Job Discussion Forums

[Vietnamarama]

Hi all,

I am trying to decide whether to accept and offer to work in Shanghai or an offer to work in Suzhou. Both jobs are for subject teacher and are (relatively) well paid (Shanghai a couple thousand higher). Work location are both central city.

Could some people with experience of living and working in these cities share any advice they may have. Of course it is dependent on the kind of person and what it is I'm after. So here are a few things that are important to me:

* Access to reasonably priced western food.
* Access to supermarkets.
* Other expats around but also good opportunities to make friends with locals
* Access to nightlife, live music.

Now of course Shanghai has all these. But does Suzhou have a fair number of expats and nightlife? Sorry if I'm rather naive. I have never been to China. Just hoping to get some info from people in the know. Maybe pro's and con's of each location.

On the one hand Shanghai appeals to me, but then perhaps the crowds could get a bit much and of course there is a higher cost of living. Suzhou is not far away so it would always be easy to visit Shanghai on weekends.

Anyways, any info, opinions, thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

The only thing I can say for certain is my wife's sister is in Suzhou and she says there are foreigners all over the place.

[Laurence]

Suzhou is a great city, and it's only an hour to Shangers on certain trains. Certainly you will find all mod cons there, and a thriving expat community to boot.

But Shanghai is a world city, a place of true international standing. It has everything Suzhou has multiplied by 10. The music scene particularly is much better in Shanghai - you can find everything from world class DJs to a true underground roots movement.

Suzhou is sweet and all, but Shanghai is in a different league.

[therock]

[Zero]

Shanghai has more clubs and everything.

But Shanghai has a grating attitude. It is full to the gills of pathetic "new rich" kids eager to look down on you. Also full of rich, brash expats. Teachers, even subject teachers, get no respect whatsoever anywhere in Shanghai. It's also incredibly expensive.

Suzhou is very modern but with less attitude and also a lower cost of living.

I know which one I'd pick.

[Vietnamarama]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Yes, I have read a bit about a rich kids and foreigners in Shanghai....doesn't sound appealing to me. So would a subject teacher in Suzhou get any respect or is it much the same throughout all of China? I don't need people bowing down to me but I can't stand people that think too highly of themselves and look down on the rest of us.

Of course Shanghai has everything Suzhou has times 10. That id what excites me about Shanghai, but again if Suzhou as all one needs then it might be a better life in Suzhou. After all Shanghai is only 30min away....Ah decisions.

[7969]

[wailing_imam]

I have lived in both cities. Suzhou for four months and Shanghai for two years. I loved Suzhou, plenty of scope for quiet walks and peace and quiet. Well located for trips around the region. Shanghai is a different beast altogether, thrilling but tiring. Too many people. It offers a more international experience. Hotels are cheap. You could always head to shanghai on freitag and leave on Sunday.

[xjgirl]

your question totally depends on which street your job is on, which street your house is on, and the two relative to each other

what makes or breaks big city china life
is transport: speed, accessability, price, congestion?

suzhou is highly congested, it's not the little paradise with gardens some chinese would have u believe it is

most of the foreigners there seem a little off too.

at least in shanghai, u could get to choose ur friends, in suzhou that choice is already made for you.

[askiptochina]

I didn't enjoy my time in Shanghai at all. Some of the qualities in Beijing remind me of Shanghai and I am much happier living further out from the center of such a big city.

Either I would take a Suzhou job (giving that region a second chance) or never work in either area.

Shanghai just isn't what it is cracked up to be. Rich port area, nothing special. It's hot, dirty, noisy, overpopulated, and things are way overpriced. The stores will be big like an art gallery with 4 or 5 articles of clothing. What is up with that? No selection? No variety? Only the latest 4 items they want to push?

Some people are into their Gucci bags and Evian water bottles. Shanghai takes it to the extreme.

[bryanjspen]

I also was deciding between Shanghai & Suzhou. My decision to go to Suzhou was largely based on the cost of living & ability to go to Shanghai on a whim if I really miss Western things I can't find in Suzhou. I've lived in Nanjing and been to Suzhou/Shanghai many times... Suzhou is growing, and I see it as a place for a lot of opportunity. Shoot me a PM if you end up picking Suzhou or want to ask anything about it

[Lobster]

For many foreigners, Shanghai means downtown PuXi. Yea, that's a busy, noisy place with lots of action and attitude. But Shanghai is more than that. How about parts of PuDong or further out in the suburbs? Where I live it's clean and quiet. Lots of unis, not too many foreigners about, and locals who are very friendly.

I rarely go into the city unless I absolutely have to, which is about 6 times a year. The foreigners I see there are either tourists with a perma-grin or grim-looking expats. I don't know why, but the foreigners in PuXi have to be the most miserable bunch of creatures I've encountered in China, even worse than in BeiJing, which I found pretty bad.

I think the "smaller" cities like SuZhou and Nanjing have a better, more relaxed life style and tighter FT communities.

RED

[kev7161]

Suzhou started a subway construction project a couple years back and it is scheduled to be (somewhat) completed next summer, 2012. Quite frankly, I will be THRILLED when it's done because, yes, what was a seemingly tranquil sort of city has morphed into this huge mess. Road construction everywhere (reinforcing the roads for the subway that will be running beneath) along with streets blocked off due to the subway. Traffic is a mess most days, more and more people of course are getting cars adding to this nightmare. Six years ago, when I came to my school, the area was nice and quiet, with little traffic and empty buses (they'd get full later, AFTER I had already found my seat). Now there are shopping malls and high-rise apartments and wider roads and lots and lots more people milling about in the 'hood. Some may think it's a good thing as we now have more choices in dining and shopping (and now even movies) and I don't disagree, but I also miss a bit of the quiet and the "solitude" of the past.

I think, I HOPE Suzhou will become a nice city once again after this (expletive) subway is completed!

[Mister Al]

The subway construction is a bit of a pain as kev pointed out but for overall quality of life for a westerner I'd choose Suzhou anytime over Shanghai. Anyway the big smoke is only less than an hour away and there are loads of comfy trains every day for RMB40

[chryanvii]