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SCMP Reporter

CONDUIT ROAD IS considered a prestigious address.

The long, narrow and winding road, serving the upper fringes of Mid-Levels, features multi-storey apartment blocks, and  is popular among expatriates and top executives for the premium location as well as its proximity to Central, the heart of Hong Kong's business district.

Situated just above Robinson Road, Conduit Road lies at the end of the escalator that transports restaurant-seekers and residents between Mid-Levels, Soho and Central.

Conduit Road does not have any shops except for a few property agencies that have moved in in the past few years and a solitary laundry that has been there for more than a decade.

The nearest supermarket is a Wellcome on Robinson Road.

Many of the apartments in Conduit Road are more than 25 years old and are medium-sized, with their area ranging between 1,500 and 3,000 square feet.

The larger apartments and houses were found higher up the hill on Old Peak Road and Magazine Gap Road, said Louis Ho, associate director at Centaline Property Agency.

Those apartments, which are less than 10 years old, are smaller than 1,500 sq ft, but usually come with a swimming pool and a landscaped garden.

Sale prices range from HK$4,000 to HK$6,000 per sq ft and rents from HK$23,000 to HK$34,000 per month, according to property consultants.

The sales prices of older apartments range between HK$2,500 and HK$4,500, and rents are between HK$17,000 and HK$24,000 per month.

Developments along Conduit Road, whether single or twin-towered, are on average 30 storeys and have minimal facilities - a contrast to the larger and more expensive estate developments along Robinson Road.

Realty Gardens is a large-scale development, an exception on the road, with five towers containing 400 apartments.

They all come in one standard size - 1,350 sq ft (with three bedrooms) and each contain a balcony. For leisure, residents can make use of the swimming pool and barbecue pits in the garden.

Rentals stand at HK$27 per sq ft, and monthly amounts range between HK$27,000 and HK$39,000.

Last week, a unit with a full view of Victoria Harbour and excellent night views of Central - a rarity as most apartments are blocked by other buildings - was sold for HK$5.675 million or about HK$4,200 per sq ft.

Twenty-five-year-old Realty Gardens was developed by Harriman Realty and provides a shuttle bus service to Central MTR station for its residents.

Like many of the other developments at the far end (away from the escalator) of Conduit Road the service is deemed necessary to make up for the lack of public transport in the area.

'Many of the residential buildings also have two exits: a front exit at Conduit Road and another by lift that brings the residents straight to Robinson Road, hence buying things is quite convenient,' Mr Ho said.

Developments with smaller units, ranging in size from 500 sq ft to about 1,000 sq ft, have sprung up near the escalator. The convenience of the escalator made these apartments more desirable than those at the other end of Conduit Road, said Mr Ho.

Vantage Park, located near the escalator, is seven years old and was built by Henderson Land.

It is where you will find the smallest apartments (measuring 536 sq ft) along Conduit Road. There are many designs and sizes of apartments within the project -  the largest being 1,043 sq ft in size. The average sale price in this development is about HK$5,500 per sq ft and rentals stand at HK$25 per sq ft, ranging from HK$15,000 to HK$20,000 per month.

Facilities include a playground and a swimming pool.

The popularity of Conduit Road has prompted many new developments in recent years, leading to overcrowding. The quiet green surroundings have given way to noise and air pollution, road construction and narrow walkways.

Although the absence of double-decker buses along Conduit Road has helped to keep the noise down, it has also posed a problem for commuters.

Getting to work during peak hours is not easy since both the minibuses servicing the road and the escalator are usually crowded.

Residents often have to pay a premium over the meter fare for a taxi since they have call one.

Those living nearer to the escalator can reach the nearest MTR station - Central - in about 15 minutes.

Once in Central, the rest of the island is within easy reach.

Next week: Whampoa Garden

Graphic: PRO03gwz



Escalator boosts Conduit Road's desirability for the convenience-craving Central crowd