# Your thoughts about DB?



## gakman (Dec 12, 2012)

I am a Chinese-American who has lived on the west coast of the U.S. (Southern California, then Seattle) for the last 30 years, about to start a new business venture in Hong Kong so now making plans to get a home set up here (I would still keep my businesses in the U.S. so I will be back and forth). Even though I was born in HK and speak Cantonese, I have been very much assimilated in the U.S. culture so I now consider myself more American than Chinese (not necessarily proud of that fact… and yes, THAT is a political statement .

As an adult I now appreciates the convenience and synergy of the big city, but despite of that, it is difficult for me to imagine myself having a home in the middle of Causeway Bay or Hung Hom. I am now looking at DB (after I found out what “DB” stands for LOL) and I am liking what I see. Seems that it would be a nice middle-ground transition from the suburbia USA to the megapolitan. And maybe the best of both worlds - I can enjoy the vibrancy of HK and yet get some peace and quiet when I go “home” only 30 minutes away.

If I do this I would start with a lease/rental just to know the place and decide if I want to buy later. Oh, one other thing, I am done with the wife thing but I have a 14-year old boy who MAY decide to come back with me to continue his secondary education. So high school would be a consideration, whether he would go to the high school in DB or the HKIS in HK. He does speaks fluent French since we had enrolled him in a French-immersion school in Seattle since pre-K but he is only learning Mandarin and Cantonese now (I know I know, WHY French?? When he was young his mom and I thought it would be good for him to pick up another language, as he did. I am sure that would come in handy when he start wooing the girls… _Oui je t'aimerai pour le reste de ma vie_)

I am scanning the various forums and threads and reading about what everyone is saying about DB. What are some of YOUR thoughts and recommendations? I love the clean, orderly environment of DB, but is there a similar area I should check out perhaps on HK island or NT?

Thanks in advance.


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## skaz (Dec 28, 2012)

Hi there, DB (discovery bay) right ? yup there are numerous places similar to DB such as "Gold Coast", "Hong Lok Yuen" and there is this town called "Sai Kung" which is considered as the back garden of HK, many expats prefer to live there because of clean and quite environment, I'm sure you will find your desired place in HK because there are plenty of options available !!


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## gakman (Dec 12, 2012)

skaz said:


> there are numerous places similar to DB such as "Gold Coast", "Hong Lok Yuen" and there is this town called "Sai Kung" which is considered as the back garden of HK, many expats prefer to live there because of clean and quite environment, I'm sure you will find your desired place in HK because there are plenty of options available !!


Thanks for the tip, I will go check them out.


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## skaz (Dec 28, 2012)

my pleasure !!


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## Kate from Oz (Oct 31, 2010)

We almost moved to DB for the same reasons when we first came to HK.

I'm very thankful now that we didn't. Not that DB isn't a lovely place, but we love the convenience living in Midlevels allows us. We feel we have the best of both worlds where we are.

Issues we saw with DB. Travelling by ferry would be a real problem during typhoon season or in rough weather. Restrictions on schedule with ferry ie: if you decided you wanted a late night out.

We find it easier to socialise and network living on HK Island. We don't have any issues with deliveries or lack of transport options.

We have the buses on our doorstep and can walk to most places. Have the city at our feet full of great restaurants, shopping etc but also have great nature walks within a few minutes walk behind us.

We travel a lot and having the airport express a very short taxi ride away is a godsend.

We don't feel crowded where we are at all. We feel just enough removed from the city to be comfortable.

A lot of the apartment complexes are quite modern and expat friendly. 

I guess it just really depends on what you really want. I'd suggest a trip over first and take the exercise of getting around to be sure you're in the best location for you.


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## gakman (Dec 12, 2012)

thanks kate! that's what I was hoping to get, varied opinions about DB. 

I looked into Gold Coast and Sai Kung. I think they are great but I would need to drive. seems that DB is easier in and out when it comes to that. still have yet to check out hong LOk yuen. 

I currently am staying with my bro on macdonald road (mid level) which is nice but I wonder if I get something decent for $15 to 20k...


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## Kate from Oz (Oct 31, 2010)

We looked at Sai Kung also. It was a fair drive out to it. Nice little community feel to it but in peak hour traffic it was absolutely horrific.

Definitely need a car. Which kind of eats into what you might save on accommodation.

$15-$20K is tight for something central. 

Don't forget to weigh up the costs saved in accommodation versus the cost of transport to wherever you work from the location you choose eventually.


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## gakman (Dec 12, 2012)

Good advice, thanks.

I think what I am trying to avoid is the (almost) constant construction noise in the city. Where I am staying on MacDonnell Road (my bro's) is supposed to be an upscale neighborhood - damn we have a gated entry and like 2 to 3 conceige sitting behind a counter all day with nothing to do except to pick their noses and push the elevator buttons for residents - but comes 8 am, the jackhammering and the pile driving next door starts regardless. I am just thinking for me coming from a place (Seattle) where you come out of your house and sometimes wonder if everyone else's been killed, I would be better off having some peace and quiet when I go home. Then I would have best of both worlds - go into town to feel the energy, and escape at night by going home.


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## soojenn (Jan 14, 2013)

A place between Gold Coast and Tsuen Wan, called Tsing Lung Tau where there are low density apartments. You get the nice sea view, quiet surrounds. It takes about 40 mins by bus to admiralty.


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## gakman (Dec 12, 2012)

Another cool suggestion for me to check out, thanks!

I think I may buy a car, but I would still want the efficiency of mass transit either by bus or MTR.


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## Supernoodles (Feb 4, 2013)

I like discovery bay personally, as it is spacious and feels calm. I am not someone that could live somewhere in middle of everything, it just makes my brain too hectic and stresses me out so it will always come down to personal preferences, you'd have to pay me to live in mid levels! The construction alone would make me want to leave HK within a month.

No offense to Kate from Oz, but the ferries being dodgy in bad weather is a complete myth. The ferries do not stop running unless a T8 typhoon is hoisted, and usually when it is hoisted you will get warnings throughout the day (T1, then T3) so it is never suddenly thrusted onto you.....oh when a T8 is hoisted, people are told to go home immediately and all gov. public transport stops anyway after 1 hr of it being hoisted but this happens a few times each year with some of them occurring through the night.
However, she is right in that in bad weather it is a choppy ride! So if you get sea sick, rethink DB 
Just in case you don't know, DB also has bus access from Tung Chung which has an MTR. 

My personal cons of living in DB are that it is a total expat bubble, it has the highest ratio of expats to locals with it being like 50/50....just feels wrong haha! But in seriousness, this means the cost of everything on DB is higher as it is catering to the expat crowd..there isn't much local food or local anything there, the ferry is also pretty expensive at $40 each way, hey that adds up 
Also, as it is spread out, a lot of the flats are far away from the pier, so some residents have to get the internal bus to get to the pier which adds to the commute. 

If you are single, it might feel weird as you DB (Dogs n Babies) is all about the family! and most of the socialising is with couples with kids.

Gold coast (in Tuen Mun) is quite far from everything, the bus would take around 40-45 mins to central I'd imagine, other than the marina plaza, there isn't much around that area apart from hiking and the beach.

Hong Lok Yuen is in a gated village complex in Tai Po, N.T another family orientated place with an international school there, don't know too much about the place other than it is quite far away from hk island, I actually like Tai Po, but it does feel quite local/remote.

Sai Kung is lovely, lots of character, real mix of stuff, I love it there to visit, but it is the furthest away from HK island out of all the places we've spoke about here! I've heard traffic can be bad because car ownership is high there.

Other places I would suggest you check out - Park Island (Ma Wan), Mui Wo (Lantau), Lamma (ferries take 25-30 mins) if staying on hk island, Sheung Wan, Happy Valley, North point, you will get more bang for your buck in these places.


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## gakman (Dec 12, 2012)

Thanks for the opinions. I am back in March and will check these places out.

Funny thing is I was born in HK but left when I was a teenager. Didn't like HK then (got the "american dream"), but now that I am an adult, I find HK fascinating. I hope it doesn't get old.


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## Supernoodles (Feb 4, 2013)

Gakman, you'll probably find that the HK you remember as a teen is quite different to what it is today, I'd imagine HK has changed a lot in the last 30 years! There will literally be new developed islands you've not heard of 
I forgot you are coming from America, yes DB will probably be a good fit then, let us know how you get on, always interesting to hear where people end up in the end.


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## gakman (Dec 12, 2012)

Thanks. But I ended up with a flat in Lohas Park. 3 bedrooms 2 baths, 72nd floor with pretty good view, at $12,800 a month. Very nice clubhouse with all the amenities you can think of. Transportation is not bad it is at the end of an MTR line (Tsheung Kwan O line).

I read some negative things about "odor" because it is built near (over?) a landfill. But I have been here almost a month and have yet to smell anything that I would find unacceptable. 

The other negative thing about Lohas is that it only has a few retail shops onsite (there's a Wellcome nonetheless). The (huge) Lohas retail mall won't be up and running for maybe another 2 to 3 years. So if you feel like grabbing a quick bite or some quick shopping nearby, you would either have to get back on the MTR or take a dedicated, 10-minute, free shuttle bus ride to the Tsheung Kwan O complexes, where you have basically everything.

Overall, I think it is good value for the money. I had once consider DB, but Lohas, in the end, works best for me hands down.


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