Shanghai Expat Community Where to Live in Shanghai Puxi Pudong

Where to Live in Shanghai Expat Community

Shanghai is cut into two major parts –Puxi (the west part) and Pudong (the east part)– by Huangpu River. As with other big cities, Shanghai is also divided into several districts. Downtown area, which consists of five districts (Jing'an, Xuhui, Huangpu, Luwan and Changning), lies in the center of the city.
As an international hub, Shanghai attracts myriads of expatriates every year, contributing to a local housing market boom and adding vitality and business opportunities to the city. Many newcomers fall in love with the city instantly when they see its tree-lined streets, low-rise European-style architecture and innumerable skyscrapers towering everywhere in the city.
Shanghai is obviously able to offer comfortable housing for people who can afford it. To hold more and more migrants, Shanghai has new properties built every year, which offer a wide range of housing types. Most expatriates choose to live in apartments, because of the economic price and convenient daily life. Most of the housing properties in the city have 24-hour janitors and security guards. 

Live in Puxi (Downtown)

Many expatriates chose to live in downtown area, mainly consisted by Jing'an, Xuhui, Huangpu, Luwan and Changning for its convenience of transport, shopping and rich nightlife. Some also enjoy renting redecorated western-style houses and apartments hidden between parasol trees. They made their homes there to taste the typical Shanghai flavor.
The daily life in downtown area is very convenient. It is easy for you the access each corner of the city because of the good traffic condition. With a walking distance, you can do shopping on Huaihai Road, Xujiahui or Nanjing Road, where those who live in suburbs will spend hours on their cars or taxis.
Night life in the area is also famous and attractive. Generally speaking, the public utilities in down town areas are much more abundant than suburbs, even though you live in well-furnished expatriate communities. But schools in the area are not specialized for expatriate kids while golf is also not available. 

Live in Pudong

Pudong used to be the largest rural area of the Shanghai. After it was announced as a "special area" in 1990, it has become a modern metropolitan with skyscrapers in Lujiazui, advanced manufacturing plants and communities in Jinqiao and high-tech start-ups in Zhangjiang.
A lot of expatriates, especially those senior managers, who have their offices in Lujiazui and factories in Jinqiao, chose to live in Pudong, especially to their above mentioned working places, where a lot of houses, furnished apartments and villas were built mainly for expatriates. With facilities well furnished, expatriates can enjoy a typical westernized life and communities of their own. 

Shanghai Cheap Car Rental Airport Transportation

Five of Shanghai's best international restaurants where to eat in shanghai dining

Five of Shanghai's best international restaurants where to eat in shanghai

From imaginative French cuisine to intimate modern Australian degustation menus, Shanghai has a wealth of top international restaurants to choose from. We list five of the very best

Mr & Mrs Bund  450~500RMB/Person

If you only go to one Western restaurant in town, make it the hip, buzzy Mr & Mrs Bund, especially as The Bund isn’t flush with great Chinese restaurants. Local celebrity chef Paul Pairet does creative French dishes on a bewilderingly long menu – think beef tartare, foie gras crumble, picnic chicken with garlic aioli, ‘long short beef ribs’ and a lemon tart served in a whole lemon. The vibe is loud, almost nightclub-y, and the people-watching is top-notch.

Open

11.30am-2pm Mon-Fri; 6pm-2am Tue-Thurs; 6pm-4am Fri-Sat; 6pm-10.30pm Sun-Mon

Telephone 6323 9898

English address Sixth Floor, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. Huangpu district

Chinese address 黄浦区中山东一路18号外滩18号6楼, 近南京东路

Web www.mmbund.com

M on The Bund  550~600RMB/Person

M on the Bund is the original Bund restaurant, and still packs in the cool crowd even though the quality European and middle Eastern fine dining isn’t as imaginative as Mr & Mrs Bund along the street. Dishes include a starter of pickled ox tongue, salted pork belly and smoked chorizo; and a main of suckling pig with sauteed potatoes and Suzhou peaches. The views are sensational, and you’ll normally see glamorous Hong Kong types among your fellow diners.

Open 11.30am-2.30pm Mon-Fri, 11.30am-5pm Sat-Sun, 6-10.30pm daily

Telephone 6350 9988

English address Seventh Floor, Five on the Bund, 20 Guangdong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Huangpu district

Chinese address 黄浦区广东路20号外滩五号7楼,近中山东一路.

Table No. 1  400~450RMB/Person

South of the Bund in the uber-chic Waterhouse Hotel, this is one of our favourite restaurants in the city. The dazzlingly creative tapas-style dishes were created Jason Atherton, a Gordon Ramsay protege and the man behind London restaurant, Maze. But while he’s not in the kitchen most of the time, chef Scott Melville has kept the quality of the food high. Dishes include gorgeous razor clams with chorizo; beef cheek with snails in bone marrow; and a ‘PBJ’ dessert with peanut butter and jam on creamed rice crispies.

Open

12pm-2.30pm Mon-Fri, 12-3.30pm Sat-Sun, 6-10.30pm daily

Telephone 6080 2918

English address Ground Floor, The Waterhouse, 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Waima Lu, Huangpu district

Chinese address 水舍,黄浦区毛家园路1-3号, 近外马路

Web www.tableno-1.com

Kota's Kitchen  200~250RMB/Person

If you want a fun meal, this Beatles-themed izakaya (restaurant-cum-bar) serves yakitori and Japanese comfort food with shochus and draft beers. It’s small, eternally-packed and great fun, with charming service. Highlights on the menu include a stunningly tender braised pork belly, beef sashimi and tender chicken yakitori. Also ask for the homemade shochus, which look like potions behind the bar. The only music you’ll hear is the Beatles, though the theme isn’t tacky or overdone.

Open 6pm-1am daily

Telephone 6481 2005

English address 2905 Xietu Lu, near Lingling Lu, Xuhui district

Chinese address 徐汇区斜土路2905号, 近零陵路

12 Chairs  580~980RMB/Person

For something truly special, 12 Chairs has one table, 12 chairs and a seasonal degustation menu that’s conceived by Australian-Greek local celebrity chef David Laris and often cooked by him personally in the room's mini show-kitchen.

Bookings are first come, first serve until all 12 seats are taken. The set menu updates each month, but might include courses like praline and foie gras with muscat jelly, pan-seared scallops foaming oyster soup with parsnips, pigeon and truffles with pancetta and red wine braised beef cheek. All wine is a la carte, from an exclusive list including high-flying Grand Crus from Burgundy and Bordeaux.

Available by advance booking only

Telephone 3330 3920

Email raskarova@thekingskitchen.com

English address Third Floor, Building 26A, Sinan Mansions, 519 Fuxing Zhong Lu, near Sinan Lu, Luwan district

Chinese address 卢湾区复兴中路519号思南公关26A号楼3楼, 近思南路

Shanghai Cheap Transportation Airport Transfer

Shanghai Expat-friendly Foreign/International Hospitals

Expat-Friendly Foreign/International Hospitals in Shanghai

Having to go to the hospital is always a scary experience. That said, going to the hospital in a foreign country where your native language is not spoken can be downright terrifying. Luckily, Shanghai is more than well-equipped when it comes to expat-friendly hospitals. While many facilities will have staff who speak at least a little English, below are some hospitals that really go above and beyond for the expat community.

The Shanghai East International Medical Center opened in 2003 and has been going strong ever since. The first foreign joint-venture hospital in Shanghai, it presents a long list of firsts for this city: the first to receive a comprehensive hospital operating license, the first to implement 24-hour in-patient and out-patient treatment, and the first to offer digital x-ray and mammography services. Their multi-lingual staff and medical professionals are specifically trained and specialized in working with the expat community, making them among the top healthcare providers for various international schools, corporations, and consulates.

Shanghai East International Medical Center 上海东方国际医院
Add: 551 Pudong Nan Lu, near Pudong Da Dao Lu 浦东南路551号
Tel: 021 5879 9999
Website: www.seimc.com.cn

In 2004, the Shanghai United Family Hospital opened alongside their various clinics in a range of locations. All of their locations adhere to international standards of healthcare services and represent a joint venture between Chindex International Inc. and the Shanghai Changning Central District Hospital. This means that expat families get the benefit of shared knowledge and experience between these two institutions, which allows for increased quality and availability. Their international medical team makes communication and understanding a priority.

Shanghai United Family Hospital 上海和睦家医院
Add: 1139 Xianxia Lu, near Lingquan Lu, Shanghai
上海市长宁区仙霞路1139号
Tel: 021 2216 3900; Emergencies 021 2216 3999
Website: www.ufh.com.cn

Renai Hospital specializes in serving the expat community. In addition to employing highly trained and experienced expatriate doctors, the staff is also well-versed in English. Renai Hospital also recognizes the fact that there are expats out there who can speak neither Chinese nor English. As a result, they provide communication assistance during consultation in the patient’s language of choice, including Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Korean, and Japanese. This dedication to providing the expat community with affordable healthcare in a comfortable environment results in more well-informed patients.

Renai Hospital 仁爱医院
Add: 133 Caoxi Lu, Xuhui District, Shanghai
上海市徐汇区漕溪路133号
Tel: 021 5489 3781 or 6468 8888
Website: http://en.renai.cn

For those in need of bone and joint care, the Shanghai Chenxin Hospital offers the best of both worlds through a combination of Western and Chinese technology. Their services include chiropractic, osteopathy, physical therapy, orthotics, orthopedics, psychology, spinal screenings, and sports medicine. The hospital has been certified by the International Standardization Organization, and its medical team consists of doctors from all over the world (including the U.S., Australia, and China). This means that the expat community can rest assured of Shanghai Chenxin Hospital’s high quality services.

Shanghai Chenxin Hospital 上海辰新医院
Add: 7/F, 937 Yan'an Xilu, near Jiangsu Lu
上海延安西路937号近江苏路
Tel: 021 5213 0383
Website: www.chenxin.com.cn/en_html/index.html

Expectant parents, or parents of younger children, can find assistance at the Shanghai No. 1 Maternity and Child’s Health Hospital. For over 60 years, this facility has been one of China’s premiere maternity and infant health hospitals. In addition, they specialize in testing and treating infertility issues in women. Equipped with some of the most modern technology available, this hospital’s extensive facilities provide world-class care for some of the world’s most vulnerable population.

Shanghai No. 1 Maternity and Child’s Health Hospital 上海市第一妇婴保健院
Add: 536 Changle Lu, near Xiangyang Beilu
长乐路536号近襄阳北路
Tel: 021 5403 5206

Shanghai Airport Transfer Cheap Car Rental with Driver

Hot Shanghai News Travel News Suzhou News

Shanghai Airport to the following districts with 5-seat car + driver
Pudong  Airport =--= Hongkou  District   250RMB
Pudong  Airport =--= Yangpu  District    300RMB
Pudong  Airport =--= Putuo  District     350RMB
Pudong  Airport =--= Hongqiao Airport    300RMB
Hongqiao Airport =--= Yangpu  District   200RMB
Hongqiao Airport =--= Hongkou  District  200RMB
Hongqiao Airport =--= Putuo  District    200RMB

Suzhou =-= Shanghai Hongqiao Airport
Buick Lacrosse/Passat 350RMB     Buick Business 7seats 600RMB
Suzhou =-= Shanghai Pudong Airport
Buick Lacrosse/Passat  450RMB     Buick Business 7seats 700RMB

Suzhou =-= Wuxi Airport
Buick LaCrosse/Passat 250RMB     Buick Business 7seats 450RMB

Shanghai to Water Town Transfer

5-seat sedan + driver
Shanghai--Xitang          600RMB
Shanghai--Wuzhen          750RMB
Shanghai--Luzhi           500RMB
Shanghai--Zhouzhuang      500RMB
shanghai--Tongli          550RMB
If you want a round trip, pay 200RMB more.
If you rent during weekend, the price can be lower.

Day Trip in Suzhou

Buick Lacrosse/Passat 500RMB/8HOURS/100KM    Buick Business 7seats 650RMB/8HOURS/100KM

Day Trip in Shanghai

Buick Lacrosse/Passat 550RMB/8HOURS/100KM    Buick Business 7seats 700RMB/8HOURS/100KM

Spcial Offer (Valid from 05/04/2013 to 30/09/2013): Weekend only 

Day Trip in Shanghai 5-seat Passat Sedan + Driver  450RMB/9HOURS/100KM

Location Transfers

Suzhou -- Shanghai downtown, Wuxi, Kunshan, Jiangyin, Taicang, Nanjing, Nantong, Changzhou etc.

Please email or call us to get the competitive quotation to the above locations.
Above Rates include driver, fuel, road toll, bridge toll, parking fees and insurance.

Rates vary due to service time & locations so please confirm rates with our staff.

shanghaitransfers(at)fastservice.com

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Our company has abundant vehicle resource(all kinds of sedans, minibuses and coaches)with high reputation in shanghai & suzhou car rental market. Our service scope includes airport pick-up and drop-off, intercity transfer, tour package, English-speaking guide, car roadshow and car leasing for enterprises, government, social units and individuals.

Shanghai Airport to the following districts with 5-seat car + driver
Pudong  Airport =--= Hongkou  District   250RMB
Pudong  Airport =--= Yangpu  District    300RMB
Pudong  Airport =--= Putuo  District     350RMB
Pudong  Airport =--= Hongqiao Airport    300RMB
Hongqiao Airport =--= Yangpu  District   200RMB
Hongqiao Airport =--= Hongkou  District  200RMB
Hongqiao Airport =--= Putuo  District    200RMB
Suzhou =-= Shanghai Hongqiao Airport
Buick Lacrosse/Passat 350RMB     Buick Business 7seats 600RMB
Suzhou =-= Shanghai Pudong Airport
Buick Lacrosse/Passat  450RMB     Buick Business 7seats 700RMB
Suzhou =-= Wuxi Airport
Buick LaCrosse/Passat 250RMB     Buick Business 7seats 450RMB

Shanghai to Water Town Transfer5-seat sedan + driver
Shanghai--Xitang          600RMB
Shanghai--Wuzhen          750RMB
Shanghai--Luzhi           500RMB
Shanghai--Zhouzhuang      500RMB
shanghai--Tongli          550RMB
If you want a round trip, pay 200RMB more.
If you rent during weekend, the price can be lower.

Day Trip in SuzhouBuick Lacrosse/Passat 500RMB/8HOURS/100KM    Buick Business 7seats 650RMB/8HOURS/100KM

Day Trip in ShanghaiBuick Lacrosse/Passat 550RMB/8HOURS/100KM    Buick Business 7seats 700RMB/8HOURS/100KM

Spcial Offer (Valid from 05/04/2013 to 30/09/2013): Weekend only 
Day Trip in Shanghai 5-seat Passat Sedan + Driver  450RMB/9HOURS/100KM

Location TransfersSuzhou -- Shanghai downtown, Wuxi, Kunshan, Jiangyin, Taicang, Nanjing, Nantong, Changzhou etc.

Above Rates include driver, fuel, road toll, bridge toll, parking fees and insurance.
Rates vary due to service time & locations.
Please confirm with our staff.
shanghaitransfers@fastservice.com

Shanghai Expat Life - What to expect and tips to get you started

Whether you have planned for it for a week or a year, becoming a Shanghai expat will be unlike any experience that you could ever imagine. You have likely been briefed by your company about what to expect and what will happen to you and your family, but the only way to get a real feel of how it will be as a Shanghai Expat is to actually live in and experience Shanghai firsthand. Below are some of the challenges most Shanghai Expats have when they first arrive in Shanghai.

Professional challenges to being a Shanghai Expat

Working in China versus your home country will naturally be an exciting, but slightly scary, experience for you. Fortunately, most high-level local business people in Shanghai have a strong grasp of the English language. Because of this, you won't have to force yourself to learn either Mandarin, or the Shanghai local dialect. While the language barriers will be limited, you will need to deal with some cultural differences between the Western and Eastern workplaces. Be aware that many local Chinese businesses work in a very hierarchical system. Respect and relationship building (called guanxi) are typically more important in China than in the west. Keep this in mind as you first meet your new coworkers.

Family challenges of being a Shanghai Expat

Moving your family from a Western country to China will be a drastic change for your spouse and/or children. While you will likely receive a great deal of training and preparation before your move, your spouse and/or children will not be privy to the same information. Your children will especially be caught off guard. They will expect all of the luxuries they are used to in the west. If you know that there is something that you won't be able to provide for your children in China, let them know early and think of a way to make the move more palatable for them. Your spouse will also need to make some very drastic changes in his or her lifestyle. No longer will your spouse have a dependable base of friends to associate with. Keep this in mind as you go on work trips or have after work activities. Your spouse may be more dependent on you for interaction and fun while you two are in China.

The upside of being a Shanghai expat

While there will always be challenges associated with any type of move, there are also a lot of benefits. The most obvious of which is that you will have a chance to explore and gain a strong understanding of a new country and culture. For many, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Often times, you will also benefit from the free perks provided to you by your company. This may include free rent, free international schooling, a personal helper or a driver amongst other things. Finally, the professional experience involved with working in a different country will generally allow you to progress up the ranks of your current company.

Enjoying life as a Shanghai expat does not have to be difficult. While you will encounter many challenges, most expats out here treasure their international experience. Do your best to understand what you are getting yourself into, and your experience should be positive as well.

Shanghai Cheap Transportation

Shanghai Money-saving Tips Tour Guide Travel Guide

Language Barrier

Once you leave your hotel, English becomes less useful, although most shops and larger restaurants can produce a designated English speaker. In tourist-friendly Shanghai, however, you’re seldom too far from the next concierge.

Call for Help

If you get lost or need advice, consult the English-speaking Shanghai Call Center (962288) for addresses, simple translations, and ticket information.

Tipping

Outside of the pricier tourist establishments, which often levy a 15% service charge, tipping is appreciated but not expected. At some smaller restaurants, waitstaff might chase you down the block with your change.

Don't Buy Bootlegged DVDs

True, they’re cheap, but quality is uneven (Harry Potter in Portuguese, anyone?) and U.S. Customs agents are increasingly targeting copyright infringement.

Hail a Cab

Shanghai cabs are almost uniformly clean and legal. Reject drivers that refuse to use the meter. Before setting out, ask your hotel concierge to write your destination in Chinese.

Use the Metro

Shanghai’s Metro is the seventh longest in the world, inexpensive (4 to 6 yuan for most destinations), and much faster than a taxi during peak traffic or on rainy days. Press the screen for English on ticket vending machines.

Visa

Obtain a visa before flying. If entering via a mainland city but subsequently visiting Hong Kong or Macau, you’ll need a multiple-entry visa. Read the instructions at www.china-embassy.org.

Try Street Food

Shanghai snacks are generally safe and inexpensive and can reward the adventurous with intriguing or unexpected flavors. Keep an eye out for lines of waiting locals and avoid precooked meat or seafood.

Carry Cash

Although nearly all high-end hotels and restaurants honor international credit cards, most other businesses accept only Chinese currency or domestic cards.

Expect Smoking

Considering that China consumes one-third of the world’s cigarettes, you shouldn’t be surprised to see diners light up before, during, and after a meal.

The Bund by Any Other Name

Locals refer to the Bund as Waitan, which translates roughly as “outer bank.”

Beware So-called "Beverage Agents"

These well-mannered young women will invite you to share a few high-priced drinks, then stick you for the inflated bill.

Cruise Expansion

Shanghai will welcome more than 100 cruise ships in 2008, up from a mere 10 moorings in 2004. The Grand Hall at Shanghai’s International Cruise Terminal is expected to open in April 2008, improving the passage through customs. 

Shanghai Cheap Transportation