It looks like DH and I will be in Hong Kong for a couple of months this fall. Any words of advice? We are looking for some sort of short term rental with a kitchenette. My son’s girlfriends’ parents think we need something luxurious, while the university where DH would be working seems to have the opposite idea. We know Hong Kong is expensive, but we can live modestly for a short time period!
We’ve been checking out tripadvisor, but CC always seems to give the best travel advice!
Which part of HK will DH be working at? Most areas in HK is decent to live in short-term, it really comes down to convenience IMO. More expats will live on the HK Island side of HK, but since everyone lives in high-rises it’s not like you’ll meet a bunch of neighbors right away. If you really wanted a twist, the high speed line connecting Futian (Shenzhen) in China with West Kowloon in HK will supposedly be completed next month. It will take 15 minutes to get to HK from Futian. In Futian undoubtedly you would find a lot more AirBnB that are built in the last say 15 years. However if you didn’t speak Mandarin I probably would just stay in HK instead of China.
My brother lived at Mid Level and then moved to Repulse Bay. American Club (Country Club) is very close to Repulse Bay, so their kids could go there on weekends. Stanley (outdoor market) is also very close by.
My brother’s housing was paid by his bank, so he was not concerned with cost. His apartments were beautiful. Other apartments where locals lived were a bit run down in my opinion.
Where is your H’s university? You are probably not going to have a car, so close to transportation will be key for you. I found HKG’s taxis were very inexpensive.
I love HKG for its food, entertainment (great clubs), outdoor activities, and of course shopping.
Many parts of Repulse Bay are is ultra nice but it’s isolated and away from the rest of HK.
Hong Kong does have an extensive subway system, so you can consider accessibility to it in selecting locations.
http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/system_map.html
There are also buses and other transportation:
https://www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/public_transport/index.html
DH will be working at Hong Kong Baptist University. I don’t think we want isolated, but easy commutes are a plus. I’m hoping I can find cooking or art classes! I took a little Mandarin a long time ago, but sadly I have no ear for tones. (I can’t sing either.) At one time I could read about 200 characters, but I think all I can manage now are the numbers and a few of obvious ones sun/moon, big/little, river/mountain. I always pick them out when I look at old chinese paintings. 
I took a look at Cantonese and was horrified to see that even counting is completely different. So yes, we will definitely want to stay in Hong Kong itself. The girl friend’s parents are in Discovery Bay, but I’m pretty sure we don’t want to be so far away.
My brother lived in HKG for 10+ years and he never learned a word of Chinese (he is a Chinese). He managed to get around with only English. So no worries. I speak Mandarin when I am there, but a lot of locals still do not speak it.
So we gather - apparently students are required to pass a Mandarin exam to graduate and many fail!
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hong+Kong+Baptist+University/@22.3380831,114.1788632,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x3404072f99feb2c7:0xba9ddacaeeb21620!8m2!3d22.3386388!4d114.1819316 indicates that Hong Kong Baptist University is near Lok Fu and Kowloon Tong subway stations.
http://www.mtr.com.hk/archive/en/services/routemap.pdf may help you see which other subway stations are close by. The trip planner at http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/domestic_train_services.html can help you determine the time and fare to another subway station.
Spent 6 years in HK as an expat. There are some nice service apartment on the HK side, but some of those can be pricey. I think there are a number of services that will help you find temporary housing. Maybe the University already has a relationship.
Public transportation is very convenient. The MTR is clean and efficient. There are also plenty of buses, including mini-buses that service areas that are away from MTR lines. I would not live on the south side of HK Island. The north side will be much more convenient to the University. Living on the Kowloon side would be a bit more adventurous, but doable. Discovery Bay is not practical. It’s easy to get to the scenic, shopping and cultural sites. I don’t think you need to live near them.
Enjoy your time there!
I would stay right nearby the university, in KT. That’s an awesome area! Lots of expats there. Festival Walk and the Kowloon Tong MTR station is right there, giving you easy access to NT and China to the north, and to the rest of Kowloon and HK to the south. Kowloon Tong used to have the reputation as a very troubled area since the Walled City was part of it, but that’s now just a historical memory of years past.
Just saw this - guess where I was when I missed it! You may be limited to a serviced apartment in that you will be there only 3 months. Most leases (represented and negotiated with any number of agents - pick one off the street as you walk by) are two years, somewhat easy to get out of after one year.
As for location in addition to ProfPlum’s advice, areas such as Mid-levels and Central on HKI side will have a bunch of serviced apartments, some very pricey. Do not necessarily believe any on-line pictures you see of units, any inexpensive unit will be TINY. The MTR is good around HKI and Kowloon. You won’t have any problem getting to Hong Kong Baptist U by MTR as long as you stick to areas along the Hong Kong Island line or Kowloon lines. (not Repulse Bay, Discovery Island or Stanley although they would be wonderful locations for living if someone else is paying!) There are good MTR connections to the New Territory areas also (north of HK Baptist U), but you will spend longer on transit.
Festival Walk mall has a good grocery store and more moderate priced stores than many of the other of HK’s many malls.
Does the U have any help or suggestions? If so, looks like several of us can express opinions!
I have learned some Cantonese from Pimsleur courses. I find I have to review it every time I am about to leave, it doesn’t stick! It is helpful to know some numbers and a few basics, more for recognition than speaking. Many speak English, but not generally taxi drivers (have someone write your destination in Chinese) or some smaller shops. The amount you owe will be shown to you on a calculator when dealing with markets! Signs are in English, so no problem there. A number of taxi drivers are mainland Chinese - maybe you can use your Mandarin with them!
If you want to visit China proper, you need a Visa. This would include visiting Shenzen - you can’t cross the border without one. (although you can look across at the city from several locations) Macau is a fun ferry ride for a day out - no Visa requirement there for US citizens.
If you have any particular interests for sightseeing, activities, hiking, museums, etc and want to share, I have spent a lot time in the last several years searching out various places of interest.
Counting is different in Cantonese, but you will find similarities with Mandarin as you repeat the numbers. Grammatical patterns are similar. Words for geographic features also are similar, san for mountain, wan for bay. Word endings change. The confounding thing is that Cantonese is highly colloquial, and changes a great deal through adjacent Kwangtung province and Hong Kong. Put some effort into it and basics will come into focus. Sort of like German to English.
My dad spent the end of his career there. We moved there in 1977, stayed a year myself, and he lived there another 13 years. I returned a few times before having kids and unable to afford travel. I have had a few quick stop overs while traveling to other Asian destinations and adore every minute spent in Hong Kong. One of these days will settle in for a week.
There is so much to explore in Hong Kong. There is a great network of hiking trails and land set aside for watershed to hike through. There are ferries to many islands and interesting pieces of history, however much old buildings in Central and Kowloon get obliterated. I had a great time with cultural events while there, symphony, touring performances, etc and took cooking classes that have stood me well over the years. On my quick visits, I have found some taxi drivers with conversational English ability who have been quite interesting. Hope you are going in fall and or winter. Summer is terribly hot and humid.
If your H is going to work at HK Baptist, I would stay around the Kowloon Tong MTR station and forget HK island. I’ve found taking the MTR is easier and quicker but once you are familiar with your surroundings, you can take mini-buses and buses.It’s similar to living in Manhattan. Rental prices are also similar if not higher than Manhattan but usually the university will provide a rental stipend. I’d look for places for their proximity and accessibility to public transport.
I have a friend who took a leave of absence from teaching at a University of CA and took up a teaching post in HK. He rented a hotel room with kitchenette for a year before his spouse joined him. The hotel was adjacent to a MTR station.
I love HK and will be going there for a week in November after a visit to Korea. I’m envious that you get to spend several months in HK.
Given the location of HKBU, I’d recommend looking for accommodation in Clearwater Bay or Sai Kung; both are serviced by excellent public transport and offer and ‘away from it all’ feel, while still being central to everything you need
There’s no public transport that’s convenient from either Sai Kung or Clearwater Bay. Both are pretty remote, actually very remote. By car is pretty fast, but not by bus, and ther’s no MTR that is close.
I have no advice, but just wanted to say I’m so pleased that you have this opportunity. Staying for a month in one place must be so much more satisfying than a day or two. And it’s nice that you don’t have to work.
Trust me, Prof Plum is correct - you don’t want Sai Kung or Clearwater Bay unless HKBU supplies you with a driver and car. (many, many HK citizens employ drivers) I’ve spent a lot of time in Sai Kung - friend there. It is over an hour by MTR and bus from your region and longer from HKI. Well worth a day out, but not a daily trip. During rush hour, those minibuses can be stuck in traffic just like the cars. (been there, done that)
Do visit Sai Kung for a day - gorgeous promenade along the waterfront, great seafood, Lions Park outside town with nature walks and exhibits, Unesco Geopark display and tours/transit access to the actual Geopark volcanic rock formations in East Country Park. Fish is sold directly from the small boats to buyers on the promenade, possibilities for hiring boats to nearby islands (but be sure of the pricing), great outdoor restaurant/bar with terrific views - can you tell I’m salivating???
LOL no driver and car! If they had housing available it would have been student dorm type stuff. They will give us a housing allowance, but it looks to me like it may not be enough on its own. That should be okay as I think dh will end up with two salaries. (Of course, I won’t be taking in anything by taking two months off, but I take in quite a bit less.) Looking at AirBnB I can see that apartments are tiny and stuffed with two many beds. I’m okay with very small, but I’d love to ditch a bed and have room for a table where I could do watercolor painting. I can manage cooking on a hot plate. I just don’t want to have to go out to eat breakfast every day.
Suggestions for things to do and what to see are most welcome. We are assuming we will be dependent on public transportation. I’m hoping to find art or cooking classes, and I’ll bring my watercolors. We are reasonably adventurous eaters.
Would also love suggestions for the mainland. We both love tradtional Chinese landscape painting, so we know we have to go to Zhangjiajie if we can. The assumption is we will be able to take a week off at some point.