Joxx

Hi everyone,
I've just accepted a job working in HK.
As there will be a probation period of three months, I'd like to stay in temporary or short term accommodation such as Airbnb until I decide if HK is the place for me! And I can suss out the many different areas.

The nearest MTR to my office is Ngau Tau Kok. I'd ideally like to travel for no more than 45 minutes to get to work and stay somewhere reasonably priced. No more than £1500 a month.

As its my first experience living in HK I'd like to stay in an area which has a hustle and bustle about it! Bars, restaurants, cinema, gym, coffee shops, etc etc. Near some ex pats.
I understand I can't have it all and it may be wishful thinking to have all of the above...

But can anyone recommend any areas which I should be looking as atm I have no clue where to start?
And any other tips would be great!

Thanks :-)

hong_konger

Hong Kong is actually a relatively small place and you would be hard pressed to find anywhere more than 45 minutes from your work location which is in Kowloon. The public transport system is second to none.

If you want to live right in the thick of it then you want to look at the Wanchai / Central area. I'm not sure what you would get for your stated budget but most likely would be no more than a 1 bed / studio. You might want to consider a serviced apartment. You can get good deals for a longer term contract (after your probation of course).

Is your company sorting out accommodation for your first month or so ?

DigitalGhost

Not technically true. Tokyo has a better transit system and arguably so do a few other Japanese cities and Seoul.

hong_konger

I am referring to the whole public transportation system not just the MTR. The bus system and taxis. Its cheap too (unlike everything else in HK).

DigitalGhost

So was I but I will agree with you that it is definitely well priced and far more non-native friendly than the Japanese and Korean systems.

When I was there I found it funny that they use a lot of refurbished Japanese taxis but they have disabled the auto-door function and the passenger experience is very different. In Japan taxi drivers where cotton gloves and uniforms whereas the first Hong Kong taxi driver I met wore shorts and a vest and spent most of the journey scratching his balls.

hong_konger

Now you know why they wear shorts and don't wear gloves

In the old days when we came back from a trip with the family with lots of suitcases you would often find the boot full with a large cardboard box and a large plastic bucket (half full of water !). Your suitcases would end up sticking out of the back of the boot secured with a bit of dodgy elastic strap.

Things have now improved considerably.

DigitalGhost

I think the relaxed attitude to food hygiene and safety was a big problem for me though (possibly bigger than it should have been) and is probably the main reason why I could never live there.

Joxx

Thanks for your replies, much appreciated!
No they offered to pay for accommodation but it would be sharing with another employee, who would technically be my assistant. And my salary would be reduced quite significantly if they were going to provide accommodation.
It all sounded a bit too intense so I negotiated a salary where I would pay my own rent and find my own place from day one.
I think air Bnb is the best option as you don't need to pay a chunky deposit up front. I just need recommendations on some cool areas to look too.
Thanks again!