[esquire1113]

Hi folks,

I am moving to HK in July and have been browsing apartments online. I found a really good place called Island Resort Apartments located in Chai Wan (HK East). The views are magnificent and apartments are nice size. The only concern I have is that I work in Central and not sure if this place is too far to commute.

Does anyone know if this is a good place to live and commute from? My wife likes to shop so I gather that most of my weekends will be spent in the shopping centers.

Also, is there a ferry from Chai Wan?

Regards,
George

[freeier]

very nice place. i considered it quite seriously but as you said, the distance is just too far.

not sure if there are any ferrys, but there are 2 express buses running the route from Siu-Sai-Wan (which is further than chai wan) to Central/Admiralty. The journey probably takes like 15-20mins for good traffic, but if you get caught in typical hk jams it'll prob take more than 30-40mins...

environment and facility wise its almost perfect. just beside the sea with a decent pathway. large shopping mall. good clubhouse with indoor swimming pool (i think).

but if you are supersticious on chinese feng-shui you might want to reconsider because the front and back facing of the apartment all have cemetries. 8-P

eventually i decided on Grand Promenade.

[marcuslai]

Originally Posted by esquire1113

Hi folks,

I am moving to HK in July and have been browsing apartments online. I found a really good place called Island Resort Apartments located in Chai Wan (HK East). The views are magnificent and apartments are nice size. The only concern I have is that I work in Central and not sure if this place is too far to commute.

Does anyone know if this is a good place to live and commute from? My wife likes to shop so I gather that most of my weekends will be spent in the shopping centers.

Also, is there a ferry from Chai Wan?

Regards,
George

if your work place is along 788 or 789 (one goes to Central, the other to Admiralty) routes, then IR is the way to go. my office is in wanchai, 3 out of 9 of us live there

however, the bus gets extremely crowded during morning hours, though things should be ok on the upper deck, since there is no standing there.

and if u're tall or need to wear nice suits then you might want to cab to work -- IR to Admiralty is ~ HKD 90, IR to Central ~ HKD 100. plus you can use taxi call services which give you a 20% discount, and with which u can setup a weekly schedule. this translates to around HKD 3200 pm if you cab both ways.

which is quite reasonable, at least when compared to driving, which has a fixed cost of hkd 2300 per month for a parking space at IR.

[freeier]

hi marcus,

wat time do you travel in the morning ? how long does it take ?

[maddogmerrick]

I have lived in Island Resort for two years.

As a place to live it is great. It is clean, well decorated, has excellent security, great facilities and fantastic sea views.

The club house has two swimming pools, one outdoor and one indoor. Poorly designed though. The outdoor swimming pool is too shallow for a proper swim and the indoor pool is circular. They have mountain climbing machines, snooker tables, badminton courts, tennis courts,table tennis, room with guitars, drums and keyboards, mahjong rooms and pretty much everything. You will need to book in advance for the facilities if you want to use them on the weekend.

There is not much to do or see outside the surrounding area of Island Resort but if you enjoy walking there are some great trails which will take you all the way to Sheko beach.

Island Resort has a shopping mall which has a fairly large supermarket, restaurants, KFC, McDonalds and other shops which should provide you with almost all your day to day necessities.

There is no ferry service to Wan Chai. Island Resort is the main bus terminal where busses start or end their journey which means you will always get a seat on the bus. Bus ride to work in Central in the morning on 788 takes 45 minute (I leave Island Resort at 8:20 am). On the way back in the evening after work it will take approx 30 mins. Weekend and other times it only takes 20 mins. Bus fare is only HK$6.20 and a taxi is just under HK$100

If you have a sea view apartment it is fantastic during the day but if you look out the window at night you can not see anything, it is pitch black. Bear that in mind.

I think Island Resort is a great place to live and you get great value for money. I highly recommend it but bear in mind it is a bit out of the way. I often get the feeling that once I get home I do not really want to go back out again.

Hope this is helpful.

[marcuslai]

Originally Posted by maddogmerrick

I often get the feeling that once I get home I do not really want to go back out again.

my sentiments exactly. this place is quite the fair haven, at least for the price range.

[marcuslai]

Originally Posted by freeier

wat time do you travel in the morning ? how long does it take ?

i usually take the bus ~ 9 - 9:15, but come the lovely summer heat & humidity, i will want to start cabbing again ...

[longbeard]

How much is the rent now in Island Resort?

[whong]

at least 8k to 9k for 400 sq ft. for 2 bedrooms, you should budget around 11k to 15k. i am not a broker nor agent. i live in chai wan area. island resorts are very convenient. go check it out.

[longbeard]

Originally Posted by whong

at least 8k to 9k for 400 sq ft. for 2 bedrooms, you should budget around 11k to 15k. i am not a broker nor agent. i live in chai wan area. island resorts are very convenient. go check it out.

We used to live there but moved to Tung Chung Caribbean Coast.