[Oz Girl]

Interested to hear from anyone living in Kennedy Town; about apartments (in the 5-6000/mth range), transport (need to get to Central), are there many expats in this area? and just life in Kennedy Town in general!!

[jayinhongkong]

apparently a lot of models are moving into the area. i live pretty close. it has some really old buildings, and it is a nice mix of the real hk chinese culture and western influence...

[saltwater]

I don't live at KT but did go out and take a look at it before I decided on where I am now (Mid Levels). Spent an hour on very hot lunchtime stuck in traffic just trying to get there... for that reason alone the decision not to live there was pretty much made before I even arrived.

The positive elements of living out there are the cheaper apartments (a lot of them are newer and have better facilities also), sea views and fresh air.

On the downside the travel to and from Central is very difficult. There are buses and trams - travel times to / from Central are 30/40 minutes each way - but thats quite a long time in HK. Its also out of the way from the bar and restaurant areas so you'll have to think twice if you want to meet up with friends after work or on weekends.

Have you thought of Sheung Wan? Its similar to KT - very Chinese feel about it and closer to Central and Soho. Apartments there are cheaper too but mainly older, especially with Old Chinese Buildings (just means its an old building and has no lift). Has a MTR station as well so getting pretty much anywhere is a good deal easier than from KT.

[adZ]

30/40 minutes travel time?!!
I've been going to visit apartments in the Manhattan Heights block both at lunch time and after work the maximum time it's ever taken in a taxi is 10 mins.

[peter74]

I live in KT - it takes 10 mins in a cab and around 20 mins by bus or tram - it is very convenient - Manhattan heights has a mini bus which takes you to exchange square every morning and picks you up every 30 mins - this takes 10-12 mins....

I don't know which way your cab driver was going if it took you an hour!?!

I have walked it to Manhattan Heights from Central in 45 mins!!

[saltwater]

yeah did seem a bit slow at the time. Was on a tram and they were doing constuction along the way, so only one lane of traffic open. Even though the traffic disruption only would have been temporary and there are other ways of getting there, I took it as a sign...

whats it really like as an expat out there though? it struck me as being fairly local, so a westener would struggle a bit to get through daily life out there? are there many other expats around?

[Laughing_Monkey]

The tram isnt really the most efficient form of transport. Its like taking a steam boat when you can fly... Anyway, It depends on what you want. You get much more for your money in KT, its quieter and nothing is really far away if your on the island....

But if your a young cosmopolitian person there is only really one place to be, and thats Soho...

[goodkarma]

For someone on a budget taxi's might be cost prohibitive. How much is a taxi approx from KT to Central, say to HSBC?

[Laughing_Monkey]

'bout 30bucks...

depends on where you get the taxi from...
but also on the cabbie... some will try and take you round the houses, but once you know roughly how much it should cost you can just give them this if they try and rip you off. . .

[artdude]

Originally Posted by saltwater

whats it really like as an expat out there though? it struck me as being fairly local, so a westener would struggle a bit to get through daily life out there? are there many other expats around?

There are a good bit of expats out here. No struggles, either... most of the local shopkeepers are quite fluent in English, and those that aren't know enough so that you can buy/order what you need. The mix of local/expat makes it (in my humble opinion) an interesting place to live. The local bar that I frequent (perhaps too frequently!) is a nice blend of locals and expats, which is a nice change of pace.

KTK in da house!