Shimao Riviera Garden Shanghai

Shanghai Shimao Garden - a beautiful apartment compound

Shanghai Shimao Riviera Garden is located in Shanghai Pudong New Area, Weifang West Road, is located in the east bank of the Huangpu River Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, seven 45-55-layer super high-rise luxury extended nearly one kilometer along the river, facing the Bund bright night, overlooking the Expo site, and Oriental Pearl Tower, Jinmao Tower standing shoulder to shoulder, Build River east coast, "wave triplet" magnificent city skyline. Project won several awards including the United Nations Environment Programme Administration eighth "International Garden Community" artificial category, including first place gold medal.

My experience with Shimao Garden Riviera

I have been living in Shimao Garden for a long time now and can really say that this is one of the best compounds I have ever stepped into. The only bad thing about Shimao Garden is that it is a bit too far from the metro. I would like to have a five minute walk to the nearest subway station - not fifteen.

Apart from that; everything work as it should. A bit too expensive for me to pay this amount (25,000 RMB) every month, so I was very happy when my boss told me that my company would cover my housing expenses.

The total area of ​​about 270,000 square meters, with a total construction area of ​​about 800,000 square meters, greening rate of nearly 70%. As "Riverside mode" first Classics, Shanghai Shimao Riviera Garden is "on Haijinisi" as China's highest residential.
Community meticulously reasonable layout, huge amounts of money to build a number of clubs from "the United States would" led. Eight world style theme park resort: Chinese Suzhou gardens, American Hawaii surfing beach, German shade Swan Lake, British Lawn, French Maze Garden, the Olympic Movement garden, Mediterranean garden, Thai garden as its unique style. Project traffic which location, surrounding facilities improve, First Shanghai Yaohan and China

Resources Times Square within walking distance; the community is also planning a sound commercial, office and educational services system. Endless enjoyment respected, fully privatized Slim elegant environment; soul not because of external things disturbance, vision is not due to restrictions walls, an unprecedented view of life is formed here.
As for the finale of Shimao Riviera Garden, Shimao No. 5 has a perfect delivery. Which is located in the community the best location, positive Bund overlooking the Huangpu River, while large lawn close-English, German shade Swan Lake and Mediterranean-style garden, unobscured, respect pet position only this one.

Location

Located in the Lujiazui area, Shimao Riviera mainly have expat residents from all over the world. A great place to join a classy international community with a lot of ambitious business men, expat families and some rich Chinese are living here.

It is really close to the "financial district of Shanghai" - and a couple of buses with direct connection to the city. A great amount of western and Chinese restaurants are present just outside the compound gates. You are always welcome to ask the staff if they can order some food for you. I asked them for help to fix my "eleme" account (a Chinese website where you can order ANY food at ANY time) - and they were very helpful.

Most expensive apartment compound in Shanghai

Most luxurious compounds in Shanghai

There are a couple of really expensive compounds in Shanghai. It´s a city filled with money, fame and expensive apartments. A lot of people have given Shanghai the name "China´s New York" due to a increased international community.

I have now lived in Shanghai two years myselves (in Zhongshan Park) and feel that I pay too much money each month. But I´m not even close to some of the rich people´s life style in Shanghai. But the most expensives one are (naturally) placed in and around Lujiazui financial centre.

Three of the most expensive compounds in the hottest city in China are:

Ocean One/Frasier Residence

A great compound with luxurious view over the mighty Huangpu River. Well...just look at the pictures and you understand why this is a very expensive compound.



You would get a five bedroom apartment here for around 80,000 yuan each month. Not bad.

A large green garden surrounds the beauty of this compound, making it a very popular choice for people who enjoy being close to both the nature and the large buildings owned by multinational companies. They would also need to have a thick wallet (/company budget) based on the prices this apartment compound operates with.

Some of the properties in Ocean One is said to be owned by the richest men in China, but the compound keeps all the residents names anonymous due to security reasons.

Shimao Riviera Garden

Another compound that is placed in the Lujiazui area is called Shimao Riviera Garden. A well-placed service compound apartment with a lot of international expats.


It contains an amazing indoor swimming pool, excellent view and management that are willing to do ANYTHING (well, almost...) for you at any time. Doesn´t it sound good?

Well. You probably can´t afford it.

However, the prices here aren´t "too wild". You would get an apartment with three bedrooms for around 40,000 RMB. It is not everyone that will be spending forty thousand RMB on housing each month, but for expats living with their family nearby their working place...why not?

The compound is very popular among Indians coming to Shanghai. Rich Indians.

Lakeville Regency

Another compound not too far away from the Former French Concession is called Lakeville Regency. It is said to have the best gym facilities in all of Shanghai, but a membership is not cost-free (around 8000 RMB/year).


I have visited this apartment compound once as my friend was lucky enough to have an apartment here sponsored by his company for a short time. One word: AMAZING.

If you can´t enjoy your life in Lakeville Regency, you are doomed. You will never enjoy your life - believe me. Just imagine all of us poor students that live in apartments to 3000 RMB/month.

I was literally blown away by all the luxurious furniture that was to be found inside the apartments. Large lamps made of small diamonds hanging from the roof, beds worth more than 100,000 RMB and sofas so comfortable you would never get to the super-expensive gym unless you have extreme self-control. I mean....EVERYTHING was there.


The average apartment in this compound is around 30,000-45,000 RMB/month.

And yet - this is not the most expensive apartment compound in Shanghai. It tells a lot about this city.

This is how it is to live as a foreigner in China

It's always a challenge to move to a new place, especially if the new place is a whole new country. In a country not known for its ethical diversity, one can imagine that it would be very difficult to fit into. But it will not take long to find out where other foreigners congregate, especially if you live in big cities like

Beijing Railway station.
Photo: Wikipedia

Shanghai or Beijing.

You would maybe imagine that all big cities with more than 20 million people do have a very big international community, but I think you would be surprised over how "alone" you could feel sometimes as a foreigner in China. Especially in Beijing.

I have lived in both Beijing and Shanghai and would definately say that Shanghai has a large international (expat) community, but you would not find this in Beijing. At least if you don´t move to Sanlitun (embassy area) or Wudaokou (student area) in Beijing.

Being the one who stands out

One of our most memorable experiences with having young children in China, was the visit to the Summer Palace in Beijing. We had been in China ii a couple of years at that time, so we were used to getting a lot of attention. But this was not like anything we had ever experienced. When we enjoyed tourist attraction, so come one person up to us to see our little baby and then another and then another.

And before we knew it, there was a whole crowd that surrounded us! We quickly realized that we were tourist attraction!Especially when you have children, it can be scary, to be the center of attention in a foreign country. But remember that many Chinese people never had an interaction with a foreigner, and especially not with a foreign child. They try not to be rude or exceed your personal limits. They're just curious about the kind of people, as they have only seen on TV. But it's still a good idea to discuss these issues with their children and decide in the family, how to deal with such situations.


In our family we have always encouraged our children to be polite and respond positively when someone is talking to them, but if they ever feel uncomfortable, then we would quickly intervene and take them away from the situation.To fitThe longer you stay in China, the more you will realize that "to fit" is about much more than skin color and language. To fit in, come quickly to act in order to become familiar with your surroundings, and have the confidence to handle situations that would otherwise be daunting.

Ups and downs by living in an expat compound

"Expat compound" is often used as a term to describe the apartment compounds that can be found in the higher price level in Shanghai. The residents are often expats from all over Europe, Africa and America that are provided a budget from their company to find an apartment.

Windsor Place villa compound in Shanghai.

And almost all real estate agents in Shanghai will be able to find some free apartments in each compound - both apartment and villa compounds.

However, before you consider moving in to a expat compound in Shanghai I think you should know a little more about the concept.

Pros and cons

There are some down- and upsides that need to be considered. Let us start with the negative parts of renting this kind of apartment.

Shanghainese compound.

Cons

- Costs.

It´s more expensive than moving into a "Chinese" apartment compound. A lot of the expat compounds are so called "serviced apartment", meaning that you literally live in an apartment with hotel service (24/7 management and security, food service and excellent gym facilities) - and these are of course pretty expensive due to the mainantance.

- "The Chinese feeling".

A lot of foreigners move to China simply because they want to experience the excellent culture in China. And living with a lot of foreigners in a closed apartment compound might not be the real way of seeing China.

As written in one forum thread on Shanghaiexpats.com that disucsses the topic, a member says:

I know exactly what you mean and I think your approach is great. I lived in one expat compound in my 9 years in China and in some ways it was easier, in terms of repairs and things, but if you want to experience China you have to live in it.

I really think this sums it up pretty good. You sort of have to choose between the convenience of living in a service apartment with an international expat community or be as close to the Chinese culture as possible.

I think this sort of sums it up when it comes to the negative effect by living in an expat compound.

Pros

Now over to the good sides. Because there are absolutely some reasons why you should live in a luxurious compound with other foreigners.

- Luxury apartments.

Most (or all) of the apartment compounds in Shanghai that try to get expat residents are very luxurious and great. I have visited at least 10 of them I got the "wow feeling" when I entered nine...

That says a lot. Comfortable beds, great and bright furniture as well as a great English-speaking management that will do everything for you.

- Family-friendly.

Most o the compounds in Shanghai do cooperate with international schools to bring children safe to the school and home from the school - especially those in the Hongqiao and Pudong area.

In addition to that, the probability that your children will find some international friends inside the compound is pretty big.

- Nice facilities.

Gym, tennis court, basketball court, soccer (football?) field and a spa room available? Does it sound nice?

It´s what most expats have available at any time (24 hours open) in most expat compounds. If you want an active life style with the gym just around the corner or in the basement of your building - I would really recommend living in an expat compound.

Review: Shanghai Yifeng Business Hotel

Shanghai Yifeng Business Hotel: reviews

We have earlier (in this article) written about where you should seek a temporary residence while being in Shanghai before you can move into your new apartment compound. And as I started to do some research on the hotel/hostel I recommended I came across some other reviews in Mandarin that I have translated and find it nice to share with you.

The reason why I do this is simply because I want to show you some other perspectives that you might need before ordering the hotel.

Review #1:

The room is small, but I still think we got value for money. Me and my wife lived together in a small queen-sized bedroom (the cheapest one) , which made it a bit too cozy.

Anyway: a great place to stay for people who want to live in central Pudong and save a lot of money.

(illustration picture of the room at the hotel:)



Review #2:

I wouldn´t even say that the service is "OK". It is actually really bad. When there are so many hotels to choose from in Shanghai, I would really not say that this should be an option.

I was not happy with either the service or the room. Don´t know what I would expect for that kind of price in central Shanghai, but I would really try something else next time I am going to Pudong.

Review #3:

Close to hospital, which was a good thing since I got food poison while living here (not from the food at the hotel, but from something I ate on the street). The food around the hotel should not be eaten.

The rooms are OK. Very clean and smells good, but I would not say that you get any "extra service" at this hotel. The management do what they are supposed to do - take care of guests, give you the key and make sure that you sleep safe...

I mean, when I paid 100 RMB for a room I wasnt actually expecting a five star service. Value for money? Yep!

Review #4:

(this review was in German, not in Chinese, but it is relevant to this website since the author actually used this hotel before he (or she) moved into an

Shanghai Yifeng Business
Hotel is located in the
Lujiazui area of Pudong.

apartment compound)

An allright hotel. I went to Shanghai from Berlin and landed in Pudong Airport. It was a bit far from the aiport to the hotel, but the taxi driver was nice and chatty.

Anyway: came to the hotel and found out that it was very close to some of the compounds I would want to visit in Lujiazui, Pudong. I know this hotel is not exactly five stars, but as I wanted to visit Shimao Garden and Yanlord Garden, I found it extremely convenient to live at Shanghai Yifeng Business Hotel.

If you are looking for an OK place to stay while looking for an apartment in Pudong: this is a great place to start your journey.

Temporary residence in Shanghai

As you are waiting for your real estate company to find a suitable compound or villa in Shanghai, you will need a place to stay for a small amount of time.

Ctrip and Hotels.com

A great idea would be to start looking at one of these two websites:

- Ctrip
- Hotels.com

One of them offers a great variety of all different hotels and hotels in Shanghai

(more than 4000!!! available as we speak)  and the other one is simply just one of the largest websites for Hotels all over the world.

I have used both, but currently as a student I find it easier to find something that suits me on Ctrip.If you want to find a cheap hostel in Shanghai with privacy (your own room + bathroom), that is no problem. The prices, unless you want to live really far away from the city centre, lays around 100-120 RMB each night, which is fair.

Hostel/hotel as a long-term solution

I know a couple of students from my class that actually uses hostel as a long-term solution. Let´s first do the math that explains how little it costs to live at a hostel in Shanghai:

110 RMB * 30 days = 3300 RMB/month.

And that is with all the expenses included. My apartment in Zhongshan Park was available at 3800,- RMB/month just for the rent. Then my rental company would add a 50 yuan monthly internet fee every month, a 7600 RMB deposit, a 450 "one time management fee" in addition to the gas/water & electricity bill on around 300 RMB/monthly.

Spread out on all the months, I would say that each month costed me about 4300 RMB. And that was a room slightly smaller than the hostel rooms you can get for 3300 RMB. Annoying.

You might see now why living at a hostel in Shanghai might be an OK long-term solution for students who want to live like you do in a service apartment compound.

Recommended (and non-recommended) hotel

Even though I´ve been in Shanghai for a couple of years now, I have only stayed at two hotel/hotels here - I have primarily lived in my apartment. Anyway; first I used a hotel chain called motel 168, which I really was not

satisfied with:

- Large rooms with king-size beds
- Bad service
- Non-English speaking staff
- It smelled a bit weird in the hotel reception

Motel 168 is a very famous hotel chain in Shanghai, but I would say it´s mainly domestic tourists living here. A great amount of foreigners can be found during the tourist season (May-August), but you would definitely get a touch of the "real Chinese feeling" by living here.

Shanghai Yifeng Business Hotel

My other place to live was Shanghai Yifeng Business Hotel (which isn´t really a business hotel to be honest). Medium-sized rooms that costs around 110 RMB/day if you order online. A great management that speaks almost perfect English, great amenities and a 8,5 kilometer distance to People´s Square (downtown).


The Shanghai Yifeng Business Hotel is placed on the Pudong side of the Huangpu river, but it is very close to The Bund and the Lujiazui financial district area - which is also why it got its name as a Business hotel (I guess...).

Anyway; this place has my warmest recommondation and you would enjoy both a short-term and a long-term stay here.


Here I´ll add some pictures from the Hotel (brought to you by the Ctrip website) so you can get an idea how it looks like:


The rooms are a bit small and cozy, but bright and with a good view over a busy part of Shanghai. Not too noisy (at least the room I was sleeping at).


Cleaning and bedsheets are done every day by the excellent staff. PS! If you want to communicate with the cleaning staff, you have to know some Mandarin.

Shanghai Yifeng Business Hotel lays in a great area in Pudong, Shanghai with a great amount of local restaurants, bars and shops nearby. In other words: this area has everything you could wish for as a tourist.

Conclusion

I don´t know if you are looking for an apartment compound in Shanghai or simply just a place to stay for a couple of weeks, but I hope I have convinced

There are a lot of real estate
agents in Shanghai.

you about a couple of things by writing this article.

If you are a student seeking a room in a shared apartment in Shanghai; be sure to check the possibility of staying in a hotel/hostel or service apartment as a long-term solution. There are so many possibilities for a cheap amount of money that I would almost say it´s a better solution for foreigners anyway.

A lot of the real estate agents that try to find apartments for foreigners are happy to scam other people ("rich" foreign students) that I find it almost embarrasing.

That being said, there are a couple of real estate companis I would recommend to foreigners - but those don´t operate with the student budgets, which often goes from 2500-4000 RMB/month for a room in a shared apartment.