COMMUNITY

Have Your Say – Tara O’leary

Author/ Being Neighbourly
25 July 2024

Tara O’Leary is a half Spanish, half British mum of a little girl who knew after three weeks that she’d be staying in Hong Kong. She is a member of Buy Nothing, Mid-levels Central & The Peak.

How long have you been living here?

We’ve been living in Robinson Heights for just over 2-years – we moved up here from Soho and thought it was really far away from everything at first…but turns out it isn’t and we love it here now! I’ve been in Hong Kong for almost 9-years now – I came for a 5-month freelance HR Transformation project and 3-weeks in I knew I would stay…a week later I met my now husband on a junk boat and we are now 5-years married with a beautiful, smiley, one-year old daughter.

Can you see yourself living anywhere else?

We often talk about moving somewhere beachside…not many countries would allow us to fall asleep so close to nature, looking out to the ocean, and then work in the city with less of a commute than our original homes of London and Paris…but then a commute of more than 20-minutes in Hong Kong feels like the equivalent of 90-minutes anywhere else in the world so we haven’t made it that far…yet.

What’s so great about your home/neighbourhood?

Our flat feels really open and bright and we love our view – we’re also lucky to have a rooftop with an even better view and loads of space so we spend a lot of time out there with our friends. We love the fact that we can just about see the monkeys swinging around in the botanical gardens from our kitchen window, and spend time at the park with our baby girl at least a few times a week…having those animals and the beautiful park surroundings on our doorstep is a luxury that far outweighs the screaming excitement of the monkeys at 6am.

Best places to eat out?

Most Saturdays we enjoy a Kaiser breakfast at home for the salmon and srambled egg croissants. Most Sunday nights we order from Pizzeria Italia on Mosque Street for two reasons – the pizza always arrives warm, and they allow me to indulge in my favourite ham and pineapple pizza…not available in many pizza shops but a winner for me! We do leave the house as well, honestly!

I love the Duddell’s brunch for the free-flow champagne, char siu pork and peking duck; and the Zuma brunch for the raw Japanese seafood menu and free-flow champagne…free flow champagne does brighten up any meal!

For a simple brunch/lunch Oolaa is always a winner – the chicken parmigiana is pricey but a big portion and yummy. And for dinner I love the authentic Spanish food at Ole – patatas bravas, croquetas, gambas al ajillo…it’s traditional and tasty and I’m half Spanish so that is important to me! Finally, Mak Mak is great for Thai food – the pad Thai, duck in red curry, spring rolls…and I always order an additional pomelo salad to go as it’s so tasty and one portion just isn’t enough!

Best little known gems?

This is a tough one as I feel like everyone knows everywhere in Hong Kong! Stockton is great for cocktails and used to make me non-alcoholic cosmopolitans when I was pregnant…Sumac serves great food and has just reopened after a refurb. Iron Fairies is always great for live music and a dance, and I’ll be trying Frank’s new rooftop soon.

For shopping, Hula is a great shop for pre-owned clothes and accessories…oh, and Artifact bar in Jardines House is hidden gem behind a secret door at the back of the food court – it does great cocktails and it’s designed a bit like you’re in a spaceship so great for photos and IG!

Best other hangouts?

The Hong Kong Park aviary, Bowen road and the Peak are all so close and great for a walk and fresh air. Sun Yat Sen Park always has space on the grass for a play date and a free indoor play area for the baby. I also love walking along the waterfront and taking the star ferry over to TST for a wander around the bustling streets. I play squash downstairs or at the HK Squash centre on Cotton Tree Drive, and I’m part of Valley Sports Club and play in the netball league at WCH, which is a great team sport to socialise and meet fun people.

What’s true about your neighbourhood and what’s not true?

It’s cooler up here which is great for the majority of the year, but extra cold for the few winter weeks. It’s also closer to Soho/central than you think…other than if you miss the last escalator and have to walk up late after a Saturday night out!

Any other comments?

During the final Covid wave (the one time that was an actual wave as thousands of people actually contracted Covid!) we looked around our then beloved apartment in Soho, then at each other, and said we couldn’t both work-from-home there again…we looked reluctantly at leaving Hong Kong for good – to Thailand, Barcelona, New York, Mexico – or finding a new apartment…

When we saw the space, location, rooftop and facilities available at our current home, we knew we weren’t ready to leave HKG altogether and made what felt like a drastic move. We’re so glad we did!