[Caroly]

Hi, I'm being seconded to HK next year and will be working in Central. Rental budget is about HK14,000 -15,000/mth (inclusive) for 1-bedroom (which seems to rule out serviced apartments). Does anyone know of any areas that:

1. are no more than 15-20 mins by public transport to Central;
2. have a 'local' feel and are not far from shops and cheap eats;
3. have markets and supermarkets; and
4. safe for young women and are not too noisy?

I've been looking at Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay but not sure how they really compare.

Any advice would be really appreciated! Thanks.

[KnowItAll]

Kennedy town seems to be a popular option in that range.

http://www.geoexpat.com/classifieds/...ate/1193794377

A little bit above you range .. but you get the idea.

[melodyhk]

Sheung Wan definitely has a local feel and has a lot of cheap eats and markets. So does Kennedy Town. I myself live in Sai Ying Pun, the area up the hill from Sheung Wan and near Hong Kong University. Central is 20mins away by minibuses, and I can get to the markets just by walking down the hill.

btw, the rental market in HK is very competitive. You'll find one rental agent almost every block. Just walk into one in an area you like and ask them to show you some apartments. Prices are negotiable and you should tell them a budget that's lower than your upper bound. Most of them speak English.

[timklip]

i would classify Causeway Bay as noisy, mostly commercial with flats above a sea of retaiil space...in 20 mins, you can travel quite far on the train...Tai Koo Shing/Kornhill/Quarry Bay would fit your criteria at the far end of 20 mins....Sheung Wan is closer, quieter, lots of local flavour, and Kennedy Town too...Happy Valley and Tai Hang/Tin Hau (Tung Lo Wan Road) as well

check it out here:

www.ypmap.com

[timklip]

Originally Posted by melodyhk

... Prices are negotiable and you should tell them a budget that's lower than your upper bound....

definitely! If you tell them 15K, guaranteed they'll show you 18-20K....pisses me off to no end! i would tell them 10-12k, then you can expect to see 14k!

or do what i do and tell them the FIRST flat they show above your budget is the LAST one they can expect to show you!

[Crocodile]

If they are wanting you to come here, see if you can squeeze a few more thousand out of them for accommodation. Sometimes HR departments really don't know the difference between fantasy and reality when it comes to apartments in Hong Kong. If you are having trouble finding an apartment that suits you, go back to HR with examples of what you can actually get for that sort of money and plead your case.

Pretty much everywhere is safe in Hong Kong, so no problem there. Noise is a factor in Causeway Bay especially, but if you are near a main road, traffic noise can be a pain anywhere. Almost everywhere will have a market and supermarket close buy.

Good Luck.

[Caroly]

Thanks - Will definitely take this all onboard.

The company doesn't provide a rental/accommodation budget (just serviced apartment for a couple of weeks)- I came up with this figure as it's already twice what my mortgage repayments are in Australia!

In terms of negotiating with landlords/agents, are they likely to throw in furnishings if asked?

[Crocodile]

Ha ha ha... welcome to the world of Hong Kong apartments. HR in Australia definitely would have no idea on HK Apartments - you might need to explain some reality to them. I moved into an apartment half the size and twice the price of my Melbourne apartment, and it is still nowhere near as good.

You can get fully furnished apartments. Most unfurnished apartments would still have a fridge and washer/dryer. There is normally not much movement on price with apartments, but of course it depends on the individual apartment. Also, another thing to remember, you have to put down two months deposit, plus pay the agent half a months rent - so start up costs are not cheap.

Have you actually looked in any apartments yet? The size is not comparable to a normal Australian apartment - much smaller here. You might want a two bedroom apartment - one for the bed, the other for your wardrobes.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[jgl]

Originally Posted by Caroly

1. are no more than 15-20 mins by public transport to Central;
2. have a 'local' feel and are not far from shops and cheap eats;
3. have markets and supermarkets; and
4. safe for young women and are not too noisy?

I've been looking at Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay but not sure how they really compare.

Sheung Wan meets 1, 2 and 4. It's a bit light on good supermarkets (though one has renovated on Queen's Rd West and Possession St). The main thing it's missing is good Western restaurants.

Causeway Bay could be a good option if you avoid the busiest parts. I'd recommend looking 'behind' the Times Square shopping complex- there are streets full of cheap Chinese restaurants with a good local feel.

Everywhere in HK has the potential to be incredibly noisy- you just have to choose the quietest parts of the right districts.

As far as I can tell, all of HK is also incredibly safe from a crime perspective (though I'm a guy and so less attuned to this than you might be). If you're from Sydney (like me) then you will find HK almost freakishly safe to walk around at night.

[celeus]

Sheung Wan is a very convenient neighborhood to and from Central. Transportation is really convenient too with the tram, MTR, buses, and macau ferry terminal nearby. I am just a few steps from each of those which makes life so much easier. Also, it's a short walk to work should you feel the inkling. It also has a very local feel.

Supermarkets: a Park-n-Shop recently opened on Des Vouex Road, two Wellcomes and an International (nicer chain of Park-n-Shop) are on Queen's Road. So there are plenty of supermarkets in Sheung Wan. Also, there are local produce stores for fresh veggies and fruits.

It is a safe area and I've walked around late at night without fear though I still recommend being street smart.

Lastly, you should not have trouble finding a place in your price range. I am paying below it in an older building, but with a rooftop. The buildings around tend to be a bit older though Queen's Terrace is the new complex around.