Is Hong Kong a good place to live with a 6 and an 8 year old?

maybemoving wrote:

My husband is considering relocating to Hong Kong for work.  My concern is our 2 children - what is living in Hong Kong really like for children?  Is it possible to get a house?  Is it claustrophobic?  Is there enough space for them to play?  Are the schools good? Would love to hear from anyone who has school-age children who have lived, or are living in Hong Kong.

hello, I have been living in Hong Kong (2 yrs) and Singapaore (1 year). I was a house dad in Miami, Florida (USA)for 2 babies for 15 years and they are now 15 and 13 years old. Life in Hong Kong is good for making money and running into strangers. For kids there is nothing in Hong Kong built for them. Yes there are some  nice play grounds but it will be surrounded by cars, buses and smog and it will be very loud. If you are truely rich you will have a nice flat that will be around 1,300 square feet on the 30th floor. If you more rich you will have 2 bathrooms but most people are living in 500 to 700 square foot flats. I hear from co workers that there are bigger places farther away from the city but it will take a long time to get to work and you will need a car which is not easy to maintain in Hong Kong. JW

P.S. if you have more questions please ask

I disagree with Williamson's statements.

As someone who has lived in Hong Kong for many years and actually grew up here as a child, I think I have a better persepective on your concerns.

Most people think Hong Kong is a claustrophobic wasteland. This is the case in certain areas. But in its entirety this could not be further from the truth. Most visitors will be surprised to learn that 70 percent of Hong Kong's total land area is actually open parkland, 40 percent of which is protected natrual reserves. So the idea that you will be stuck inside a little box with no room to roam is wrong. On top of that its worth mentioning Hong Kong has one of the best educational systems in the world, both private and public. I attended both british and american international schools growing up here and the private schools are by far some of the best in Asia, and the world. On top of that Hong Kong has a large and vibrant expatriate population from all over the world, especially Australia. There are many friends that i have made since returning to live here last year, who moved here from Australia with their kids and have been pleasently surprised at the large support group of Aussie families in HK as well.

Hong Kong is a wonderful place to grow up, and offers a great diversity of an international city, and the comforts of a large expat community, as well as the contrast of a modern metropolis that is surrounded by some of the most beautiful and dramatic natural scenery any world class city can boast.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
F.

What? if you will be working in Hong Kong you wont be living in the wet lands,mountain peaks or natural reserves. great education that a huge population of students ends up studing alone on the other side of the planet. JW

JW, if you actually knew what you were saying I would acknowledge your points, but I will not.

There are many spacious and family friendly locations to live in Hong Kong, especially on the South side of Hong Kong island. There are locations like Discovery Bay and Sai Kung which, although further, provide a resort town style feeling with many ammenities for expat families.

I think you are more concerned with education for children, but if you're wondering about higher education Hong Kong University is ranked one of the top universities worldwide, with many other Hong Kong Universities making the list.

You are correct if you live far away from Hong Kong you will find mickey mouse enviroments to live in. Yes HK does have some universities that will require the student to study over 6,000 hours compared to 2,000 in other universities.

If i may ask sir why didnt you attend one of those wonderful Hong Kong universities?

JW! You are lost my friend!

Because I was not living in Hong Kong when I left to Uni. Just because someone grows up in Hong Kong doesn't mean that they will by default go to Uni there.
I have many friends who, like me, got their degree in the USA, London or Australia. But when it came time to work, they all returned back to Hong Kong!

And don't even try to get into the subject of why finding a job with all the right benefits (Healthcare, education etc) isn't as worthwhile in Hong Kong than anywhere in the US.

If you don't like it JW, then go back to Miami and enjoy your double digit unemployment!

Wow if i dont like it then i should leave? is that how things work? I read you mentioned healthcare. What are your view on the healthcare in Hong Kong? as an expat should i go to a government run hospital for treatments? How about dental work which im in need of? does the health system in Hong Kong offer a Government dental work? JW

frankh84 wrote:

it sure looks like it

Hey F do you have kids in Hong Kong? This thread started with a question about raising kids in this crowded city (Hong Kong). JW

I do not have kids Williamson, if you must know. But as I said before I WAS a KID and GREW UP in Hong Kong, so I think my experiences are just as valid if not more so than someone who moves here with children. On top of that I have many friends who moved here with companies or just came on their own and either brought their children to HK or who had kids here...

Of course there are aspects of living here that could be better, but there are many things that make up for them, including great Medical Care for children and great educational institutions as well.

Thanks for your reply. For an expat can they use the government run hospitals or should an expat looking into getting a private health insurance plan from say, Globalsurance or Pacific Prime? Im a expat and i paid out of pocket for many dental procedures but im not sure if i will be able to walk into a public hospital in Hong Kong and get free treatment. JW

I actually did have my motor policy through them via their HK based company kwiksure, but I have heard that they do other stuff like expat medical insurance and so on. You always see their ads on ATV World here, for Kwiksure that is.

May i say that you two have made this forum so much more entertaining.  Anyway, back to the question.

Discovery bay is probably one of the better place to live with your kids while your husband goes to work in the city which would only require a short transport on the Ferry.  International school is a must for your kids and in connection to whether it is a good place to bring kids up, there are good and bad, there are lots of learning opportunities and is entirely different compare to wherever you come from, for sure it will be a benefit for kids but might not be in a long run if you are talking about UNI, all depends on how long your husband is planning to work in HK, who knows what the future could turn out you could always send him to australia for uni should you decided to stay in hk longer.  Not everyone gets this kind of opportunity in their lives, not all kids gets to see and live in Asia, to me it is a kind of experience you can not gain from school.  Incase you wonder, i have kids myself and if my husband get to relocate there, i'll be there in a second   I was born there but moved to the UK since i was 12, lived and worked there after.  Email me any question you need to know.  good luck.  and gentleman, stop fighting and yes the bag does make you look thinner..lol

A place to raise kids? I read that you said "international school is a must" why is that? Is it because the local public schools are not good or you rather have your kids  not learn Cantonese and learn English only? If the local schools are not a must what about the local public run hospitals? should i only go to Western private doctors? I have never been to Discovery bay but is that like not really living in Asia? From what i have ben told it looks like a play land or a amusement park from another part of the world. i might be wrong but that what i heard. I read that you expect your kids to want to go to a university i hope that goes as you wish.

Wow! Thank You joysical. Nice that me carrying this bag everywhere does help my figure. You should watch me walk the cat walk. I wonder how that other user really looks in 2010? joysical are you now living at Discovery bay? can you tell me more about it? well i have to first find myself a woman and then try to convince her that im worthy then have kids. Well new kids cause im divorced. best regards JW

Williamson.. It'd help if you weren't disjointed with your comments! I'm trying to make sense of anything you're trying to ask! And that bag still makes you look like an oaf! Not like me in my fancy 1930's suit!

Discovery Bay is a good location, but it does suffer from the, resort town stigma. My sister lived there for a year. While she was very happy about her accomodations and the expat community there, she did feel like she was living in bubble, and so she returned to Hong Kong Island near Hollywood road. Also, there's something to be said about the hassle of taking a ferry home everyday, and being stranded when a typhoon rolls in and all ferry services are shut down

First off, Williamson, you are not talking to me, you are writing! Secondly, I think its safe to say that I'm more alive than whatever it was that crawled into that beard of yours!

But for joysical's sake, I will end my words to you there.

To Richards, it is not to say that one could not get a decent education or medical care attending any of the fine local schools and hospitals in Hong Kong, its just that most expats in Hong Kong will be able to afford schools and practitioners that are designed to serve their needs. This is the case through multinational curriculum schools, international medical clinics, and expatriate medical coverage.

Ultimately it's a comfort thing. You pay for the comfort of being able to recieve a US or UK style education or having a Doctor who can fully explain things during a consultation.

Ok Guys, as somebody said above you may have been entertaining for a while but your quibbeling is not useful to this topic any more. As such, I've moderated any comments which are off topic.

So please, let's get back to the subject if anybody else has something to add to what has already been said.

Thanks
Arlette

Bryan Richards wrote:

A place to raise kids? I read that you said "international school is a must" why is that? Is it because the local public schools are not good or you rather have your kids  not learn Cantonese and learn English only? If the local schools are not a must what about the local public run hospitals? should i only go to Western private doctors? I have never been to Discovery bay but is that like not really living in Asia? From what i have ben told it looks like a play land or a amusement park from another part of the world. i might be wrong but that what i heard. I read that you expect your kids to want to go to a university i hope that goes as you wish.

You might want to think about this - Local school are taught in Cantonese and is not practical for foreigners who has no knowledge of Chinese?  For someone who has no idea about Hk and dont know what they are expecting, Discovery is close to something they are used to but can also experience HK life at the same time.  Correct me if i am wrong x

joysical wrote:

Bryan Richards wrote:

A place to raise kids? I read that you said "international school is a must" why is that? Is it because the local public schools are not good or you rather have your kids  not learn Cantonese and learn English only? If the local schools are not a must what about the local public run hospitals? should i only go to Western private doctors? I have never been to Discovery bay but is that like not really living in Asia? From what i have ben told it looks like a play land or a amusement park from another part of the world. i might be wrong but that what i heard. I read that you expect your kids to want to go to a university i hope that goes as you wish.

You might want to think about this - Local school are taught in Cantonese and is not practical for foreigners who has no knowledge of Chinese?  For someone who has no idea about Hk and dont know what they are expecting, Discovery is close to something they are used to but can also experience HK life at the same time.  Correct me if i am wrong x

By "they" you mean the parents? Kids can get used to much faster then the older folks. I think HK is more than just Discovery bay.

I agree hk isn't just bout discovery bay n either had I mentioned that's the case.  I only suggested that becos it'd be easier for her as she seems bit lost n scared.  You know it's alot to take in if they haven't lived there unlike single people but a complete scenerio with a family which I take it ur single?

Anyway don't know why we bother anymore, don't think she's Reading anyway lol

joysical wrote:

I agree hk isn't just bout discovery bay n either had I mentioned that's the case.  I only suggested that becos it'd be easier for her as she seems bit lost n scared.  You know it's alot to take in if they haven't lived there unlike single people but a complete scenerio with a family which I take it ur single?

I am now (last 3 years) but i was a house dad for over 10 years. We did have to move due to work  and yes its a challenge but it was also a growing experience. JW

Hihi maybemoving, I just signed up... my husband and I moved here for the job opportunities after spending (5 and 10 years respectively) in Singapore, and have been here (HK) for almost 7 years. We now have a 33 month old toddler who was born here and as a non-Chinese speaker (who learned on the job) I: hated it here/ loved it here/ now somewhere in between but closer to liking my stay - in that order!

It's a long discussion thread, I'm new and eager, I hope I didn't miss someone's input and am now giving a useless repeat. If you are worried about language, do know there is ESF (English Schools Foundation) which is HK's arrangement for non-canton speaking expats. It is partially govt subsidised and one of its main roles is to ensure there's an option for an English-speaking expat who doesn't necessarily want to spend a bomb on international schools.

There are all these negative things said about schools here, truth is, I believe some of it is due to the inherent outspokenness of the general population - and I think it does serve the purpose of keeping the school administration on their toes. And it means I can sit back a little ..Every time we see bad press in the papers about ESF for eg, it was answered within a few days with an email to all the parents providing additional info, separating fact from fiction, etc.

In general we like the schooling here (bearing in mind my son is a toddler, not a 6 or 8 yr old but we do know people with older kids who are pretty happy)

ps: you might also like to know that some non-canton-speaking expats I know chose Victoria which is both Canton and English. AND I know people in the local schools who keep track of their kids' test scores on excel spreadsheets. People take education very seriously here so if you look around a bit I think you can quite easily find something suitable for your children