My fiancee and I recently visited Shanghai for a week in order to get a feel for whether or not we would like to live there. He is getting relocated through his company, but will be on the road 50% of the time with the job. We looked at some housing, but weren't there long enough to really gauge where would be a good fit. We stayed in the French Concession area which seemed really nice, but the apartments we saw there were over the top expensive. Would it be possible to find a nice 2 bedroom apartment in that area for somewhere between 2000 and 2500 USD? I would like to stay in an area near other expats who are willing to meet new people. Also, I was wondering how easy/difficult it would be to find a job (perhaps teaching English) after touching ground in Shanghai. I work as a marketing rep for a healthcare company in the States, and am really interested in finding reasons for myself to move rather than just leading the life of a housewife. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. Thanks! I posted a similar message in a different area on the site, but this section seemed far more appropriate, so please forgive the repitition if you saw the other message!

Hi ChicShangh

We have also just got here (last week) and have been looking for appartments etc... with the same budget range. You should have NO problem, we found a great one, ground floor, 2 bathrooms, brand new, fully furnished, front and rear garden, in a gated complex, with outdoor swimming pool and great gardens, next to a health club etc... you get the point. + we had to find a house that would accept our dog which makes it a little more complicated. We looked at about 10 different places, so there is plenty out there. My first recomendation would be to get an agent, most of the contract etc are in Chinese. They can take your requirements and then arrange visits to find apropriate places.

As for where to live... it depends, we found our place in (forgive the spelling...) XuJiaHui which is on the western part of down town (near the inner ring road, south of Huaihai road or the eastern part of Hongciao (again with the spelling ). This seems like a very lively place to live, lots of other expats. Currently we are staying at the Sumerset Grande (serviced appartements) which are also an option in the same price range, but they do feel a bit more like a hotel. These are located right down town, which i believe is close to the French Connection, but we havn't explored that yet... many many options. If you have the time when you come back, it may be worth spending a few days in a hotel in each area, to get a feel for which you like best, a bit of a pain, but i will probably pay off. You will also have to consider transportation for both you and your husband, though taxis are very cheap

There is TONS of expat support here in Shanghai, from social gatherings to help lines, and of course Shangaiexpat.com, all very usefull. The other expats we have met (Canadians as are we) have been super friendly.

Work... my wife has had NO problems finding a job in the 2 weeks we were here... teaching english as a second language is certainly the easiest and quickest option, she will be teaching full time in an international school, with quite good pay. Other jobs (non teaching) are also very available, depending on skill level etc... try to talk to some other expat wives when you get here, we met people doing everything from PR / Marketing to teaching. You might try contacting some of the expat hospitals / dental clinics to see if they are looking, you never know.

Ok, probably enough rambling for now...

good luck, it is awsome here.

Tony

There are good places to be had for alot less than 2500USD. There are decent two bedroom places you can get for less than US$800. Of course, you don't get close to Hengshan Lu necessarily. You often trade off budget for location, but there are nice locations for a lot less. We rented our apartrment in PuDong near the river ( 25 RMB taxi to Xintiandi or Nanjing Road) for 6000RMB a month. It was delux.. 2 Br 2bath.. Sony TV.. 3 balcony, oven, a great complex with tennis courts, gym, indoor and outdoor pool, restaurant, and great security. You just have to decide whats important. I find you end meeting other expats out in the city anyway.

Tony,

Thanks for the response. I've got a couple more questions for you if you have the time. My fiance will be going over on a work visa, but I clearly won't have one since I will be looking for a job only after we get there. Will my visa status limit my job opportunities? How did your wife handle this? It's nice to know that there's such strong expat support especially since my fiance will be one of the first and only people from his company to make this move. We looked at some places when we were last there, but we weren't sure if the prices were getting hiked up because we are foreigners. It's nice to get some inside perspective.

Thanks again!



We have also just got here (last week) and have been looking for appartments etc... with the same budget range. You should have NO problem, we found a great one, ground floor, 2 bathrooms, brand new, fully furnished, front and rear garden, in a gated complex, with outdoor swimming pool and great gardens, next to a health club etc... you get the point. + we had to find a house that would accept our dog which makes it a little more complicated. We looked at about 10 different places, so there is plenty out there. My first recomendation would be to get an agent, most of the contract etc are in Chinese. They can take your requirements and then arrange visits to find apropriate places.

As for where to live... it depends, we found our place in (forgive the spelling...) XuJiaHui which is on the western part of down town (near the inner ring road, south of Huaihai road or the eastern part of Hongciao (again with the spelling ). This seems like a very lively place to live, lots of other expats. Currently we are staying at the Sumerset Grande (serviced appartements) which are also an option in the same price range, but they do feel a bit more like a hotel. These are located right down town, which i believe is close to the French Connection, but we havn't explored that yet... many many options. If you have the time when you come back, it may be worth spending a few days in a hotel in each area, to get a feel for which you like best, a bit of a pain, but i will probably pay off. You will also have to consider transportation for both you and your husband, though taxis are very cheap

There is TONS of expat support here in Shanghai, from social gatherings to help lines, and of course Shangaiexpat.com, all very usefull. The other expats we have met (Canadians as are we) have been super friendly.

Work... my wife has had NO problems finding a job in the 2 weeks we were here... teaching english as a second language is certainly the easiest and quickest option, she will be teaching full time in an international school, with quite good pay. Other jobs (non teaching) are also very available, depending on skill level etc... try to talk to some other expat wives when you get here, we met people doing everything from PR / Marketing to teaching. You might try contacting some of the expat hospitals / dental clinics to see if they are looking, you never know.

Ok, probably enough rambling for now...

good luck, it is awsome here.

Tony[/quote]

Hi

No worries, it can seem very daunting, especially from the other side of the pond... Work visa wise, i am not 100% sure, you will probably come in on some sort of resident visa. Once you find a job, i am sure that the company will set you up with a work visa. I will check with my wife about that tonight. Housing wise you never really know if you are being ripped off, best thing is to try to make friends and visit peoples houses to get an idea of value for money. We move in mid August, so if you are around after that you are welcome to take a peek.
Cheers

Tony

Hi Tony,

As it stands now, we're scheduled to move sometime in September. Thanks again for the advice!

Take care,
Asha

Hey, ChicShangh,

Looks like you've already been getting good advice here, but as a fellow Chicagoan (Naperville, actually) who got here in May, 2003, let me say that you'll definitely find good housing in your price range. Rental prices have actually come down for many expat compounds versus a year ago. I rented in The Courtyards, on 55 Zhen Ning Road near Hua Shan Road for a year-- nice compound with large garden, tennis courts, clubhouse with gym, a pool, and a fair number of expats there and in the surrounding apartment complexes. I've since moved about 1.5 km away, to a place along the No. 2 metro line. PM me if you have any specific questions on apartment complexes in the area; I'm familiar with many of them in Chang Ning and Jing An Districts.

Good luck!

hahah naperville! small world, i live right off of eola and north aurora rd. i love this city. best city in the whole f***ing world!

Hi I represent a real estate company specialised in Helping out Expat in Shanghai. www.joannarealestate.com.cn
Our service is free and we will be more than happy to help you our find your place and provide you with all the tips to smoothly start you life in Shanghai.
you can contact me ( Marc -Alexandre) directly on my Mail:
marc-a@joannarealestate.com.cn
I am french.

Hi Asha,
I'm Mary, Tony's wife. To answer your visa question, the school will be taking care of that for me. I had some other interviews and they also informed me that they would either get the visa, or help me with it, depending on the job (full or part time). Depending on the work you're looking to get, the way I approached the task was as follows. First, location was an consideration. We wanted to find accomodation somewhere where we both could access, he with his company van and I with a taxi. We both wanted a maximum 30 to 40 minute commute. That certainly gave me some perameters for where to begin looking regarding both work and accomodation. Secondly, I did as much research as possible via internet for job opportunities and to get familiar with some of the areas of Shanghai. It really helped me when I got to Shanghai. I found it very easy to meet other expats as there are many organized meetings with specialized groups. They were all very helpful and answered all my questions. But the key is to really get out there, meet people, ask the questions and get involved. This is key. Go to www.thatsmagazine.com to view one of the city's free magazines for Expats. There are several magazines that are free and there is a wealth of information in them. good luck!

Don't worry, i have stay here for three years, Shanghai is a beautiful city.
You will find some interesting thing in here.

do you need some information of apartments?
I can help you.

Hi ChicShangh

Me and my wife are in a similar situation. We are moving to Shanghai in (gasp) one week from Cincinnati. We did the same thing as you; my company sent us out there for a week on a look-see visit and we spent three or four days looking at properties. Most of the townhomes we looked at were great, but too far off the beaten path and too much space for me, my wife and our two cats. The serviced apartments seem too hotel-ish to me to be comfortable. The important thing, as everybody else has advised, is to know what you want and how you want to live. My office will be in Pudong, but we are leaning towards living in Puxi (more action, more people) but I will be travelling about 50% of the time as well, and I wanted to make sure my wife is close to everything she may need or want to do. More important, I think, than worrying about saving time on my commute. Pudong to me seems quieter, but that's not an entirely bad thing either. Hope this helps.

the wife also would like to find a job there. In the states she is a Spanish teacher at a local university, though I am not sure how many Spanish teaching opportunities there may be in Shanghai. Can anyone give advice on this?

Hi Folks,

Similarly, I am moving from Chicago to Shanghai soon. Does anybody have any perspective on electronic items and compatibility for China? I'm planning on leaving all my electronic items here and buying new ones over there. Is that a prudent idea?

More importantly, is there *real* coffee in Shanghai? As in, for a reasonable price, can I buy ground coffee (vs. instant coffee)?

Thanks for any thoughts on this. Also, I'm a lone person moving over to Shanghai and I'm a bit nervous about this transition. Is there anybody who has moved over recently who wouldn't mind chatting over IM or email to give me a few pointers. I'm about to pack up in less than two weeks time.

Thanks,
Linda

Linda,

Don't sweat it, you'll be find and will quickly new friends and get into a routine of sorts. My wife and I have been here for just over 3 months and found the transition much easier than we first anticipated. In fact we are surprised how quickly one can settle into a completely foreign place.

Happy to IM if you like.

Regards,

BW

Coffee is not a problem, you can get a tin of Folgers for USD 4. You will also be able to find more delicate expensive coffees. It's all here. You'll soon also see that there is a Starbucks at every corner here as well.

would like to hear more about job opportunities for expat wives (apart from teaching jobs?)...

llluo wrote:Hi Folks,

Similarly, I am moving from Chicago to Shanghai soon. Does anybody have any perspective on electronic items and compatibility for China? I'm planning on leaving all my electronic items here and buying new ones over there. Is that a prudent idea?

More importantly, is there *real* coffee in Shanghai? As in, for a reasonable price, can I buy ground coffee (vs. instant coffee)?

Thanks for any thoughts on this. Also, I'm a lone person moving over to Shanghai and I'm a bit nervous about this transition. Is there anybody who has moved over recently who wouldn't mind chatting over IM or email to give me a few pointers. I'm about to pack up in less than two weeks time.

Thanks,
Linda

what's up with Chicago, they are closing it down and get everybody to Shanghai ? For a Blackhawks T-Shirt I will greet you at the airport upon arrival with the finest coffee ever
Coffee as well as most other things you are used to in your everyday life are easily available sometimes at a little higher price but still...I would have loved though to have known about this site here before I came as a lot of things would have been a bit easier. Visit the coffee meetings once you are here and you'll find yourself well taken care of !

hi we're leaving shanghai sept. 8. we're looking for someone to move into our apartment. we're paying 2800RMB which is $336USD. Its a one bedroom but we've been making it serve as a two bedroom because there is a double sized hideabed in the living room. we have water purifier so you don't have to buy water. there are two HUGE tv's, a dvd player, microwave and conventional oven. the apt. is hooked up to 50 channel satellite tv service so you can get ENGLISH programming. we have a/c and heat.
the apartment is in the jing an district, just 10 min walk to nanjing avenue,close to subway, bus stops outside the door.
the apartment is small but clean and cozy and in a fun neighborhood.

Cozy, clean apartment located right in the middle of the city along a very
quiet lane available September 1st. This homey place has creature comforts
like a bathtub, water filter to purify your water, a sofa bed in the living
room, super comfy chairs, 2 TV's, cold a/c and hot heat, and an intercom
door. Located a short 8 minute walk from Nanjing West road, world class
gyms, public swimming pool, great bakeries, and Shanghai's best shopping,
this 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom place is ideal at just 2,800 RMB/ Month. Short
term/ long term ok.

Linda,

Better to bring along your laptop. Though there are lots of models here, seems you'd still need to request them for an English instead of Chinese OS.

IPod would be easy to bring, too. One with 30GB storage would be great so you need not miss your fave songs.

The rest, you can simply buy here. TVs, DVD players, home theatre systems, digicams/videocams, mobile phones, etc are readily available.

Do pack some pics of family & friends. Those can help you get through
the inevitable homesick periods. Add in some fave inspirational books likewise.

Feel free to send me email about other moving concerns.
Bienvenido!

One thing you can't seem to get in Shanghai is "real" sport nutritional supplements. There are tons of Chinese ones, but of dubious quality. So if you are into exercising or resistance training, pack some protein powders and such. In fact anything entertainment sport-related seem to be pretty expensive, golf clubs, tennis, etc.

And yeah Chicago is losing people like crazy. (I'm from Darien. ) It seems there are a lot of Chicagoans in Shanghai because of U of Chicago biz school. Anyone from UC GSB here?

Wow...thanks for all the tips! Yes, it does seem like there is an unproportionate number of Chicago folks out in Shanghai. I'm personally an adopted Chicagoan (by ways of St. Louis and originating in Miami) who will be quickly moving from Chicago city proper (as opposed to all the Chicago suburbs listed above).

Somebody suggested that I buy my mobile phone here in the States (specifically an unlocked tri-band phone from Chicago Chinatown) because the cell phones are more expensive in China. Is that true?

Electric drip coffee makers...easy to find in China?

Also, <Deasmith>, I won't need a place to stay until end of October, but I'm interested in your place. If you need to rent out your place before then (which I understand), any suggestions on where to look for apartments in the price range that you listed with those amenities?

Thanks,
Linda

Hello Asha,

I am a french real estate consultant working within the expats department of a real estate company. So I am aware of your needs, your tastes and preferences. Moreover, our Shanghainese staff and myself provide always a link between the landlords, and the tenants even after the contracts have been signed.

At last, I am also an expat, and I can help you to be familiar with the city and everyday life here. So do not hesitate to contact me wether it is for my job or not at quentinhibon@hotmail.com. (I can send you pictures also before you arrive in SH to give you an idea).
Good luck and welcome in Shanghai.

See U and have a good day.

Quentin