where to live

Find the most suitable place to live

Besides your decision of property you should consider the following points of being a factor in choosing the right accommodation for you and/or your family.

Please feel free to contact us or send us an enquiry regarding your concerns and questions, we are gladly willing to answer you to make your decision of moving to Shanghai as easy as possible.

International Schools

•   Commute time
•   Kindergarten/junior school/high school
•   Future needs
•   Shuttle buses (especially for after school activities)

Office Location

•   Commute time
•   Working hours flexibility

Transport

•   Will you have a car and driver?
•   Will you be driving yourself? (due to the differing driving standards and behavior,         many multinational companies forbid employees    to personally drive in China)
•   Will your spouse or children need access to a car and driver during the day?
•   Will you be using public transport? (air-conditioned buses, subway or taxis)
•   What are your working hours?

Shopping

• Local convenience stores offer the basics, like milk, snacks and groceries
• Locally-made foreign food: Many large Western food manufacturers produce well-known name brands locally which can easily be found in larger supermarkets like Carrefour or Tesco's
• For imported food and groceries, Shanghai has several international supermarkets like City Shop and Pines.
• Opening hours are generally longer than in the west -- local stores will often close around 9-10pm and there are many 24/7 convenience stores around town.

Friends

Of course you may not know them yet, but even if you don’t know anyone here, find out where your future work colleagues live. If you already have friends here you may wish to live close to them - but perhaps not right next door...

Generally, families tend to live closer to international schools, while singles and couples live downtown or close to subway stations.
 

Parks and Green Space

Many compounds offer their own gardens and surrounding environment for tenants looking to get away from the crowded streets. Alternatively, Shanghai has plenty of large parks where you can go for a walk, watch the locals do Tai Chi or just relax.

Hospitals and Clinics

Western clinics may offer advanced services and quality assurance, but some local hospitals also offer high quality medical services, especially in certain disciplines where some of Shanghai’s training hospitals are world leaders. If you are unlucky enough to require an emergency service then you will need to know the time it takes to get there and if they are easily accessible 24/7. If a family member has a medical condition you should live close to a clinic with a 24/7 emergency service available.

Restaurants and Entertainment

• How often do you eat out? (You will eat out far more in Shanghai than you ever did at home)
• Is this an important consideration for you? Remember that it is far easier to get around the city in the late evening or early morning

Airports

•   How often do you need to travel?
•   Domestic (Hongqiao and Pudong airports) or international travel (Pudong airport)?
•   Is a longer trip time to the airport a consideration?