by CoffeeHawk_0 » Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:29 am
it's about 1/3 expats, most of the buildings are brand new, which means thay are in nice condition, but all the bugs still have to be worked out. This is common for any apartment complex. It's a ~10 minute to the Ba Bei Ban area, which has a large grocery store and 5 malls. It's a 20 to 25 minute walk to dong chang line 2 metro, and a 15 minute walk to dong feng line 2 metro station, which is closed for renovation. It's a 15 minute walk to the ferries that take you to the Bund area in Puxi (2~3rmb ferry ride, then a 10~15rmb cab ride to any hot spot in Puxi). Yopark, one of the mamanagement companies in Shimao offers a free shuttle bus to all the main shopping areas and metro lines. The club house has everything, even a wave pool and man made beach complete with palm trees (3 swimming pools total).
It's a good location if you want to split the difference between Puxi and Pudong lifestyles. It's one of the mroe expensive places so you'll find many expats here have drivers/cars so walking is not as much of an issue for many. It's very quiet and the air is much cleaner compared to Puxi, but far east Pudong is much cleaner and quieter and is 'real' suburban living.
It's a pricey area, new places being built on the river next to Shimao are very high end, but just across the street is a full range of ecomonic life styles. It's worth a look. It;s not as convenient as some places in Puxi, but it's just a different set of trade-offs. The apartments themselves have good heat and a/c and can offer 180 degree views of the river and Puxi/Pudong.
