Supernoodles

Also if you are studying, your university may have a list of other students looking to share, or a list of local homeshares etc (or so I've been told).

Amanda2012

Yes, I had the same confusion. HK is, part of China, but the spoken language is mainly Cantonese not Mandarin. If you want to learn Mandarin better go to China.

Asiaxpat and Geoexpat are used mainly by expats as their names suggest. I do know some people who have had success with flatsharing in Hong Kong on www.Admart.Asia which has apartments for rent, meetups, flatshare etc

Amanda2012

Sorry, I have included the correct link below, as it is country-sensitive depending on where you are based http://www.admart.asia/en/HongKong/Property

januarymix

DB is farther and in HK time is money :P

dedwards90

Hello everyone - having grown up as a child in Hong Kong from 1995 til 1998 I'm making a return in May of this year having been offered a job last week at a marketing agency in Central! I'm so excited to get out there, some of my happiest memories are from HK but I'm also slightly daunted by how much of a different place HK has become in the 15 years I've been away.

Anyway, to cut to the chase I wanted to ask where people think the best place for a 22 year old expat is to live? I grew up in Discovery Bay, which I agree with many of the other posters have said is very family orientated expat satellite community.

I would prefer this time to be somewhere more in the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong Island, somewhere easy to get to Central from but also somewhere I could share with fellow English speaking expats. What to people make of Kennedy Town, Stanley and Causeway Bay?

Could anyone suggest a few good sites or contacts for this and also where you might think the best place for young expats is to congregate!

Feel free to PM me if you know or have any accommodation that may be appropriate.

Amanda2012

For a single 22 yearold, honestly mid levels would be good. Also Sheung Wan and Kennedy Town is pretty hip.

I love Park Island but am not as young as you. Having said that Park Island is actually becoming more hip also, and I see more and more younger people in marketing and IT moving over there, and there is certainly still a great social scene there, but its not like the scene in Central and LKF with masses of partying people.

DB would not be suitable at all.

Finally, I am glad you are coming to HK. I have noticed a trend of expats who moved to Singapore but hated it there, and they are also coming back to HK. Same with people who moved to the UK as kids and are now coming back to HK.

penguinsix

Sheung Wan, maybe Kennedy Town. Stanley is more for families and a commute. Causeway Bay might be ok, but very crowded and bad air pollution. Tin Hau (near CWB) is sort of a hipster hangout now if that is more to your scene.

PJS1424

Hi all,

We are a family of 5 (kids aged 5,3 and new born) moving across to HK in 2014. I'm just trying to get an idea what areas to focus on. I guess schools are the key and there seem to be ESF schools in a number of locations. Discovery Bay has been recommended to me by someone who grew up there twenty years ago but what other areas are seen as the most family/ex-pat friendly? Park Island sounds good from reading this thread but there does not seem to be much in the way of school options there.

penguinsix

If you are moving next year you should already be applying to schools now (literally today as the application windows are closing). Find a school first and then housing. Absent a corporate debenture or surety scheme to reserve a place you are going to have a tough battle getting into most schools. I believe every ESF primary currently has a very long waitng list.

I am serious. You need to be contacting schools immediately.

Once you have a better idea on schools you can find some areas that you might like which are slightly closer to your child's commute and still in an area where you feel comfortable. Disco Bay might be nice but the schools are quite crowded. Not sure how easy it would be to find a place.

hong_konger

Schooling has become a mega issue in HK. Like Penguinsix says sort out the schooling first and then housing.

penguinsix

If you are still in the negotiations stage of the assignment, ask if they will spring for a debenture or corporate surety.

One other general note: Hong Kong really isn't that big. You'll find pockets of expats all over, and in many supposedly "local" places they'll be more than a few just living their lives. Some areas have more expats than others, like Soho/Midlevels, Disco Bay, the South Side but generally it's a pretty easy to live as an expat basically anywhere. The only thing that really ties you down to one place or another is the school situation.

Do you have a housing budget in mind yet? We might be able to make a few recommendations based on what you requirements and budget.