hello
Hi SDE
I think there are pro's and con's for many area's of Kong Kong and it really boils down to your housing allowance/budget and how long you think you'll be here for? If you can give me more info I might be able to answer more accuratley?
Many families that want a relaxed lifestyle with their children, playgrounds, beaches, stroller friendly footpaths etc. tend to reside southside - Stanley, Tai Tam, repulse Bay area. It is really well resourced with kindergartens and schools and activities for little ones. You will also meet a lot of other mums, so a good social network. There are also pilates classes (flex in Stanley) and alot of the high rise buildings have their own sceduled classes. You have a choice of high rise and low rise living. We are in a low rise ground floor so we have a garden which is such a bonus in Hong Kong (somewhere where kids can play). It takes from 15-25 minutes to central depending on where southside you chose. Some of the high rise have shuttle buses to central or Causeway Bay which is great if you have only one car. Low pollution when comparing to other area's.
Other families chose to reside in the Mid levels area. Close to cafe life, zoo, botanical gardens and activities for children and mums. Down side is it is nearly all high rise living and less footpath friendly and higher roadside pollution when compared to southside. I have some friends that love it here, the close proximity to shopping and for their husbands work, and others that find it really hard work with kids. It also can be more transient than other areas as people will live here for 1-2 years with shorter working contracts for the convenience.
Other family friendly areas are Pokfalum and Happy Valley. Both close to central and cheaper rentals that southside and midlevels. Pokfulam has better air quality than happy valley.
Discovery Bay might be worth a look. It didn't suit us as a family as my husband is Kowloon based, but it is very family friendly and social (no cars also, so lower roadside pollution). The sort of place you'll either love or hate I suspect! My husband hated it! He is pretty private and the open social nature of the place was all a bit too much for him!
Another consideration is your nationality. There are some areas where certain nationalities tend to reside and this can help you settle in more escepcailly if language barriers, cultural differences etc. Although the thing I like best about HK is meeting people from all walks of life. So interesting!
As for the playgrounds here, they are really ordinary compared with what you are probably used to in your home country! I have been very disappointed. My daughter loves swings and they are scarce at parks in HK!
Good luck with your relocation. Take some time to live here first in a serviced apartment in an area you think you might like to live in. That way you can see if it's compatible with your family and importantly, you (who will be home all day with two small children in a new country!). Feel free to PM me if you need any other information.
