Ho chi Minh City: How to transport a family & D2 vs. D7

Quan 7 is filled with Foreigners. Phu My Hung, a former swamp forest area, is popular with some. Feels like the movie Stepford Wives in some areas.

The area  has several supermarkets and shopping malls, and they are busy building yet another mall.

There is a sizeable component of people from Korea there, too

Much of Quan 7 is Vietnamese occupied, I rent a condominium in that part. It is a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom, kitchen, dinette, lounge and balcony renting for USD$400/month. Condo charges + utilities are USD$50 each month. (My InterNet is commercial fibre optic and more expensive than residential fibre. PMH doesn't have fibre optic!

There are some international schools in Quan 7. The sky-high fees bear little relationship to the quality of the education.

An important feature is that Quan 7 is about 30 minutes, by road from Quan 1 (downtown). There are several forms of public transit, the pricing of two deter Vietnamese from using them.

Quan 2 is a different beast. Between Quan 1 and the Ha Noi Highway 1A there are hectares and hectares of denuded land, another former swamp, awaiting developers to do their thing.

On the other side of 1A are several gated communities where many Foreigners try to maintain their home country lifestyles. There are also high-rises if you like that style of living.

Another Stepford Wives community. There are the usual amenities such as supermarkets, etc.

Quan 2 is also home to several international schools with the usual high fees. One is a unremarkable Australian school - nice building but they have a massive mortgage to meet.

Transit in Quan 2 is a challenge. To drive from Quan 1 to Highway 1A is approximately 35 minutes.  The traffic on Highway 1A is horrendous - a 12 lane parking lot at times. The powers that be plan to expand both the width and the length of the in-town part. Public transit is minimal and very crowded. Much of the traffic come from Quan 9 and beyond. A 'subway' line is planned for the future.

Never choose your accommodation until you are here, there are so many variables.

I suspect of the two Quan 7 might be preferable at your families stage.