Best area in Guangzhou to live?

HI the best place for living  in tian he district and yue xiu district of guangzhou city .

Thanks Megan

Any particular reason why you like those areas?

Michael

Hi Megan

I forgot to ask but are you originally from Guangzhou?

Michael

Liwan district~ i vote~

Hi Swingriku

What's your reasoning behind your choice? What's Liwan got that other areas don't? Why do you like it so much?

Michael

Paddywaks1967 wrote:

Hi Swingriku

What's your reasoning behind your choice? What's Liwan got that other areas don't? Why do you like it so much?

Michael

because it's the place where i'm living in, where i grew up in, and where i was born in~

it's one of the oldest parts of guangzhou. if you move here, you will find you are close to everything, metro stations, restaurants, supermarkets, malls, parks...(oh, except bars and clubs...)

and the rent is cheaper than the new areas.

The place where we grow up always has a special place in our heart

Looked up Liwan and it looks like a lovely place. Are there no bars or restaurants there at all? As you mention, there appear to be some very nice buildings and parks. How much do you think it would cost to rent a one/two bedroom apartment there?

Michael

yuexiu is the best ,most foreigner friends are in yuexiu

Hi micheal, nice to meet you!
i love Tianhe coz it's the most convenient place in Gz

Hi Michael (love your name by the way--it's my bf name!)

We live in the Tianhe district, Wells international apartments to be exact.  (until his company moves us)
hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Wells_International_Apartment_Guangzhou.htm

I love it, bars and restaurants are everywhere around here.
McCawleys pub Cowboys Bar-B-Que, Ocean 7, McDonalds, Nova, Starbucks, and Japanese fusion are just to name a few. 
Grandview and TeeMall are in walking distance, and there's a park right in front of our building.

I wish I could tell you how much rent is but my bf company pays for all that.  I can tell you, however that our electricity bill was 996.74RMB (we always forget to turn off the lights!)

Hope this info was helpful!
peace and joy!

Hi,Michael,I am local person.I think you have found accomodation.anyway,I still want to share my opinion.zhujiang new town,tianhe district abosolutely is the best place .why? because here is not so crowed as other place,here is quiet,cleanliness,and the environment and security are good.When you feel tired,you can take a walk along the pearl river or zhujiang park[i love both of them very much】。and it is very convinent to buy something or eat.bars and restaurants are everywhere around here as raquelmercado said.anyway,enjoy your life in guangzhou,and if you have any question,feel free to ask us,i think all of us here are very kindly.
   Take care
   Frank zheng

Frank,   "zhujiang new town,tianhe district"  good you be a bit more clear. Is this one area or two?

Thanks

Hi, my name is Robert and I am going to be moving to Guangzhou in August and am looking for a new apartment. Can anyone suggest, or tell me the best area of the city for Expats to live in? Thanks for the help, very excited about this adventure. Cheers. R.

Gotta be Zhujiang New Town - Tianhe area. Shopping malls, theatre, library, pubs and bars. But it will also depend on which area you are going to work in. If it's too far away from there, it'll be a pain to ride a rush-hour metro to work every morning.

I'm looking at moving over to Ganzhou soon as my girlfreind has just moved there for work . What are the prospects for finding work within the expat community

Hi - I am an Australian looking for apartments in Liwan , YueXiu, Tianhe or Haizhu. I have been told these are the best areas for foreigners. I like to be close to shops, restaurants and metro.

Can anyone tell me best place to rent apartment ? I am having problems finding real estate agents.

Hi, those are like four different districts...you have to choose one. Probably close to where you work is better. Liwan and yuexiu are older parts of guangzhou but metro goes there too, so transportation is very convenient. Tianhe is the CBD, so if you like very modern life you should choose tianhe, probably zhujiang new town area.

Thanks IvyW - do you know good real estate agent ? I want to know who is best to rent apartment from ?

Sorry but I don't really know about agents. I'm a student and live in dorm buildings. Expats I know here just go to classifieds on websites instead of agents cause they dont really trust them.

To anyone moving to Guangzhou, the city is ENORMOUS!!. When looking for an apartment plan around the metro system otherwise you will spend most of the day commuting.

of course yuexiu district is convenience wherever you want to go

you want "fairly green" and thats just not going to happen in guangzhou.. have you ever even been to any of the major Chinese cities?  Guangzhou is number 3 on the list of large cities in China, and has an area which extends seamlessly to 5 other major metropolises... Nothing is "Fairly Green" unless you're in BFE, like in Conghua or Panyu maybe.. and those definitely dont qualify as "Central"

you also then, at the same time, want "a good variety of bars and restaurants to eat and drink in", and by that I assume you mean Foreign food? Where the bars and restaurants have "a good mix of different nationalities"..  and by that you mean European or Native English speaking ones? because baiyun is chock full of the most different nationalities, mostly people from many different nationalities in Africa and the throughout the middle east, who you would likely not feel comfortable or safe around..

and you want "Somewhere cosmopolitan", meaning where the wealthy elite not only live, eat, and drink, but also want to hang out and talk to "Fancy Foreign People", because you want to "mix and talk" to "Chinese People", and by that I assume you mean chase local tail that might even respond to you and who arent habitual bar rats, SE Asian Transvestites, or prostitutes.. and who arent actually really Chinese in the traditional Cantonese sense, but more like the ones you are likely to hook up with at bars or fantasize about, that mostly come from other provinces besides Canton?

if by "Green" you can settle for some bushes & trees in the middle of the street, and evenly spaced down sides of the road, then I'd say the Garden Hotel area is really the only place that meets your requirements for foreigners & some pretty weird "Chinese" people mixing... where you have the highest chance of "mixing" with something... but its far from cosmopolitan..

ZJNT is your cosmopolitan elite with nice restaurants and a few "normal" bars where wealthy-normal people go, but not to mix & mingle with strangers.. but where there are more foreigners and people who have been overseas

and other parts of Tianhe are a bit cosmo but not really the mix & mingle with drunken foreigners crown either

but by far, if you want good KongQi, and great Local Chinese food, a hip local artisan crowd, and normal to cool behavior, with just a few shady bars here and there to get your "she's not a prostitute" on, then I'd go with Haizhu district.. i think its the coolest in Guangzhou.. but not alot of foreigners..

myself, i live in Liwan, cause I like the Original Cantonese culture & traditions, and none of what you're looking for.. so its not a place for you, though, for sure..



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Hi Aloha,how long have you stay in guangzhou? I think you know much than a local people about guangzhou.

heh.. 13 years.. maybe know too much already

haha,I think you must know too much.

Hey there Michael
I'm an expat myself and am living in the Tianhe Longkou Xilu area.
There is a huge expat pop living in this area.
There is a PARK N SHOP superstore and a VANGUARD as well (huge range of packed food that will make sure you don't miss home as well as all fresh produce).
The Gangding metrostop is 5 minutes walking distance(I timed it).
There is a huge choice of apartments here.
All depends on your budget.
The apartments here start from 2500 RMB/m for a 1 BHK in an older building.
New buildings start at 3000 RMB.
If you prefer service apt then it is costlier.
There are kindergartens, schools and two universities in this area.
Hmmmm..... wat else.
The Catwalk club is closeby. 10 minutes walk.Taxis will refuse to go that short distance.
There is an excellent Italian restaurant Sazeiriya in Park N Shop complex.
And ofcourse N number of Chinese restaurants, a McD, a KFC and a Pizza Hut are there for your quik eating needs.

Sukritistraitup wrote:

Hey there Michael
I'm an expat myself and am living in the Tianhe Longkou Xilu area.
There is a huge expat pop living in this area.
There is a PARK N SHOP superstore and a VANGUARD as well (huge range of packed food that will make sure you don't miss home as well as all fresh produce).
The Gangding metrostop is 5 minutes walking distance(I timed it).
There is a huge choice of apartments here.
All depends on your budget.
The apartments here start from 2500 RMB/m for a 1 BHK in an older building.
New buildings start at 3000 RMB.
If you prefer service apt then it is costlier.
There are kindergartens, schools and two universities in this area.
Hmmmm..... wat else.
The Catwalk club is closeby. 10 minutes walk.Taxis will refuse to go that short distance.
There is an excellent Italian restaurant Sazeiriya in Park N Shop complex.
And ofcourse N number of Chinese restaurants, a McD, a KFC and a Pizza Hut are there for your quik eating needs.

ya.... that area really sucks..  i definitely dont recommend it.. there is no good food anywhere in that area.. nothing local at all.. parknshop sucks.. so does vanguard.. you need a Jusco, theres one by the garden hotel. that area by the Jusco is pretty awesome.. gangding is computer city.. its crowded, polluted, and sucks.. u need to be close to a subway though... from Yangji to Martyrs Park isnt bad, and around the Yuexiu or Liuhua parks isnt bad either, up to the Garden Hotel or down towards Chen Clan Academy.. Around the Baiyun mountain isnt bad either, over towards the IMAX... and around Jiangnanxi to Xiaogang is nice..

just move out to Clifford already... its a cool place... not central but good coach buses of their own, a great and diverse community of people, a great HK restaurant, some Vietnam, Korean & Western food as well.. alot of Hong Kong people, Koreans, Japanese, Taiwan, and International Westerners live there... its got coach buses direct to Hong Kong and Macau as well.. it has the biggest bus station of any garden in Guangzhou.. its not bad.. you could Check out Lijiang Huayuan, just over the luoxi bridge too, or Country Garden, or Agile.. all are cool estates.. they are trouble free. great for foreigners.

Zhu jiang new town

Crowded????
Haven't seen a crowd yet.
I've been here a year now.
It's good for me coz I am on a tight budget.
It's quiet and safe.
Children playing in the lawns.
Older ladies and gentlemen taking walks.
It's nice for a family.
Not to forget the vegetable market where my lady vendor also teaches me cantonese.
I am sorry you dislike this area.

i guess it depends on your definition of crowded.. compared to India or something, probably not crowded i guess... the area is chock full of waidi people... cantonese are a minority in that area, making it the least like the real Guangzhou imaginable.. maybe near the central train station is the only place with even more waidi people...

everyplace has a wet market, no matter where you live its not far from you, except in ZJNT

the problem with ZJNT is there is nothing there.. need a hardware store? out of luck, take a taxi somewhere else.. need a local market of any sort? out of luck. need a lock smith? a plumber? an electrician? out of luck... need anything at all from any sort of local store that literally lines the streets of anywhere else in GZ, and you are out of luck in ZJNT.. AND it really sucks for pedestrians.. they are treated like cattle and the cars are treated like Armored cash escorts full of gold and diamonds..  need to cross the road? tough luck, go up 3 blocks first, then be prepared to break the law to do so.. its really ridiculous over there..

anyway.. wherever you live, it needs 24 hour security guard at a gated entrance that Requires ID for people they dont recognize, and additional security in the lobby of each tower..

most people would also like a swimming pool, besides just a fun garden for kids to play in...

Computer city, near gangding, is one of the most polluted areas of the city, and its uber crowded, by most of GZ standards.. maybe its just that theres so many waidi people, it seems like way too many people.. there could be 1 million cantonese and you'll barely notice..  but 100 waidi people is too much for even the cantonese to put up with..

Dear Aloha
I have no idea who waidi people are.
And you are right as I am an Indian for me this area of Tianhe near Gangding seems very sparsely populated.
I have not faced no security fears as yet, Thankfully.
Everyone is so nice and friendly.
There is a pleasant smile on everyone's face.
I like it a lot here.
Guess I have been very lucky that I have had positive experiences here all along.
I imagine this is a far cry from the US thus ur discomfort.
I imagine because Guangzhou is somewhat like India; as you said jaywalking is needed in some places as the zebra crossings are very far from each other.
I love it here.

Waidi = people from other provinces outside of Canton

They comprise a very large % of the population today, but mostly werent here 12 years ago at all...

Almost all of the Criminal Activity comes from Waidi People.. they overcrowd everyplace.. the only good time is Chinese New year when they all go home.

They are noisy.. speak Mandarin, or some loud and annoying other dialect of Chinese besides Cantonese.. are far more narrow-minded & quasi-nationalistic.. they generally cant wrap their heads around most basic concepts or things outside of China or their own little worlds.. they are generally dishonest, and see cheating, swindling, lying, and deceiving people as a way of life..

most foreigners, yourself probably included, cant really tell the difference between Bendi (local Cantonese) and Waidi people, and the Waidi People give the Bendi people a bad name, since most foreigners will just say its "Chinese" people..

of course, every province in China has their own Bendi people, and their own culture, and most of them agree the "Waidi" people are the cause of most of the social problems in their provinces..  likely because Waidi people have no accountability to family, and nobody to disgrace, and go to other provinces to reign terror and cheat & steal & rob, & rape & Pilfer.

anyway, Alot of people from Africa & Middle East & India etc, really just think its the greatest environment ever and "Chinese" people are great compared to people in their home countries.. and I'm glad you're having a good time of it as well... but the Waidi in Canton Province are nothing like the Cantonese people, and, in my opinion and in the opinions of the vast majority of Cantonese people, they really ruin the city.

I live as far from Waidi people as possible.. as I really especially love Cantonese Culture & People

i thik yuexie ersha island is good place

Hi Aloha
You sound very angry.
And I guess I can relate.
When I am in India I too see the state it is in and am appauled at how far my country has devolved.
That is why I am enjoying the quiet here.
I have been in China now for exactly 2 years I landed on Chinese soil in August 2011 at Pudong Airport Shanghai.
I moved to Guangzhou on 1st September 2012.
Maybe I am fooled by the vendor into paying extra due to the fact that I know only a smattering of Mandarin (numbers mostly so that I know the prices of stuff)which is shameful considering the fact that I have been in China for two years. Guess I should blame my husband for that he knows fluent Mandarin as well as Cantonese. So I frankly don't need to communicate much with anyone as he does all the talking and does he love to talk!

Anyway, I have not faced any problems either in Shanghai or here. No one has troubled me Touch Wood. OR as I don't know the local languages maybe they have passed comments about me but I haven't understood it and taken their smiles to be politeness nicety towards me.

I don't know but I plan to focus on the positive here. SO far away from home I'd rather like to enjoy the sights and scenes that life is sending my way. Though when you say that there are predators here that has scared me. Why did you have to burst my bubble?
AND after this I suddenly realised that we are completely here. Moderators will most probably edit all of this.

its on topic.. as it has everything to do with desirable places to live..

i'm not angry, I simply stated that I stay away from those areas, with those kinds of people.

as an Example, perhaps you move to Los Angeles in America..  As a rule of thumb, I would avoid Compton, Watts, and any ghetto area where there is a larger criminal element who generally disregards the law of the land, exploits others for their own gain, or break the law for monetary gain, or cause any number of social problems

I am not "angry" that I cant live in Compton.. I dont want to.. I dont like those people at all.. And i want to be as far from them as possible.

that doesnt make me irrational either.

on the contrary, most rational & happy people enjoy being around positive, clean, wholesome, happy, friendly people, and want to live in safe, clean, productive, pleasing neighborhoods with friendly, industrious, wholesome, happy, law-biding, honest neighbors...

There are many lovely places in & around L.A.,  Hollywood, for example.

at any rate, this is not a hate thread and I take offense to your suggestion. You may enjoy Compton or Watts, or other ghetto areas filled with law-breakers, drug addicts, prostitutes, gangs, degenerate families, liars, cheaters, thieves, & the criminally insane.. I'm sure your positive attitude can keep you going through it.. and I would wish you well in it... keep smiling..

However, those people do bring down the Desirability & Livability of the neighborhood, and thus the property value as well.. thats how ghettos are formed.. by people who dont care about neighbors, or laws, or honesty.

Guangzhou is just uber-crowded, with the highest Home Prices in the world (Compared to average income).. so there will always be people living in expensive homes anywhere & everywhere..

Other people, however, especially those with Children, prefer to live around more honest, upright, trustworthy, polite, & cultured people in society..

good luck to you..

but for other people.. Its better to avoid places with a high Waidi population..

there are simply good places to live, and bad places to live.. and the only important deciding factor is the quality of neighbors, their honesty, friendliness, lifestyles, culture, education, learning, ways of living, recreational activities, etc..

and for those who have been here more than 2 years, for those local Guangzhou people, or for those in the extreme know.. we avoid those unsavory areas of the city, whilst enjoying our life and our city and our home..

you cant get rid of all the bad people in a city.. but they do tend to congregate in certain areas in concentrated numbers... and the best thing to do is not to live around them..

again.. i'm also not saying every single person in the Ghetto is a bad person either.. they are just places & People I personally, and many like me, prefer to avoid.

Hi Members,

Can we please get back to the initial topic ?

Thank you for your understanding

Maximilien

Maximilien wrote:

Hi Members,

Can we please get back to the initial topic ?

Thank you for your understanding

Maximilien

Hey Maximilien
I agree.

And I repeat that the area I recommend is Tianhe Beilu area around Gangding metro station and South China Normal University metro station.
It's family friendly area as there are kindergartens, schools and universities in this area.
There is a Park N Shop and a Vanguard I would also say this again This is a good place for FAMILIES with children infants to 12 yrs.

and I repeat, I completely disagree with that assessment

its the last place i'd live in gz.. i put it on the level of huangpu, dongpu, or huadu for desirability