed the island when I visited and its well linked with the city via the ferry, however the buses don't start until 6am. Doable by taxi every day that your on an early... Not sure........ :-/
I have noticed the post regularly get hijacked, maybe ill get lucky!
Last edited by flyer101; 27th Apr 2016 at 17:28.
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Hey flyer101, Park Island is a good place to live but for commuting not so good as the ferries and buses don't start very early. Also, it would help if you could tell me the price range in which you are looking to rent a house.
Check out these few places and do go to them and have a look around.
1. Tin Shui Wai- Transport to almost everywhere, during the day and even overnight. Try looking into Locwood Court as thats the nearest to the train station.
2. Mei Foo- Also another great place to be as there are mini-buses and buses overnight.
3. Gold Coast- This place is very expat friendly and there are shuttle buses going to the airport daily from here. Although there is no train station nearby, so you'll often have to rely on buses or mini-buses.
4. Hung Hom- Right next to the center of the city and a lot cheaper than most other nearby alternatives such as Tsim Sha Tsui etc. Overnight buses and train station nearby, it used to take me 15 mins to walk from Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui.
Hope this helps, if you let me know what further preferences you choose then I could help you out more. Cheers!
Check out these few places and do go to them and have a look around.
1. Tin Shui Wai- Transport to almost everywhere, during the day and even overnight. Try looking into Locwood Court as thats the nearest to the train station.
2. Mei Foo- Also another great place to be as there are mini-buses and buses overnight.
3. Gold Coast- This place is very expat friendly and there are shuttle buses going to the airport daily from here. Although there is no train station nearby, so you'll often have to rely on buses or mini-buses.
4. Hung Hom- Right next to the center of the city and a lot cheaper than most other nearby alternatives such as Tsim Sha Tsui etc. Overnight buses and train station nearby, it used to take me 15 mins to walk from Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui.
Hope this helps, if you let me know what further preferences you choose then I could help you out more. Cheers!
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Tsing Yi is a great balance betwwen the airport and the city, it's less than 15 min each way, however as you've already stated early starts may be a problem I think the first airport express train goes through Tsing Yi at 6 am. Not sure about the tung chung line or buses.
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Kennedy Town could be a possibility.
Rent price - Partially inflated, but K-Town considered the newly emerging expat zone.
Relatively accessible to the Airport: A10 Airport bus twice an hour (Starts at 6:50 unfortunately), takes approximately 40min or hop in a taxi to Central and take the Airport Express or Tung Chung MTR line.
Transport: West Island MTR line opens soon, easy access to Central and other destinations - Central itself is only 10 minutes away (Taxi via the flyover, or 54 minibus or multiple double deckers). Tram line also starts in Kennedy Town. Easily accessible to other locations on Hong Kong Island.
Lifestyle - Few good bars along Davis St, and new restaurants opening constantly, set at reasonable prices. Supermarkets, HSBC Bank, laundry and convenience stores all within short walking distance.
Rent price - Partially inflated, but K-Town considered the newly emerging expat zone.
Relatively accessible to the Airport: A10 Airport bus twice an hour (Starts at 6:50 unfortunately), takes approximately 40min or hop in a taxi to Central and take the Airport Express or Tung Chung MTR line.
Transport: West Island MTR line opens soon, easy access to Central and other destinations - Central itself is only 10 minutes away (Taxi via the flyover, or 54 minibus or multiple double deckers). Tram line also starts in Kennedy Town. Easily accessible to other locations on Hong Kong Island.
Lifestyle - Few good bars along Davis St, and new restaurants opening constantly, set at reasonable prices. Supermarkets, HSBC Bank, laundry and convenience stores all within short walking distance.
Last edited by blacklabel92; 31st Jan 2013 at 04:59.
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I'm impressed this didn't get shot down or descend into a bashing fest!
STP
I found the best place to live in HK is Australia, clean air, relatively cheap housing, and lots of space. Bit of a bugger of a commute tho on a regional roster, and there are a few too many bogans 
If you're doing a lot of early morning starts on a regional roster, you might be stuck with a taxi or the night bus as your only transport options.
That being the case, you might be better off on Lantau Island somewhere, such as Tung Chung or South Lantau or DB ( no taxis there though). Although a taxi from HK Island is not that expensive, it starts to add up if you have to do it 3 or 4 times a week.
If you lived on South Lantau you could get a car or motorbike which would be a lot more convenient.
That being the case, you might be better off on Lantau Island somewhere, such as Tung Chung or South Lantau or DB ( no taxis there though). Although a taxi from HK Island is not that expensive, it starts to add up if you have to do it 3 or 4 times a week.
If you lived on South Lantau you could get a car or motorbike which would be a lot more convenient.
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About Tung Chung
As someone living in TC and working a regional roster I can say that tung Chung is great for:
1) HK $45 taxi to the airport which is great during Typhoon season when the busses stop on a T8 signal while you still have to get to work.
2) cheaper rent per sq foot - I have a high level 1250 footer for 18k pm which is about the median price in TC
3) bus direct to TC from the airport for HK $3.20
4) dog friendly parks
5) takeaway/ food delivery options are good if you like curry or pizza
Pretty **** for:
1) 60m commute from our building via TC MTR to HK Station (35m on the train)
2) Air pollution is pretty bad anywhere in western Hong Kong
3) the supermarkets are convenient but in typical Chinese style, they only have 4/5ths of everything you need for a western meal
5) the MTR home from Hong Kong station finishes at just after 1am so you have to leave town early or get a $280-300 taxi home (about the same fare if you live in town and have to get a taxi to the airport)
6) There are a couple of places to get a beer in TC but there is no atmosphere like you'll find in LKF or mid levels.
There are quite a few expats in TC but there are many more in DB, LKF and mid levels. TC is where we started in Hong Kong for convenience and price and because we wanted to stay out of the late night bar hopping scene til we got settled. Having been here for a while now we are seriously considering South Lantau to be closer to friends and cleaner air.. It has a much nicer village lifestyle but it is more isolated, the restaurants are better but things look a bit run down (buildings and rubbish).
My lease goes for two years, with the second being optional. Renting here is different to Oz. You are signing up for one whole year no matter how long you stay... They will come after you for the rent if you leave early! (Pretty standard I HK) our second year is then just a standard periodical lease.
PM me if you want details of an agent who doesn't charge commish...
Please fOrgive the iPad auto fail speling and grammmar.
1) HK $45 taxi to the airport which is great during Typhoon season when the busses stop on a T8 signal while you still have to get to work.
2) cheaper rent per sq foot - I have a high level 1250 footer for 18k pm which is about the median price in TC
3) bus direct to TC from the airport for HK $3.20
4) dog friendly parks
5) takeaway/ food delivery options are good if you like curry or pizza
Pretty **** for:
1) 60m commute from our building via TC MTR to HK Station (35m on the train)
2) Air pollution is pretty bad anywhere in western Hong Kong
3) the supermarkets are convenient but in typical Chinese style, they only have 4/5ths of everything you need for a western meal
5) the MTR home from Hong Kong station finishes at just after 1am so you have to leave town early or get a $280-300 taxi home (about the same fare if you live in town and have to get a taxi to the airport)
6) There are a couple of places to get a beer in TC but there is no atmosphere like you'll find in LKF or mid levels.
There are quite a few expats in TC but there are many more in DB, LKF and mid levels. TC is where we started in Hong Kong for convenience and price and because we wanted to stay out of the late night bar hopping scene til we got settled. Having been here for a while now we are seriously considering South Lantau to be closer to friends and cleaner air.. It has a much nicer village lifestyle but it is more isolated, the restaurants are better but things look a bit run down (buildings and rubbish).
My lease goes for two years, with the second being optional. Renting here is different to Oz. You are signing up for one whole year no matter how long you stay... They will come after you for the rent if you leave early! (Pretty standard I HK) our second year is then just a standard periodical lease.
PM me if you want details of an agent who doesn't charge commish...
Please fOrgive the iPad auto fail speling and grammmar.
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Hong Kong ranks 14th in world for cost of living
Hong Kong moved up eight places from last year to become one of the top 20 most expensive cities in the world to live in, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest report.
The EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living 2013 survey ranked Hong Kong 14th on a global scale and 4th in Asia, behind Singapore and Japan’s Osaka and Tokyo – the latter having edged Zurich off the top spot despite sliding 14 percentage points on the index.
“Rising living costs in Hong Kong are driven on a macro scale…although property prices are not taken into account in the study, the unrelenting growth in real estate costs also feed into higher prices for everything else,” said Susan Evans, an analyst at the EIU in Hong Kong.
"No doubt, the lack of extensive free market competition in Hong Kong's supermarket sector also has an impact on maintaining high prices."
For multinational companies looking relocate expatriate workers to Hong Kong, the rises are exacerbated as salaries earned in a Western country's currency no longer gets them as far against the Hong Kong dollar as it used to, said Evans, referring to sluggish growth in Europe and the US compared to Asia.
The bi-annual study analyses 400 individual price points for 160 different products and services in 140 cities across the world. These included prices of bread, table wine, branded cigarettes and unleaded petrol.
The unrelenting growth in real estate costs also feed into higher prices for everything else
Susan Evans, EIU analyst
Jon Copestake, editor of the report, said Asian cities have been “rising on the back of wage growth and economic optimism” while most of Europe has seen relative declines due to economic austerity measures and currency fears.
Mainland cities, which were listed separately from Hong Kong in terms of country, saw living costs climb significantly in the past year, fuelled by rising wages, increased consumer demand and tighter currency controls.
Shanghai, up 11 spots from last year, was the most expensive mainland city followed by Guangzhou and Suzhou. Tianjin also jumped seven places to make the list as fourth priciest city in the country.
“Gradual appreciation of the yuan over the past few years and rising GDP per capita has contributed to rising costs of living in these cities,” said Evans.
The ten most expensive cities in Asia
Country City
Japan Tokyo
Japan Osaka
Australia Sydney
Australia Melbourne
Singapore Singapore
Australia Perth
Australia Brisbane
Hong Kong Hong Kong
Australia Adelaide
New Zealand Auckland
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
The EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living 2013 survey ranked Hong Kong 14th on a global scale and 4th in Asia, behind Singapore and Japan’s Osaka and Tokyo – the latter having edged Zurich off the top spot despite sliding 14 percentage points on the index.
“Rising living costs in Hong Kong are driven on a macro scale…although property prices are not taken into account in the study, the unrelenting growth in real estate costs also feed into higher prices for everything else,” said Susan Evans, an analyst at the EIU in Hong Kong.
"No doubt, the lack of extensive free market competition in Hong Kong's supermarket sector also has an impact on maintaining high prices."
For multinational companies looking relocate expatriate workers to Hong Kong, the rises are exacerbated as salaries earned in a Western country's currency no longer gets them as far against the Hong Kong dollar as it used to, said Evans, referring to sluggish growth in Europe and the US compared to Asia.
The bi-annual study analyses 400 individual price points for 160 different products and services in 140 cities across the world. These included prices of bread, table wine, branded cigarettes and unleaded petrol.
The unrelenting growth in real estate costs also feed into higher prices for everything else
Susan Evans, EIU analyst
Jon Copestake, editor of the report, said Asian cities have been “rising on the back of wage growth and economic optimism” while most of Europe has seen relative declines due to economic austerity measures and currency fears.
Mainland cities, which were listed separately from Hong Kong in terms of country, saw living costs climb significantly in the past year, fuelled by rising wages, increased consumer demand and tighter currency controls.
Shanghai, up 11 spots from last year, was the most expensive mainland city followed by Guangzhou and Suzhou. Tianjin also jumped seven places to make the list as fourth priciest city in the country.
“Gradual appreciation of the yuan over the past few years and rising GDP per capita has contributed to rising costs of living in these cities,” said Evans.
The ten most expensive cities in Asia
Country City
Japan Tokyo
Japan Osaka
Australia Sydney
Australia Melbourne
Singapore Singapore
Australia Perth
Australia Brisbane
Hong Kong Hong Kong
Australia Adelaide
New Zealand Auckland
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
Last edited by jetjockey696; 4th Feb 2013 at 11:18.
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Buy a boat. In the past it hasn't been the best option (cheap real estate pricing and low interest rates, combined with small downpayments favoured real estate). Now, with the new tax, and real property at all time highs, the boat option has come into it's own. You can have 3000 sq/ft and a 'resort' lifestyle for the price of a modest two bedroom apartment. Further, you can get almost 100% financing, with no taxation issues (either on the front or back ends). For a family, it is a great option, with 5 bdrm boats available. Moved into DB marina 4 years ago and have never regretted it a day. Boats have increased in value 15% year for the past 3 years.
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...hmmm, let's remove rumour from fact. Yes, fees are higher, but then so is a 15% up front tax, and a profit tax if you sell your apartment early. As for rats...never seen one. Cramped....uh, no. Three thousand square feet, 5 bedrooms, three bathrooms, large outdoor deck (with bbq and wet bar), media room, laundry room, full maids quarters...etc. Privacy...yes, your neighbours are close, but you don't notice after the first few weeks. And they aren't 'connected'....so no direct transmission of noise. Weather...rode out the worst of the typhoons last year. No boat sustained any real damage in the marina. Falling in the water....better than falling of a 15th floor balcony. 