Where to Live- thoughts on DB?

[chelle_law]

Hello,

My husband and I are moving to HK in a few weeks with our 16mo son. His work provides our housing, but we do get some choices as to what area we want to live in. We don't actually have to decide until we get there and someone shows us some options but I wanted to get some info ahead of time. Do a lot of expats w/ kids live in DB? My husband will be traveling a lot for work so its important to me that I find a good network of friends for myself and my son. Hy husband will be working on HK main island, so how is the commute to DB? We now live in Washington DC and his commute is over 1 hr which I find hard since he doesn't get to spend much time with our son. We could also live on the HK main island. Can anyone offer some pros/cons for both?
Thank you for your advice. I am really looking forward to this exciting experience and I want to make sure I can get the most out of it. We'll only be living in HK for 12 mos.
THANKS!

 

[MommyTo3]

We live on the South Side, and I have friends in DB. I definitely prefer the Island. I think for a real HK experience, especially if you're here for only 1 year, I would live at the island as well. Ferry fares tend to go up and go less frequently. Taxis are a pain, while on the island you can get everywhere anytime. Since you're husband is travelling a lot I would look at Pokfulam since it's fairly close to the airport through the West Tunnel and also close to the city (10/15 minutes if traffic is good). Or you could look at places like Repulse Bay which are pretty easy to get to from Central through the tunnel (though it can be busy too, really depends on the hours). So many kids on the south side, also in DB of course, but to me DB feels like a vacation village and you don't really notice you're in HK, that's my personal opinion. However, it's a great place to raise kids, close to their airport. But it lacks the real Hong Kong feel, for me at least. We're in Tai Tam, close to Stanley which is full of kids too and only 10 minutes past Repulse Bay but it's another 10 minutes and it can be a little busy on the road. But it's not an issue for us, we're very happy here. My husband works in Central and goes by bus early in the morning, takes him 30 minutes. On the way back he usually takes the MTR to Chai Wan and then the light bus to Stanley, less traffic, but if he's even later, he'll take the bus as well. At least you have a few options.

 

[Jo Bowd]

For me the benefits of living in DB with a 14 month old and 3.5 year old kids is the real sense of community you get in DB. Although it does feels like a "Club Med" resort, kind of mixed with the Truman Show and Stepford! DB is a very sanitised version of Hong Kong.

When we moved from HK Island our main reason was that we could afford a larger apartment, with outdoor living space and double aspect open sea views. We could never afford that on Hong Kong Island! When we have the doors and windows open there is peace and quiet, only the occasional sound of the bus. Compared the the constant roar of traffic that we had in Mid-levels.

I'd say stay in a serviced apartment for a while. (They exist in DB as well as Hong Kong Island). Shop around find an apartment with facilities that you are looking for. Also find out your package in Hong Kong will include membership to a club, if so finding somewhere close to that may also be a factor.

 

[alibali]

Hi, I've lived in HK for 6 years now and have a 2 year old daughter. I've lived in DB and HK Island (b/w Kennedy Town and Pokfulam). If you are not used to living overseas then DB is probably better for you as it has a bit more western feel to it and it is extremely child and dog friendly (no private cars allowed, lots of alfresco restaurants, etc). You can take the high speed ferry (25 minutes) into central (HK Island) to get a taste of the city, but then go back home to more peaceful surroundings (before I had a kid, I felt like DB was a bit stepford wives like, but now that I have a child and don't go out for dinner, shopping, etc. as much, I think it would be a good place to live.) If you really want to experience HK though, then as the others suggested, live on HK Island. Pokfulam, Repulse Bay, Midlevels, Stanley are all good suggestions. It's especially easy to meet people if you have a child- just head to the local playground, park, join some baby classes, etc. However, if your husband is going back and forth to the airport a lot, you might want to live closer to the Airport Express (unless you will have a car). When we lived on HK Island, we lived in an estate called "The Belcher's" in Pokfulam. Plenty of transport options (10 minute taxi ride along expressway to Airport Express / Central/ sheung wan mtr station). The estate itself is very child friendly and as it is located above Kennedy Town, you still get a "local" experience- my daughter and I would go to a nice park with big playground nearby and be the only westerner there. It was fun trying to communicate with the local chinese- especially the older ones, who were so curious about my daughter. If you live in the Midlevels, there are tons of steps, so you will need to find the stroller friendly routes. But the tradeoff is lots of shops, restaurants, baby classes, etc. on your doorstep. Repulse Bay and Stanley are a bit more remote, but you'll have decent beaches and expats on your doorstep and grocery stores with more western choices. Good luck with your move.

 

[cinnamon]

Hi, I agree that you should try to stay in a serviced apartment in the heart of town when you first arrive to get a feel for the city and to see what will suit you, and what experience you want to have.
A residential complex like The Belchers (strange name for an apartment complex, but stranger still that it is named for a Mr Belcher) could be a good option. There is a good number of play areas and swimming pools and it is in the heart of Western (Sai Wan) so you can also get a feel for a part of "real" HK.
Its a good commute to central and there is a lot of public transport options available.
Midlevels can be quite built up and hard to get around (not stroller friendly) but you are 5 minutes walk into the thick of Central, with shops and restaurants at your doorstep.
We lived in Central until our daughter was 1.5 yrs and moved to DB.
I hated to move as I loved the city, but now I am a complete DB convert.
I personally find it to be low stress living.
Lots of space for a toddler to run around in with out fear of cars.
Lots of play grounds and play options. A huge beach (not the cleanest water but makes a great sand pit) within easy reach.
Weekends in DB are great for family time. We never feel that we HAVE to leave DB to relax, where as I always felt like I had to get out of the city on the weekends when we were in Central.
I work , but see that there is a strong network of stay home mums on DB.
One draw back is that you can only use public transport in and out of DB, but I find the commute to central very easy and a very nice way to unwind after work.
Hope this is of some help.
good luck!

 

[chelle_law]

Thanks for everyone's insight. We asked my husband's job about looking for places in DB and we were told that is not an option for us since there are no serviced apartments?? Since we will only be there 12mos, my husband's job provides us with a serviced apartment. We have been emailing with a realtor that was provided to us and it seems we can only get something in Midlevels or Central (or at least I think thats where they are- I'm still trying to learn the names of the neighborhoods). Does anyone have any recommendations for buildings in those areas? The pics of the places we have seen are great but I would like to hear some first hand experiences about places. Thanks again everyone!!!