You can tell from the complex's convenience store - which stocks jars of cranberry sauce and plenty of Philadelphia cream cheese - that Bamboo Grove is popular among expatriates. Centaline senior estate agent William Tsang said he could also sense the work of a European architect in the layout of the apartments, which have large, airy living rooms and well-defined dining areas. The units are also spacious, ranging in size from a comfortable 1,813 square feet to a generous 2600 sq ft. Several units have come up for lease at the devlopment, which compromises six towers of about 30 floors each at the Wan Chai end of Kennedy Road in Mid-Levels. Now 14 years old, Bamboo Grve might seem ancient by Hong Kong standards, but the complex is not crumbling yet. It offers plenty of space at reasonable prices, as rents run from $40,000 to $62,000 a month (excluding mangement fees ranging from $3,500 to $4,375 and government rates). The mostly three-bedroom units face east, with views sweeping from the hills behind Wan Chai over Happy Valley and the racecourse. A glimpse of the sea can be had from some towers, or between the skyscrapers of Admiralty from the back rooms of the apartments. With just two units on each storey, the apartments are relatively quiet. All rooms are of a reasonable size and have wooden floors throughout. The apartments are unfurnished and most feature natural-timber door frames, doors, skirting boards and covering for the centrally controlled air-conditioning units, although some are available in white-painted wood. Bamboo Grove shows its age a little in the kitchens, which feature fittings in a mid 1980s colour scheme of beige and brown, and in the bathrooms, which are beige-tiled. The main attraction might be what the development can offer in terms of family entertainment. A residents' club includes a swimming pool, squash courts, badminton courts, a gymnasium, snooker, sauna, a beauty salon and children's classes in ballet, gymnastics and tae kwon do - most of which are free. The bar and coffee house appears to have been closed since October 1997, but residents never need worry if they run short of cranberry sauce.
