SusieHH

Hi all

We are potentially moving to either Penang or KL later this year.

We have 2 kids, 3 and 7. Which place is best? We have seen great schools in both places, we are wanting to use the British system and it seems that the options are good, but... The puzzle that needs solving it this..

We do really like city life as well as the quieter life.. We want to join a golf course and a gym for sport as well as the social aspect, a mix of locals and expats would be great.

We want to live in an apartment complex with play facilitles and a pool and be able to hang out with other families.

We don't need to be an the office as we both work from home so would Penang be the better option over KL? It seems like there are tons of things to do in both place...

Can anyone give any advice?

Thanks!
Susie

ex reg

You must visit both places and get an idea for yourselves.

For me the answer is obvious but I know both places.

Are you seriously gonna make an important decision based on the answers you get here.

We all have different views and different ideas which may or may not agree with what you are looking for.

SusieHH

No way! I'm not going to make life decisions on what I read here, but peoples varied advice and experiences is helpful.

We are visiting both.

bakedbean

You said you have seen great schools in both places, so which location did you like? I guess that would be the starting point. Both places are very different. What visa will you be on?

nicola s

Susie I have met a family who are living right in the heart of KLCC and they love living in the centre of everything, (husband does need to be near to work) they live in an apartment that has access to gym and swimming pool and they love it.
Right now im still swithering on how central I want to be when I move over to join my husband, im going out for the 3rd time next week and hope for more of an idea then. I don't have schools to consider as my daughter is opting for college in Scotland so we have just my husbands work and our dog to consider. If we did not have the dog I would remain right in the city, however I know I want to be beside an area I can walk my dog so that's my focus.

I suppose it depends on your budget too I have looked on the iproperty page for types of houses and had great advice on here regarding that.

there are some fab houses that are located beside golf courses with all the facilities you mention, don't know how easy it is to access schools from them though

If you like schools in both areas that is a starting point on looking for areas within how far you are willing to travel each day
then if you have enough of a budget your housing wont be too much of an issue,
if it is limited then it will be a decision on what is the biggest priority for you

I have not been to Penang so cant comment on there at all, I have found in Kl there is a real mix and have not been short of ex pat company at all.

I was brought up in a city and now live in a lovely wee fishing village beside the sea so I understand your dilemma I love both the hustle and bustle and also the quieter life and would be happy in either.

My husband was brought up where I live now and he is loving the lifestyle KL offers and he is of the same mind as me that its not easy to choose.

it may sound silly but writing the pros and cons of both areas may help you make up your mind.
good luck with your search and I hope you find what you are looking for, you will know when you find it

SusieHH

Thank you, that's so helpful. We live on a tiny island right now and there is a shortage of expats so know that there isn't a shortage sounds great!

We're just researching before we make a trip to see what is best for us.

Good luck with your move and with your dog too!

nicola s

thanks Susie,

I doubt you will struggle for company wherever you end up there will be loads of school activities and the apartment block my husband is in just now organises meet ups once a month in the communal areas also there is another site my husband joined that organises meetings in Kl its called inter nations I think I joined it for when I move over in September so that I can meet up for activities I will look on my email to find the right name of it good luck with your search

roystevenung

Hi Susie, welcome to the forum and soon, Malaysia :-)

Yes, please visit both places and talk to locals and expats on where you would like to stay.

For expats in Penang, most of them are staying at Gurney and Tanjung Bungah. I am sorry as I don't have any info in KL.

Most condos are equip with those facilities that you had mentioned.

bakedbean

....and Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Pinang (Straits Quay) and Batu Ferringhi. If you need to travel for your work(?), Bt Ferringhi may not be a good option as it's a bit further out, though more laid-back and holidayish (if you like that kind of vibe).

SusieHH

Thanks for your advice.

gobbledonk

Susie, I've grappled with many of the same issues (no kids, but its still a big decision) and all I can say is that we'll never know what the water is like until we get our feet wet. I'm also acutely aware of the fact that living in a tourist town takes a lot of the gloss off earlier happy memories of earlier visits as a tourist - by it's very nature, Penang has to leave one more prone to 'high season overload' than KL. That said, I still think Penang - even Georgetown - is considerably slower than downtown KL. Ultimately, as others have said, its horses for courses - some adapt to megacities like Jakarta and others (like myself) would consider that hell on earth.

Good luck.

Kenny.kL

As for Kuala Lumpur. KL is our main city. It is well developed and you can expect to see high-rise developments, new cars all around & lots of expats working in the city as well. Expats are no strangers to the locals and they mingle around well. There are also quite a number of international Schools which are well-known and may improve your children's CV if they were to apply for a job in future.

A city life in KL and an island life in Penang is Very Very different. If you prefer a slow moving life, historical buildings, extremely low cost of living. Then you may want to go with Penang.

If you prefer a modern life, a city life, to keep up with people of the generation, for children's education, KL city maybe the better choice.

bakedbean

If you don't mind my saying so, that's a really strange thing to say. KL is more modern than Penang? Have you been to Penang lately?

roystevenung

^ Well, in a way he is right BB, KL has massive LRT/MRT/Monorail links which us Penang people has been deprived off for over 5 decades

The roads in Penang ever since the opposition took over for the second term now has been getting bigger and new roads are springing. This is a good sign

However, I disagree with him on this "Extremely low cost of living in Penang".

Mainland maybe, but not in Penang Island.

bakedbean

Don't know if he means transportation, Roy. Maybe he will tell us. He just said Modern Life. Meaning???

Sure, Penang Island lacking some transportation issues but y'know KL is the Mother of all Traffic Jams. Beats Georgetown by a mile....and I avoid Georgetown like the plague.

I've been down to Straits Quay tonight. It's very modern, cheap parking RM 1 all day. Had a very nice Seafood Marinara at Blue Reef...maybe a touch too much garlic but very pleasant...nice view of the Modern marina, back home to our Modern condo unit with nice sea view . Well I hope Kenny tells us what he means.

Also what about education? What do you think Roy? You seem pretty well educated to me. You've grown up around here. Do you think KL is better education wise?

Anyway just some food for thought