[artle219]

If anyone with experience living in HK could give me some advice, I would really appreciate it.

I'm going to be arriving in HK on the 26th and am in the middle of looking for an apartment.

I'm 25, single, moving from California, and will be working in Central. I'd like a place close to work and preferably furnished. Should I be looking for a real estate agent to help me or look for ads directly from owners?

Which areas in HK would be close to San Francisco living? Nice shops, bars, good restaurants but not like Times Square in New York.

Thanks!

[carang]

the population desity of hong kong is one of the highest in the world, so almost everywhere is crowded, you'd better get used to it.

most of hong kong island (north) is highrise living. there are more low-rises/houses in areas such as pok fu lam, stanley and the rest of southside.

the most important thing that you have left out of the equation is BUDGET.... no one can recommend an area/place to look without knowing your budget or requirements: do you need one bedroom/two? do you want to have gym facilities/pool in your complex? do you want to walk to work or taxi or drive your own car?

if you can answer some of these then it would be easier to recommend where to look.

[artle219]

thanks carang, I should have thought about that.

well, i'm looking for a one bedroom apartment with no more than a 20 minute commute to work. either by walking or MTR.

budget is $10,000 HKD a month. I don't need any type of extra facilities and would sacrifice these amenities for a larger apartment. however I would prefer something newer.

I heard that Happy Valley, Wanchai, and Kennedy town are good areas with a lot of xpats? Can anyone confirm this?

[carang]

ok, with that kind of budget, you are going to be a little more limited to what's available.

i would try kennedy town, maybe sheung wan or wanchai. keep in mind though, that these are smack dab in the middle of everything and will be very crowded.

[mytimeoff]

Yap Carang is right. 20 mins commute to Central, you will be smack in the middle of everything. It's a give or take situation, if you commute further/longer, you can be further away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Come, have a look first before signing a lease. The last thing you want to do is to be stucked in a 2yr lease and you don't like the area you are living in.

[Skyhook]

Originally Posted by artle219

thanks carang, I should have thought about that.

well, i'm looking for a one bedroom apartment with no more than a 20 minute commute to work. either by walking or MTR.

budget is $10,000 HKD a month. I don't need any type of extra facilities and would sacrifice these amenities for a larger apartment. however I would prefer something newer.

I heard that Happy Valley, Wanchai, and Kennedy town are good areas with a lot of xpats? Can anyone confirm this?

Ummm, so your only reason to move to these area's is because expats either hang out there, with a population density that would make NYC look spacious at peak hour...?

Most area's in HK will have a percentage of expats, we live everywhere, but the most single "uncoupled people" live in Mid levels and Central... That much is true, but you better up the budget if you want something newish for your tiny budget, you'll only get a 40 year old place, that's been repainted etc, but it will add to the HK dynamic charm that so many mention .


A couple of "alternative suggestions" to being jammed in a tiny 40 year old central/wanch/hvalley box, is possibly Park Island. Park Island is very newish, you'll get 3 bedrooms for your budget and 700 plus ft2 , and you'll have a very pleasant 15 minute ferry trip to central, instead of being jam packed on the MTR during peak hours... Imagine all that walking around the resort and on the beach you can do, not to mention having an uninterupted seaview with no buildings or peoples laundry blocking your windows...

Park Island is a bit like a SFC Bay Area view, or about as close as your limited budget will allow, within 20 minutes commute to Central...

You could also look at Discovery bay, you'll get a recently "western" redecorated flat for around $7500 - $8500 per month with awesome scenic views, ie less man made concrete conundrum visible through your lounge / bedroom windows etc
oh, and both locations are never crowded, which will give you a break from the rigors of Central life, and you can chillax, or join up with the weekly hiking/adventure group, and get out and about, with cool like minded ( non bar centric ) folks....

[carang]

those are good alternatives, however, as a single person, you might find discovery bay, with it's "family" focus to be a little bit stale for your taste, although i lived there with my hubby and we both loved it. db has quite a few restaurants and a man-made beach.

haven't been to park island, but it seems to be a cheaper version of DB. don't know what there is for restaurants etc.

[kadler]

Trust me, a young, single expat will want to live on Hong Kong island. Getting around is just so much easier (not to mention cheaper, especially late at night).

I have several young, single, expat friends who moved to Kowloon to get "more space," and all of them are moving back to HK island after only a few months away. Unless you have a family, you don't end up spending much time in your apartment, and being near to everything is so much better.

The biggest group of expats is Soho, near the mid-levels. There are a bunch of cheap apartments around here. Just check out a HK magazine's living section when you arrive!

[timklip]

and don't let the name fool you..."Park Island" is hardly idyllic...basically a ferry pier with a few local style stores and a ParknShop, a high density cluster of towers (where you could very well be staring into the neighbors living room while he clips his toenails, not nearly all seaview), and a high density village of wall to wall concrete...i'd give it a pass if i were you

[artle219]

Thanks for the help. I don't really mind being right in the middle of the city as long as I have some breathing room in my apartment.

Would you recommend seeing an agent or leasing directly from the owner. If anyone has a real estate agent, they could recommend, I would appreciate it.