Moving to Pudong – any recommendations?

South of LJZ (Yanlord, Shimao etc) on the river and walk. Or near Sci Tech/ Century park (lots of compounds like Lujiazui Central Apartments where Sharma are etc etc) and take a couple of stops on L2. Essentially, if you want to live on L2, look for compounds near L2. Once you go out past Longyang Lu you enter a despicable wasteland with nothing other than mosquitos and desolate marshland punctuated by soulless tower blocks. Then you get to Dismaland. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Century Park is quite nice for families. You’ve got the park and the Kerry Centre for shopping, a nice evening out, and some half decent restaurants. Thumb Plaza area would probably be my first choice for Pudong. It has a Carrefour and some more expat style bars and places to eat. By far the best place for families in Pudong is JinQiao, great housing, and a great number of expat families and expat family activities going on there.

Skip worrying about the metro commute, just find a place in Lujiazui. Tons of families, no worries about transport, nice compounds with plenty of greenery and great amenities for families, many preschools within walking distance for when that time comes, good options for shopping and dining, and easy access to the heart of the city when you want that. Which compound works for you will be largely dictated by your budget – places like the Fraser, Fortune Garden or Skyline will be on the top end; Yanlord Garden and Shimao Riviera will span across the range; and you can find (if you’re persisent) hidden gems in places like Summit Panorama, Summit Residence and Chrysanthemum for a bargain.