This question comes from a guy looking at taking a position at one of the many international schools in the Shunyi area of Beijing.
I am looking at a position at “a popular international school” (name removed), but I don’t know the area at all, and have only travelled through Beijing. I see rentals going up to ridiculous prices in the tens of thousands of RMB/month, and am concerned about the cost of living vs. my expected income. Do you have an idea of what I could expect to pay for a modest 1-2 bedroom near the school? It really wouldn’t need to be fancy – I’m looking for a comfortable, secure, apt with access to the school & basic shopping. I would be paying/living in this apt alone.
Your school is located out in the Shunyi area, which is a suburban-y neighborhood north-east of Beijing proper. It’s known for having a lot of gated communities and foreigners. There are fewer apartment
complexes, but you can find a few places in the area. You may want to plan on getting a bike (or electric bike) because everything is a bit more spread out in Shunyi. The other thing about the Shunyi area is there isn’t a ton in terms of nightlife or other singles so you may be traveling into the city fairly often, which may mean you want to be near one of the Subway Line 15 stops.
In terms of price, the market is a bit different outside the city. From what I’ve heard you can probably find something pretty nice in the ¥5000-7000 range near the school. The best plan is probably to try
to find someplace temporary to stay before you get to Beijing and get a place once you’re on the ground. It seems that most of the online apartment search options are focused on high-end expensive apartments.
I hope that helps. If anyone other readers have additional advice, leave it in the comments below.
While it’s true that there are a lot of detached houses and pricey places in the area, there are also some apartment options. While the houses aren’t cheap in Capital Paradise, there are townhouses at a reasonable price and several apartment buildings with 2 bedroom places for about 6000-7000. Modern House is a complex behind/beside the Crown Plaza Hotel, walking distance from the line 15 subway stop, but on the opposite side of jing shun lu from the exhibition centre. There are a range of apartment sizes, and from memory some of the smaller places are in the 4000-5000/month range. Legend Garden is further away (by the airport expressway) but has beautiful grounds and an apartment building with 2 bedroom places for about 5000/month. In addition, it might be worth asking if your school has a staff shuttle. Some schools runs buses to the northern part of the city, giving teachers the option of living in a more urban environment.
So I am an expat. I went to high school in beijing and now i’m in seattle i want to apply for a student visa x next year and study for a year to solidify my chinese language skills. Since i have been in america i have gotten a Misdemeanor which has been deferred. I’m curious as to how if at all this will effect my visa application process. I realize this isn’t the right place for this i just need and answer and you all seem very insightful.
thank you
Nick,
Sorry I don’t have any good info for you, i’m not sure how/if that affects your application.
Matt
Matt: Is there a way to comment on a new blog that you put out. I don’t see see a coment notice at the bottom of your latest blogs?
Are there two Crown Plaza Hotels in Beijing, as I know that there is one near downtown about five kilometers north of Andingmen?
I’m not quite sure what you mean, I believe there’s a comment option at the bottom of every post.
Matt: Sorry, you are right, I forgot to click the “read more” to get to the comment page.
If you desire to go to the beach for vacation you will have to go to the Michigan side as the other side (Wisconsin) is too rocky. But then of course, the other side of Michigan is too rocky, which will move you on to the beaches of Ontario….haha