[japozzi]

Hello one and all.
Moving from Australia to HK in July with wife and 2 little ones. Seriously considering DB as the place to live.
Rental budget is modest: 12k. I've been checking out all the main real estate websites and seen plenty of high rise places that look reasonable.
My main question however is in relation to ancillary costs to the monthly rent price, ie management fees, clubhouse fees (gym etc), transport to the Hk island for work everyday.
Is the basic food shopping more expensive because DB caters for expats?
Any insights you can offer relating to cost of living specific to DB would be appreciated....

[scottsue]

Hi Japozzie

My wife and I will moving in August and we have similar budget to you with three kids. Also lokking in Discovery Bay. I will be interested to see what sort of response you get. We have been looking at Tung Chung which is close by and seems to be a bit cheaper.

Keep in touch.

Scott

[sunniefaith]

If you're looking at DB and Tung Chung, you might as well look at Park Island as well. Rent in Park Island might be slightly lower and also some of the apartments are a little newer. The ferry fares are lower than DB's.

[scottsue]

Thanks sunniefaith. I will take a look at Park Island. I am not familiar with it.

[japozzi]

g'day scott and sunniefaith,
yep, we've been looking at tung chung, gold coast and had only recently heard about park island.
to sunniefaith, can you tell us a bit more about park island? transport, facilities, shopping etc.
at this stage we're considering taking a serviced apartment for a couple of months on the gold coast to give us more time to suss out the scene. my employer is only giving us 2 weeks in a hotel, which i reckon will be a bit tight to take on the full picture. All these areas seem to be similar in many ways, but each with their unique differeces. The no private vehicle factor of DB really appealed to us. the facilities at G coast seem very attractive, but the transport looks like a drag.
i've heard conflicting stuff about tung chung, some say it only takes 30 minutes to cental and others say an hour. guess we''ll have to get there and see for our selves.
cheers.

[scottsue]

Dear Japozzi

We also have only the two weeks in a hotel to find something. It will be tough on Sue to stay in the hotel on her own as I will be hitting the ground running work wise.

I am sure you will agree that the salary package seemed enormous but you do not seem to get much for your money. We will be moving over from Singapore and there the apartments were extremely large and inexpensive.

If we can not find anything after the two weeks then I think we will move into the serviced aprtment scene as well.

So much to do so little time.

[sunniefaith]

Originally Posted by japozzi

g'day scott and sunniefaith,
yep, we've been looking at tung chung, gold coast and had only recently heard about park island.
to sunniefaith, can you tell us a bit more about park island? transport, facilities, shopping etc.
at this stage we're considering taking a serviced apartment for a couple of months on the gold coast to give us more time to suss out the scene. my employer is only giving us 2 weeks in a hotel, which i reckon will be a bit tight to take on the full picture. All these areas seem to be similar in many ways, but each with their unique differeces. The no private vehicle factor of DB really appealed to us. the facilities at G coast seem very attractive, but the transport looks like a drag.
i've heard conflicting stuff about tung chung, some say it only takes 30 minutes to cental and others say an hour. guess we''ll have to get there and see for our selves.
cheers.

Park Island is a resort styled living. Basically, Park Island is an island. There's no private cars or taxis allowed on the island. Ferries and shuttles buses operate. Ferries run from Park Island to Central and Tsuen Wan. Shuttle buses to Kwai Chung (Kwai Fung MTR), Tsingyi MTR and Tsuen Wan MTR.

Facilities, there are tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, bowling alley, badminton courts, maybe about 10 restaurants both in and outside Park Island. Shopping isn't great. There's a supermarket at Park Island. But if I need more stuff, I'd go to either Kwai Chung or Tsingyi. There's a local primary school and a kindergarten as well.

Hope this is helpful.

[sunniefaith]

Originally Posted by scottsue

Dear Japozzi

We also have only the two weeks in a hotel to find something. It will be tough on Sue to stay in the hotel on her own as I will be hitting the ground running work wise.

I am sure you will agree that the salary package seemed enormous but you do not seem to get much for your money. We will be moving over from Singapore and there the apartments were extremely large and inexpensive.

If we can not find anything after the two weeks then I think we will move into the serviced aprtment scene as well.

So much to do so little time.

I'm from Spore and I do have to warn you that apartments here are really small. But you'll be able to find apartments that are somewhat affordable if you move away from Central and HK Island. Having said that, it also depends where you work and if you want to commute. My husband works in Wanchai and he takes about 45 mins to commute. Roughly about the same time as he when he was living in Spore and driving from Woodlands to Paya Lebar. I work in
Park Island so no commuting.

[japozzi]

Originally Posted by sunniefaith

Park Island is a resort styled living. Basically, Park Island is an island. There's no private cars or taxis allowed on the island. Ferries and shuttles buses operate. Ferries run from Park Island to Central and Tsuen Wan. Shuttle buses to Kwai Chung (Kwai Fung MTR), Tsingyi MTR and Tsuen Wan MTR.

Facilities, there are tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, bowling alley, badminton courts, maybe about 10 restaurants both in and outside Park Island. Shopping isn't great. There's a supermarket at Park Island. But if I need more stuff, I'd go to either Kwai Chung or Tsingyi. There's a local primary school and a kindergarten as well.

Hope this is helpful.

Thanks sunniefaith. quite helpful. you mentioned shopping not being extensive. I was wondering about the nearest local style shopping. Where is the nearest wet market? My wife, being Japanese really wanted to buy local produce and cook asian style. Realistic? Or is it all catered toward expats?

To Scott: curious: just wondering if you are a teacher as well?
I'll be working at Bradbury School.

[Skyhook]

Hi Japozzi,

Personally if you prefer to cook local wet market foods, over supermarket foods, and you want all the other lifestyle aspects etc, DB and Park Island are going to do your head in.

You really should be looking all along castle peak road on the water side, as you are within very conveniant reach of wet markets and much local stores that cater for you.

There's a great Indian supply store in Tuen Mun also, which we thought we'd have a crack at cooking some home made curries.

It kind of suprized me that you would choose areas that really are cut off in some ways, we are also Aussie, both working, so unless you plan to spend a lot of time at home, there are far more eclectic options.

I still don't understand the whole Park Island idea, and can't see how having to travel to Tsing Ti or Kwai Chung just to get something that the supermarket downstairs doesnt, which in our case would happen frequently.

Find a place that has easy access for deliveries, has ample free parking for your mates who might have a car, in the NT a large percentage of us do.

Tuen Mun has a large Aussie Community, very visible on the weekends at the Gold Coast, from many area's external of the Gold coast development.

Discovery bay has a lot of Aussie families, not so many single couples etc, read into that, and why we never decided to live there. Its too grown up for us lol. And are in our 30's

Your commute to work is going to be 30 - 50 minutes anyway, so in my way of thinking you want easy shopping ability, the chance to maybe own a small car so you can get around on the weekends with very simple ease.

We can get to our favourite picnic spot at Brides Pool near Tai po in 30 minutes by car, free of crowds due to the difficulty of getting there on public transport.

You are from Australia, like us, I am sort of suprized that some of the locations that have been mentioned to you are completely fenced off etc .

We chose Sham Tseng right next door to the gold coast development, because we have complete freedom, all the space in the world, and can come and go as we please, so can our friends, especially those who drive from Sai Kung, or other area's as parking here is free.

When you are here in Hong Kong, message me and I'll give you my number, see if we can help you out a bit.

Pick the wrong place to live and Hong Kong will be the biggest drag out. trust me on this





Sai Kung