Am I asking too much?

[aston]

I’m a 43 yrs old architect moving from Shanghai to Chengdu and I’m having a hard time finding an nice apartment here. One or two bedrooms just for me where I should stay at least one year.

Don’t get me wrong. This long post is not a complaint, but a seeking for denial. I really hope that somebody can tell me that I’m wrong and maybe give me some hints. Because I’m stuck and I start to get a little bit depressed. I have leaved in China for almost 4 yrs, to say I’m not a newbie in this planet.

For logistical reasons I should stay in South CD between the 3rd and 4th ring, more or less along Line 1, and I have a decent house allowance from my Company.

I supervise and manage a construction site of thousands of square meters at the Borders Of The World (read: over Pixian, North West of CD). Even if you probably don’t work on a construction site (and if somebody out there does, well, Hi mate!) I think you can guess what it can be in China…

So, when I come back from The Hell at Borders Of The World, I’d like to crash myself in a nice, CLEAN, not so noisy (I know silent is almost a taboo), simple home. As I did for two yrs in Beijing and one year and a half in Guangzhou. (In Shanghai I was just a guest of a colleague for some months, but still the house was comfy).

Now, in more than a week, through the “help” of the local agents and the meta-agents like Maxxelli, I screened roughly 80% of the decent compounds in the South with no luck.

My survey tells me this: around Tongzilin where I have the chance to meet some pale pal like me and have a Western dinner from time to time, I see nice apts but very old and already abused by several tenants like in Europe City or Master, which actually is kinda the furthest I can go to have a commute that doesn’t exceed 1,5 hours.

Going down over the South Railway Station the apts even if newer are usually devastated, especially the kitchens (a horror movie) and the bathrooms (a dump, very often with the squat toilette) .

Toward the 4th ring the situation is better, but the apts tend to be huuuge and/or with a furniture a la I’m The Emperor, or a la I’m The Queen Doll or some deathly mix of the two (I know that maybe here I’m a little too picky, but I’m always an architect..).
And it start to be far from an easy evening in what it looks like the only expat area that is Tongzilin -and please please correct me if I’m wrong-.
Because Yes, from time to time I need a dose of Expat Bubble to compensate the day spent in The Hell at The Borders Of The World.
And mostly, in this part of the city I don’t see any 10/15 minutes walk commodity, neither Chinese neither western friendly..! Banks, banks and banks, that’s it! Few shopping malls away from each other that become a pita doing daily grocery.

Then, in the dust over the 4th ring, starts The Sidereal Life, even tough there are new compounds with shiny apts with simple furniture.

 

Now, I would love to know if more or less this is the real situation or there is some secret spot or magic trick I’m missing.

I could even stay in the West or SW sectors of the city if there is some glimpse of Western Life. Is there anybody out there?

Any suggestion is welcomed, thanks! 🙂

[Rick in China]

@Aston

I live at City Spring, across the road from Ikea/Auchan/Galleria in the south, and I know there are some foreigners around this complex and the others nearby, another nice one nearby is 1818. I also know that at least 1 of my friends who owns a place at 1818 has it decorated very nicely (from a western perspective), although owners and rentals may be different. The apartments are relatively new, and the expressway that would lead you to Pixian (or 3rd ring if you prefer) is a straight shot away. I don’t know the rental prices at these places but I’d imagine relatively nicer rentals would go for maybe 5-10k/mo, and Tongzilin is a few minutes drive away (or, walkable..).

In summary: City Spring / 1818 may have what you’re after, they’re pretty new and in a relatively convenient location, but I don’t have information on how to rent them (useless, right?) Maybe something like 21st Century RE has an office nearby.

Another thing, if you find an apartment that’s suitable in terms of layout, location, etc – but think that it’s “abused” as in walls are dirty or furniture is ratty, perhaps negotiate with the landlord and you may be able to get them to refresh the place with a portion of the cost being paid by you. Just a thought, it’s heavily landlord dependant but I know it happens.

[aston]

Hi Rick, thanks for your tips.
Actually after seeing how long my post is I thought it’ll be a dead one! but at least useful for clearing my mind.

I missed City Spring but I’m going to give it a try today. I’ll find for sure some local RE spot around it, they are like mushrooms ahahha!
About 1818 actually my translator can’t find it, do you know by chance any of its nearby streets?

And for the refreshing thing, yes you are right, and I can even try to spread the cost in my allowance especially for the furniture but, believe me, for the walls many of the apts I have seen have wallpaper!

[aston]

Finally it looks like I found one in Europe City in the Pale Planet.

Now I just need my bike shipped from Shanghai and I’m settled 😀

[aston]

Looks like I talked too soon!

Seek mode: ON again…

[Author]

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