Mid-Levels, as its name would suggest, is located halfway up the hill. It's the most convenient residential area for access to Wan Chai, Admiralty, Central, SoHo and Sheung Wan. There is a concentration of high-income professionals - expatriate and local attracted by the proximity to the city below, the high-quality units and the spectacular views. The elevation makes it open to breezes, and the area includes the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Hong Kong Park and many other pockets of greenery and tree-lined streets. Walking to the city is a pleasant option, especially since the Mid-Levels escalator has eased the uphill walk home in the evenings.

The western shoreline of Victoria Harbour includes Sheung Wan, Sai Ying Pun (with its new escalator), Shek Tong Tsui and Kennedy Town. This is one of the oldest parts of Hong Kong Island and sits at the end of the tramway line. For years, it was ignored by expatriates even though it is right on the harbour and handy to everything in the city, but with many of its old market and wholesale centres being converted to art spaces and cafés, it's very popular and a cheaper alternative to Mid-Levels. The MTR extension is also a huge boost to the neighbourhood.

In the west and southwest of Hong Kong Island, by the university and in Pokfulam, the mix of old and new apartments is wider. There are more affordable rents for younger people, though a bus or minibus ride is required into the city. It's close to Queen Mary, the most trusted of the government hospitals. and many homes here have higher ceilings and better space efficiency. There are also great views over the Lamma Channel. Cyberport is a modern but rather spartan business park which includes the up-market Residence Bel-Air complex, a cinema, hotels, restaurants and shops. The ESF West Island School is located here, as well as primary schools, Kennedy, German Swiss and Kellett.

These are another couple of areas to have dramatically gentrified. Wan Chai was famously portrayed as a sleazy red-light district in the 1950s movie The World of Suzie Wong. Huge ultra-modern high-rises have changed the landscape considerably. A mix of new and old apartment buildings make this a convenient housing choice, especially for singles and busy couples who don't mind the dense urban environment and constantly crowded streets.

Nearby Causeway Bay has been a retail and food paradise for some time, but a sign of the times is that large companies are quite happy moving here to avoid the higher rents of Admiralty and Central.

Adjacent to Causeway Bay, Happy Valley got its name from the wry reference by British soldiers to the cemetery here for the many who succumbed to malaria and other tropical diseases in the early years of the colony. After 1846 it became almost synonymous with horse racing, after the British realised that this was the only sizeable flat area of turf on the island. It's also a popular location for expats who like the low-energy village feel.

Above Happy Valley is Jardine's Lookout and Tai Hang, more exclusive areas with several older low-rise apartment blocks, townhouses and detached houses among the modern towers such as The Legend. This quiet area is connected to Tin Hau, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay MTR stations by frequent bus and minibus services, and is handy to the Stanley and Repulse Bay areas on the Southside over Wong Nai Chung Gap.

Just like Mayfair or Boardwalk on the Monopoly Board in the UK and US, The Peak takes pride of place as Hong Kong's most prestigious neighbourhood. As long as the clouds or mist don't envelop it, the views are stupendous and panoramic. Peak residents live in a selection of fine mansions, exclusive low-rise apartment blocks, and more often, as older properties are redeveloped, townhouses. Due to the altitude it's also slightly cooler, which is a godsend in the summer months, but many complexes have swimming pools in which to beat the heat.

Only one winding road connects this exclusive address with Mid-Levels, but if you can skip past the tourists, The Peak Tram does a fine job connecting residents with the city. A smattering of restaurants, shops, supermarkets and prestigious schools do make the neighbourhood somewhat self-contained.

Hong Kong Island's Southside includes some of the most sought-after residences, set in green areas with fine views over bays and islands. It is served by bus and minibus, but the roads can be clogged on weekends and holidays when people head for the beaches along this side of Hong Kong. Through the Aberdeen Tunnel are the luxury locales of Deep Water Bay, Shouson Hill and Repulse Bay.

There, housing includes apartment towers, low-rise apartments and townhouses - all in a more laidback, "beachy" atmosphere. Mediterranean-style Stanley is further along the coast and has a great selection of low-rise and waterfront houses. It is a popular spot on the weekend, with many small restaurants and bars offering a wide variety of international cuisines, and a thriving market for clothing and souvenirs.

The annual dragon boat races, involving local and expatriate crews, are held off Stanley Beach in the early summer. Chung Hom Kok is quiet residential area nearby, as is Tai Tam, a large estate of medium and low-rise housing on a peninsula with extensive views of the sea and natural parkland. Buses and minibuses connect to Central, to Stanley, and the MTR at Chai Wan. Many apartment blocks also have their own shuttle bus services.

The West Kowloon district is the focus of ambitious new transport, residential and commercial developments. Those which are already completed boast some of the most expensive per-square-foot prices in the world. Next door is the 118-storey International Commerce Centre and Elements complex, the territory's tallest. A little further north at Olympic MTR Station are more modern residential complexes.

Spreading out below the iconic Lion Rock is the old residential area of Kowloon Tong, a low-rise area favoured by many wealthy Hongkongers. International schools here include King George V, the American and Australian international schools, the locally-founded Yew Chung School and Beacon Hill School.

Connections are good, although Central can still be quite a trek without a car. The MTR's East Rail and Kwun Tong lines both run through Kowloon Tong. Waterloo Road running through Kowloon Tong is part of Hong Kong's Route 1, leading through the Lion Rock Tunnel to Sha Tin and the New Territories.

Clear Water Bay is a rural eastern "extension" of the new town Tseung Kwan O. Once outside the town, sandy beaches and country parks are seemingly everywhere. There is a wide range of detached houses and townhouses of many standards and budgets. The ESF's Clearwater Bay School and Woodlands Pre-school are in the area.

Tin Hau and North Point are becoming popular districts for expatriates with more moderate rental budgets. East of Causeway Bay, still within easy reach of Victoria Park, they are right by MTR stations. Further east still is Quarry Bay and Taikoo Shing, where Casa 880 and the huge Kornhill estate are a comfortable solution for many families. Sai Wan Ho is further east still.

Above Tai Koo MTR Station is the vast Cityplaza mall, which includes an ice-skating rink. Here you'll also find the Delia School of Canada. Behind North Point, Braemar Hill offers new residential developments with fine views, and is the location of Japanese International School.

Nathan Road - also known as the Golden Mile - divides the Kowloon Peninsula right down the middle. Straddling both sides of the road, Tsim Sha Tsui, followed by Yau Ma Tel and Mong Kok, are still something of a rabbit-warren of small shops, hotels and tiny apartments, but the signs of gentrification are everywhere, with many new buildings standing tall above the neighbourhood's hectic streets.

The acquisition of a large hinterland in 1898 on a 99 year lease gave Hong Kong what are still called the New Territories. Developments, usually enormous high-rise residential blocks with modern clubhouses and facilities, have steadily moved north following the MTR lines, providing space and breathing room for those willing to sacrifice proximity to the centre of things.

Sai Kung is the most eastern and wildest outpost of the New Territories. Its mammoth country parks boast rugged hills, quaint villages and intricate seashores. The district includes many low-density residential properties appealing to expats such as Hebe Haven, also known as Pak Sha Wan, which has moorings for yachts and boats.

Sai Kung Town has many seafood restaurants, attracting locals and tourists, and pubs and cafés boasting international cuisine. There is MTR, buses, minibuses, taxis and private cars.

Sha Tin was one of Hong Kong's first new towns. It includes public housing estates, large-scale retail and entertainment developments, and luxury apartment complexes, with good transport links. There is also a well-developed network of walking and cycling paths.

It has the ESF's Sha Tin College (secondary) and Japanese International School. As well as the famous Sha Tin racecourse, it has several major cultural attractions including the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Taoist Che Kung Temple and the Lion Pavilion, as well as four hospitals.

Not far from Sha Tin, Tai Po is an old settlement in a rural setting near Tolo Harbour, with a range of low-rise and townhouse properties available for expats, including Beverly Hills, Casa Marina and Hong Lok Yuen. It has some 320,000 people scattered over public housing estates and about 100 villages. Tai Mei Tuk is a new area for luxury townhouses with fine sea views.

Over to the west side of the New Territories is The Gold Coast near Tuen Mun. Not far from the airport and not a million miles from town, it's popular with those who want to combine city living with a quieter marina lifestyle. The complex has some 20 residential buildings, a luxury hotel, shopping mall, marina, country club and a beach.

Discovery Bay is a large privately-developed residential area on the north-eastern side of Lantau, Hong Kong's largest island. It's the cosmopolitan home to about 16,000 people of many nationalities attracted by relatively moderate rents for more space. Like nearby Park Island, options include both high-rise apartments and houses, with recreation clubs and a beach for residents. Pets are allowed.

A dedicated high-speed ferry runs around the clock to and from Central, and most residents still rely heavily on its efficient service. Discovery Bay is connected by a road network, though, and shuttle buses go to Sunny Bay and Tung Chung MTR stations. There is a secondary college, Discovery College, and Discovery Bay International School.

Tung Chung is the other main settlement on Lantau Island, a new town built at the same time as the nearby airport in the late 1990s. It has some middle-range and high end housing blocks with extensive facilities, its own MTR station, and bus links out into the island's countryside.