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neato major metropolitan areas
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chica88



Joined: 28 Dec 2012
Posts: 107

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:48 am    Post subject: neato major metropolitan areas Reply with quote

My husband and I would like to be near shopping, movies, places to go out and eat, etc.
I get very confused when I look at a China map.
And I don't know anyone in China.
Its clear there are many areas in China that are not 'metro' areas.
My main concern is that I don't want to take a 30 minute bus or train ride to see a movie.
I've heard so many different things I'd like to know what some people think.


Some people on daves have said these are worth checking into for warm weather, nightlife, closeness to coast and least pollution. In no particular order:

1. Zhuhai.
2. Hangzhou
3. every city in Hebei province
4. Shenzhen
5. Taiyuan

Do you argree with the list? Why?

Does anyone teaching out there know of areas to live in I should check into?

And does the weather play a factor in how you feel about the area?


Last edited by chica88 on Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:37 pm; edited 5 times in total
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kev7161



Joined: 06 Feb 2004
Posts: 5880
Location: Suzhou, China

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 2:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm guessing most major cities will be suitable for you. I live in Suzhou and not only is there a movie theater right down the street from where I live (easy walking distance), there are theaters popping up all over the city, most located in major shopping malls with the requisite clothing and shoe stores, but also restaurants a'plenty.

On the other side of Suzhou, "SIP", it is even geared more toward foreigners with bars, night clubs, shopping malls, movie theaters, live theater, a big lake with activities, parks, and more. Also, plenty of subway stops and bus lines move throughout the city for when you need to get to a more specific place.

So there's my travelogue for Suzhou.
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chica88



Joined: 28 Dec 2012
Posts: 107

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 2:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kev7161 wrote:
I'm guessing most major cities will be suitable for you. I live in Suzhou and not only is there a movie theater right down the street from where I live (easy walking distance), there are theaters popping up all over the city, most located in major shopping malls with the requisite clothing and shoe stores, but also restaurants a'plenty.

On the other side of Suzhou, "SIP", it is even geared more toward foreigners with bars, night clubs, shopping malls, movie theaters, live theater, a big lake with activities, parks, and more. Also, plenty of subway stops and bus lines move throughout the city for when you need to get to a more specific place.

So there's my travelogue for Suzhou.



Thanks I find that helpful because China has been confusing for me to get a grip on.
It sounds like my husband and I would enjoy that area.
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it'snotmyfault



Joined: 14 May 2012
Posts: 527

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 2:41 am    Post subject: Re: neato major metropolitan areas Reply with quote

chica88 wrote:
My husband and I

Are you the queen of England by any chance Laughing

chica88 wrote:

1. Zhuhai.
2. Hangzhou
3. Linfen is timelessly cozy
4. Shijiazhuang
5. Zhengzhou
6. every city in Hebei province
7. Shenzhen

Do you argree with the list? Why?


Who recommended these places to you? Linfen was recognised as the most polluted city on earth
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chica88



Joined: 28 Dec 2012
Posts: 107

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 2:50 am    Post subject: Re: neato major metropolitan areas Reply with quote

it'snotmyfault wrote:
chica88 wrote:
My husband and I

Are you the queen of England by any chance Laughing

chica88 wrote:

1. Zhuhai.
2. Hangzhou
3. Linfen is timelessly cozy
4. Shijiazhuang
5. Zhengzhou
6. every city in Hebei province
7. Shenzhen

Do you agree with the list? Why?


Who recommended these places to you? Linfen was recognised as the most polluted city on earth


Really?
Okay I will take it off the list!
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fred13331



Joined: 20 Feb 2012
Posts: 108
Location: Southern China

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 3:56 am    Post subject: Re: neato major metropolitan areas Reply with quote

chica88 wrote:
My husband and I would like to be near shopping, movies, places to go out and eat, etc.


Some people on daves have said these are worth checking into for warm weather, nightlife, closeness to coast and least pollution. In no particular order:
d does the weather play a factor in how you feel about the area?


Some people on dave s are not to be trusted, for example who ever recommended Linfen. To suit all your criteria you need to be in the south - from your list, Shenzhen fits the bill. Warm or hot all year round, many of the others are freezing for long periods. Shenzhen is coastal, great for shopping, lots of cinemas. Hong kong, is within walking distance.
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MisterButtkins



Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Posts: 1221

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 5:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not sure why Shijiazhuang is on the list. From what I've heard it is a rather pedestrian Chinese city with lots of dust and too much construction.
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vikeologist



Joined: 07 Sep 2009
Posts: 600

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 6:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Generally (because evrything about China is a generalisation) Uni campusses are a long way from the city centres, foreign areas or main shopping malls. (often significantly more than half an hour). Typically uni staff live on campus.

So what kind of places are you thinking of teaching in; language mills, high schools?

Incidentally, I tend to take the bus around my city, but taxis, which are obviously quicker, are fairly cheap in China. I read an article yesterday by a foreign woman from Shanghai who goes everywhere by taxi. She decided to 'go local' and take a bus; and got lost!

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/Feature/2013/01/21/Enough%2Blaowai%2Bliving%2BIts%2Btime%2Bto%2Bgo%2Blocal%2Bin%2BShanghai/

Don't worry. Only a truly stupid person would be incapable of taking buses around Chinese cities, but taxis are a option if (as it sounds) you don't much like public transport.

I appreciate why you're looking for location suggestions, and there are some cities to avoid, but given that China is generally polluted and has unpleasant weather, at either end of the scale, or in the case of Ningbo where I live, both, your post is a bit worrying.

I mean, in summer, the cities in the south are not 'warm' at any time other than the middle of the night.

There are not a lot of Western movies in China. They only allow a certain number in. If you like the big action movies like Transformers, Avengers etc, you may get 3 or 4 trips to the cinema a year in.

All cities have Western food / restaurants, but they are very expensive, as are western goods generally. (actually, not necessarily true, depending on your local inside knowledge and attitude towards equal quality fake goods).
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zactherat



Joined: 24 Aug 2011
Posts: 295

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Linfen really is timelessly lovely. At the flicks in Linfen, that would be almost too much pleasure in one sitting.

Also, Chinese movie theaters are a great way to not only indulge in cinema, but also to:
- have a face to face chat or long phone call with friends
- check out your new ipad apps (max out the volume - nobody will mind!)
- listen to your new ringtones (and crank them!)
- have a fast-food picnic
- and if you have kids you can just drop them off there and let them romp around unsupervised.

The best thing of all is that theaters will show their consideration for you by censoring out anything offensive, and taking the time to select only the 20 very latest foreign films.

We're getting 'the artist' this month - now surely you couldn't get any later than that?
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kev7161



Joined: 06 Feb 2004
Posts: 5880
Location: Suzhou, China

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 7:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
There are not a lot of Western movies in China. They only allow a certain number in. If you like the big action movies like Transformers, Avengers etc, you may get 3 or 4 trips to the cinema a year in.


Not true. Well, okay, most of the import movies from the states are either big-budget action/superhero type movies OR kiddie fare such as Ice Age and that sort. However, there are a LOT more than 3 or 4 that come in every year. From time to time there is a dry spell of import movies, but almost every week there are at least a couple from which to choose. Right now, the new 007 is playing and rumor had it that The Hobbit was supposed to be here by now, but I guess not.

Regardless, if you can't find a movie you'd like to go out and watch, DVDs are plentiful and cheap - - just be careful you don't buy the latest movies right away as those copies are generally pretty bad. Wait for 3-4 months so you can get a good copy.
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vikeologist



Joined: 07 Sep 2009
Posts: 600

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, my bad.

I didn't realise that the number of foreign films allowed in has been increased from 20 to 34.
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chica88



Joined: 28 Dec 2012
Posts: 107

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:48 pm    Post subject: Shijiazhuang Reply with quote

MisterButtkins wrote:
Not sure why Shijiazhuang is on the list. From what I've heard it is a rather pedestrian Chinese city with lots of dust and too much construction.



Thank you for the comment.
I will be taking Shijiazhuang off the list.

vikeologist...

I appreciate the info about campuses being outside of town.
I did turn down a job at a university for reasons I won't get into now.
But, they offered on campus living.
At the time I felt that would be a good thing thinking it would be safe and close to food.
My husband eats a large amount of food so if it is in walking distance thats good enough, it does not have to be western.
In general there would be a store on campus I suppose for candy bars, soda, paper, pens, etc.

My husband and myself have been living abroad and we are close to nothing and it sucks.
We live about 2 blocks from the ocean which is nice.
But, we have to take a bus into town to even buy a pen to write with.
I don't have much against buses except I prefer not to have to ride one over 20 min to get to shopping or food.
For my teaching job and to get into the main part of town I had to ride a bus about 45 min each way and that sucks.
A taxi would have cost about $20 usd each way so that was not an option.
The reason for living so far away from the main part of town was because it was to expensive for us to live closer.
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 3:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most Chinese state sector tertiaries will have one or two little canteen shops on campus. They generally sell stationery, coke, photocopying, some food and will take ID pics.
Check the availability of these when you discuss a job and also access to the dining halls. Many have teacher-only sections which are open during weekdays. On weekends you need to muck in with the students, but food isn't too much different.
I know what OP is talking about re long bus trips to get serious shopping done. As land prices escalate some unis are relocating to the burbs and you may be teaching both away from where your accom is and also away from the downtown.
Being generally smaller and with no reason to have sports grounds, language schools tend to be closer to the downtown.
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twilothunder



Joined: 09 Dec 2011
Posts: 442

PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Taiyuan also worth checking out. Clean, tranquil, lovely people.
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kungfuman



Joined: 31 May 2012
Posts: 1749
Location: In My Own Private Idaho

PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you really want culture you should bypass China and directly to Japan.
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