Housing in Shanghai AreaShanghai real estateThe most common areas for expatriates to reside in Shanghai are Puxi and Pudong;
Pudong |
Since Shanghai has a population of over 16 million people, the number of housing areas are enormous. First step is to determine in which of the areas you would like to reside, mostly the choice will be between Puxi or Pudong. Make sure when you are sitting down with a real estate agent that he offers you a list of available properties in all areas and not just in one region. Here are some things you should take care of;
- how close by is your international school?
- how close by is the public transport?
- how close by are the major highways?
- what is the traffic situation at peek hours, so you can estimate how long it takes to get to your office and back?
- Are there any places for social activities close by?
- your real estate agent's history of working with expatriates, so that you can determine whether he is aware of an expat's perspective.
Puxi: HongQiao
Over the past 10 years Hong Qiao has been a favourite location for expats to reside. It is closely located to downtown Puxi (approximately 15 – 20 minutes West of it). There are several big highways easily accessible close by; Yan An highway and the North and South arms of the inner road. Furthermore it is important to know that several international schools are in close reach. Many villas in Hong Qiao are walking distance from restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, clinics and other interesting sites. Prices for housing in Hong Qiao are considered high because of the area's convenience.
Puxi: QingPu, MingHang, Xin Zhuang, SongJiang, Zhudi town
These areas are also known as the Far West and South-West suburbs. As the name suggest the areas are far, but the attractiveness is therefore the price. Prices for a villa could be half the price of the price for an exact identical villa in Hong Qiao. The big advantage of these areas are that they are located close to the international schools.
Puxi: Lu Wan, Jing An, Xu Hui
These areas are considered as ‘downtown'. Most expat families staying in these areas will stay in large service apartments. The number of villas are limited in these areas, so therefore living downtown means you will have to give in to gardens, spacious areas and higher rentals for less space. The big advantage of living downtown is of course that everything is close by, even in walking distance. Another fact is that living downtown will give you the opportunity to fully integrate in the Chinese society.
Pudong: JinQiao
Jin Qiao is now considered as being the ‘hotspot' for expats to live in Shanghai . There are large apartments, big villas and high quality properties for rent and sale. All being located in close reach of international schools, bars, restaurants, cafes and gyms. The area is considered better than living in Hong Qiao because of better facilities. The only disadvantage of Jin Qiao is that Chinese culture is less present and therefore it is more difficult to study and experience the real Chinese way of living.
Pudong: KangQiao Area
Kang Qiao area is located in the South of Pudong and has been growing quite impressively over the past few years. The Pudong campuses of the British International School and the Shanghai Community International School are located in the Kang Qiao area as well. The disadvantage of this area is its close location to industrial zones, and therefore the views could not be very attractive.
Pudong: LuJiaZui
This area is halfway Puxi Downtown and the Pudong International Schools . The area offers many good apartment complexes, while the number of expat-level villas are small and hard to find in Lu Jia Zui. Lu Jia Zui has many interesting attractions, restaurants, and international schools.
