Bel air or somewhere else. So confused.

K

Kiwiloo

Registered User
hello. Looking into living in Bel-air. Really want to know your thoughts on living in a complex like this. If you live there now how are finding it? Is there a certain building that is better then others. How is it for children? I have a 23month old and a dog. Will it suit them? Will I find it easy to meet othe stay at home mums?
Are preschool and doctors in walking distance?

Any info would be great and thanks for taking the time. :dance::dance::
 
don't set your sights on any place until you physically see it.

i know there are lots of kids and dogs in bel air, but it's not for everyone. you need to actually see the different areas in person, and then see the flats in person before you can decide on an area.

i know people who have decided before arriving that they want to live on lamma, in the mid-levels, in sai kung, in DB (fill in the blank) and then arrived and looked at the different areas and then completely changed what they thought they were looking for....
 
Don't set your sights on anything until you see it, and even then be specific about which apartment you choose. I can recall in our old building in Kennedy Town we had a fire station nearby (something not noted in any website listing) and you'd hear them go out at all hours of the night. But folks on the other side of the building looked at me funny--they never heard a thing. But they all complained about a horrible smell, which turned out to be some trash or something from a restaurant and affected the other side of the building.

You'll be surprised in how many buildings there are "a lot of kids". As your child is still not yet in school, you can search based on your work commute, who will accept you having a dog, and where you want to live in general (if your kid was school age we'd advise you to get into a school first, if possible, and then look for an apartment).
 
Thanks for your responses & advice, agree with what you are saying, going to do a lot of looking when we get there just want to do some research first so that we can hit the ground running when we arrive.
 
I can highly recommend Bel-Air, don't have kids yet but there seem to plenty around. We are on our third year here having moved into phase 1 from Phase 6. I work in Taikoo/Quarry Bay and my husband works in ICC Kowloon and transport its good to both these locations (direct buses/minibuses) and to Central which is only about 20 mins away. The facilities are great for kids. There is a woodlands pre-school in Wah Fu which I know friends who live locally have sent their kids to. There is also Kennedy School, a short walk (half a mile) which is an ESF primary school. Its a bit quieter and there is a small park for dogs/kids on the waterfront with a 1km walking/jogging loop. Some landlords let you have dogs, some don't (ours won't as the last tenants dogs ruined the floor). I think Phase 1 and Phase 2 are more friendly and they are also bigger in size than phase 6. Phase 4 from recollection has odd shaped rooms. Its also good for running, cycling, and relatively easy access to the Hong Kong Trail and the Peak (short bus or cab ride). Most flats will come with a car park. And it has great sea views. There is also a supermarket, cinema, starbucks, shops and a wise kids play area in nearby Cyberport. The Hong Kong University sports facilities are very close by with a gym, running track and 50m outdoor pool (if the Bel-Air facilities aren't enough) which you can join as a pokfulam community member. We looked at the mid-levels (usual places like 80 Robinson Rd) but weren't keen. After a busy week at work its nice to be somewhere quiet. We have friends who live in Discovery Bay who absolutely love it and it is very very sociable there in terms of meeting other mums. That wouldn't have been their first choice but now they wouldnt have it any other way. From a budget perspective, you probably can't go wrong with DB. Bel-Air is comparable maybe marginally cheaper than places in the mid-levels. But as others have said, look around when you get there, you'll soon work out what you want and don't want :-)
 
I must say the Belair building and facilities are lovely and the views can be quite enticing. However, like most of the newer buildings in HK, the flats are small - something advertised as 1500 sq feet will be more like 1100 and you may find you need one of the bedroom just to store items. Another consideration is that it is a bit far from central, where many people work. As Sapphire noted, the transport is quite good but you might find it a bit more work to venture out of the area (or find that you don't). Then again, the dog and little one will enjoy the nice open park area and there are TONS of families that live there so I'm sure you'll quickly meet people. Guess it comes down to how often you want to be able to go to Soho for dinner, LFK for drinks, etc. The other thing to remember is that a lot of the children's classes/activities may not be available in Belair (think sports, art, etc) which means you'll either want a car, spend a lot of time on the buses, or spend a good deal on taxis.

As the others noted, I'm sure you'll see other places and areas when you arrive and who knows how your views of Belair will or won't change. . . .
 
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