Bye Bye, Pudong

By Jian Shuo Wang on 2004-02-29 22:51 · Moving

There is something that I didn’t disclose in this blog. At the end of last year, we planned seriously to move to Pudong – the green land. We bought a new house with very big garden in Pudong and planned a car. However, in the recent weeks, I was convinced that Pudong is not the place for me. I decided to say “Bye bye, Pudong”.

I can assure you that it was not an easy decision. It is the choice of the two distinct different styles.

Actually, I never lived in the best areas of the city. My previous two houses (including the one I rented in Meilong) was both out of the inner-ring. During my journey to seek for an apartment in the quite and beautiful Hua Shan Road (华山路), Xin Hua Lu (新华路) in Changning District, I found so many good places that we never thought of before. Think about the trees, the beautiful 1930’s houses, and the nearby universities, even the names of the roads! Everything there represents a romantic, convenient, and culture-rich life of Shanghai.

I started to ask myself: Why to spend my best time in Pudong to experience the fresh air and green land instead of what a fantastic city has to offer? Why I need to spend my young life to see the boring nights in Pudong just for investment? Pudong is not Shanghai in terms of cultural relationship. I’d rather to have a high quality of life, not money.

It is not easy to develop any place from nothing to a rich and decent place. We talked with the real estate agent in Pudong seeking to sell the house. The woman agent (with very bad mandarin) maybe grew up in the former village in that area and found the job. She actually knows nothing about the real estate and even doesn’t know the rate of a bank mortgage. She even got very angry when I challenged her on that: “I am an agent. It is not my business. You need to talk to the bank.” It is something I can never imagine in Puxi. It takes one generation or more to change this.

P.S. If you are new to this site, here is some simple Chinese words. Dong 东 means east. Xi 西 means west. Pu is the abbr. of Huang Pu River. Pudong is the area east of Huang Pu River and Puxi is the area in the west.

17 Comments

It sounds like you made a good choice. The one thing I was amazed at when I traveled to Shanghai was the public transportation system. You can get to anywhere at anytime by taxi or light rail and your feet. If you are living in Pudong you just have a longer to walk or take taxi ride to get to where most of the nice restaurants are in Puxi. I'm from California here in the U.S. and I was really impressed with the Pudong area of Shanghai, it reminded a lot of the Orange County area where I come from. Most of the people I talked to dismissed this area and after staying in Puxi for a couple of weeks where all the action was I could see why, it's nice but you have drive a while to get to where everything is.

— Paul Ayala · 2004-03-01 09:20

Very sensible decision!

Jian Shuo, if you can spare the time in future to document your property-hunting adventures in HuaShanLu, XinHuaLu & ChangNingQu, it's likely many people will be interested.

— WilliamW · 2004-03-01 12:27

hi jianshuo

I am totally agree with your points, at least, so far, pudong is not the place for most of people who want a good life with genuine quality.

Marcel

— marcel · 2004-03-01 12:58

I know Pudong area is not as convenient and exciting as Puxi now. But how about in three or five years? Although Shanghai is developing extremely fast, your decision seems to imply that the Pudong area will not become that good in near future.

One of the problems when people trying to find apartments in the "inner-ring" areas is that the price there is just too high. Many apartments in those areas cost more than 10,000 RMB per square meter (about 120 dollar per square feet?). It is even much higher than those in most US cities.

— JH · 2004-03-01 17:58

I have the same take on the location issue, though I am living in the States now, I grow up in the quite area of HUASHAN AND XINHUA road. I like everything in the area, close to theatre, bakery, restaurants, magazine stands, fresh fruit stands, shoe repairs, bookstores, cafes, and Lawson, flower market. I noticed a lot of people try to focus on the bar-hopping nightlife in Puxi, which is not the real charm out there in the area.

My experience affact my locational choice at the moment, I can afford a comfortable nice house with a garden in the suburb here, it is good for investment plus the tax benefit. However, after struggling for a couple of weeks, I decide to stay in the city, an area remind of a lot of Hengshan Road, a quite elegancy and youthful peace. I cannot afford a condo here, but I enjoyed living here and got to know a lot of likely-minded friends here. Sometimes, one just have to listen to his own heart.

Jianshuo, hope you and wendy enjoy the life in Puxi, hope you got a good offer for your apartment in Pudong.

— JoyMocha · 2004-03-02 00:24

I support your decision though we can't live as neighborhood in pudong because of your decision :(. The reason you mentioned is very reasonable and I also have think about it when I decided to move to Pudong. I am the person like quiet and fresh air, I consider Pudong will offer these better than Puxi. :)

Hope you find a dream house.

— momoli · 2004-03-03 15:18

Live Shanghai as it was meant to be, the REAL Shanghai. The atmosphere in inner areas is exstatic... like a permanent Saddledome (an arena where the Flames play hockey). Pudong is too much like Canada =P; same boring stuff everyday, same people, same faces, etc. If I lived in Shanghai, I'd definitely stay in the inner areas.

— Darren · 2004-09-16 06:42

I might be the different one compare with all of your opinion above.

ON the contrary, I don't like to live in PUXI, noisy,crowed people everywhere to see each other! ! It makes me feel horrible when I thought that the air I breath in is coming through vent-pipes @_@ Especially, the serious trafic jam, it maks me in bad mood at morning of the working day.I can't take it anymore!!

I came from a beautiful hometown with fresh air and wide roads with happy running cars.

Therefore, Pudong is a better place to me.

Why do I spend my young time with the polution air to make my lung getting dirty quickly?

— lucy · 2005-05-17 21:31

I think Pudong is a good place to live in Shanghai. The roads are broad that you seldom come accross traffic-jams. The people live here are gentle, warm and helpful. The traffic is convenient here and there are a lot of famous supermarket. There is Century Park and Scientic Mesume. Living here make you feel comfortable and confedient. The rent and selling price in Pudong keeps on rising. The one who doesn't know the true value of Pudong will be regretted one day.

— Echo · 2006-03-21 13:22

I am curious to know others opinion of Pudong now... Jian Shuo Wang's original posting was 3 years ago.... is Pudong a more vibrant place to live now or still the same?

— Maldives · 2007-03-25 04:34

Pudong is often described in official publications as the 'Dragon's Head' of development for the Yangtze River valley. As the largest and most comprehensive development zone located in China's largest city it is an area that has attracted great interest from foreign companies. Just two years ago the idea of living in Pudong would have been laughable to expatriates and locals alike. Attitudes to Pudong are best summarised by Shanghainese who have an oft quoted saying 'better a bed in Puxi than a house in Pudong'. But times are changing and expatriates and locals alike are moving to the new area as it becomes clear that the area has much to offer in terms of recreation, amenity and a sense of space that is missing from most parts of Puxi. Locals are increasingly convinced of Pudongs merits and major new domestic sale apartment projects in the area are selling well, as much as 50 per cent of new apartments are being sold to Puxi residents.

— diningin · 2007-09-08 13:14

I have to say what a brilliant blog! I find your posts fascinating and your move sounded really cool.

Keep posting!

— suze 100 · 2009-08-18 04:19

Hi!

We are 4 students looking for a apartment with 4 bedrooms and minimum 2 bathrooms.

We will study at the University of Shanghai Science and Technology at Fuxing east road.

1 September 2010 - February 2010

Please contact us if you have an apartment for us!

Mail : cheng.chitak@gmail.com

Hope to hear from you guys!

// Chi

— Chi · 2010-08-04 07:30

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60%of the complex is covered by trees and parks. It is nice and quiet for living.

There is subway station line 3 ,4 zhong tan road station. And also you can walk to line 7 zhenping road

and line 1 shanghai railway station.

There is a big gym called Tera willness ,swimming pools, tennis courts, restaurants, hair salons,

and many 24hours convinient stores( seven eleven, Lawson , family mart...) and food market in the complex.

It is located on zhong tan road,close to jiangning road, changhua road and moganshan road.

The complex is by suzhou river.

If you are insteresed, please call me at 138 173 27099 or email me at inlove852001@hotmail.com

— alicelynn · 2010-08-22 21:42

Hello :

We are Iranian couple traveling to china , and plan to stay in shanghai From 12 sep 2010 to 8 oct .

We need studio flat or one bedroom apartment in center of shanghai . near to Metro and decent place , we need tidy and clean place with cooking equipment . If you have any offer please email at : visaproviders@gmail.com

Regards, Mandy

— Mandy · 2010-09-07 16:46

Hi How are you,

My name is Ming Ming, I plan to come to shanghai on Nov 2010 and stay for a year. Would like to look for a studio or one bedroom apartment to stay.Near center of Shanghai. Decent and clean area. Can be fully furnish or half furnish, washing machine, air conditional, TV and internet. Near to subway station. My budget is around RMB2000.

Please do let me know. ming6666@gmail.com

Thank you in advance and regards

Ming Ming

— Ming Ming · 2010-10-05 14:46

Hi,

I'm moving to Shanghai by the end of June and I'm looking for a decent but cheap apartment that's not very far from downtown.

I'm looking for a 2-3 bedroom apartment (preferably with 2 bathrooms, although it's not necessary). My budget's 3500-4200 RMB. Agents and homeowners, please contact me for available units.

sandra_yumul@yahoo.com.

Thanks a lot!

— Cindy · 2011-05-24 23:57