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naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I'll be there soon. Looking at costs of living and Shocked

it's gone up a lot since I left. Odd question about Suzhou: are there lots of mosquitos? I'll be in the HET section of town.

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

My first time to hear of the "HET" section of town.
Google tells me that it is the "Suzhou Dushu Lake Higher Education Town".
Most people might just refer to it as SIP (Suzhou Industrial Park).

Many canals in Suzhou, and many mosquitoes in the Spring and Summer.
Mosquito netting and a strong fan, while trying to sleep, are the only non-toxic solutions that I am aware of.

shadowrider · Joined: 05 Feb 2012 Posts: 208

SIP is nice, if spread out.. Roads still torn up is parts of town... Canals have a certain wonderful smell... But there is a TGIF...

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Ah, TGI Friday's. Just went there with students for a field trip.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Here's what you will have somewhat easy access too once you figure out the bus system:

The SIP railroad station
Times Square Shopping Center with a TON of restaurants and the same dismal sort of shopping as everywhere else.
Auchan supermarket
(once you find them) Several small shops with a ton of imported food and kitchen/bathroom/laundry items . . . at about 4X the cost of what you'd pay in their country of origin. But at least you can enjoy Dr. Pepper or whatnot if you like.
Suzhou Science and Cultural Arts Center (movie theater and live performances)
In City Shopping Mall with lots of restaurants, a movie theater, and the same sort of overpriced shopping found in any other shopping mall . . . oh, and a faux Wal-Mart.
A small amusement park that is barely worth the price of admission, but could be fun for a one time sort of thing - - it has a giant ferris wheel you may want to try at least once.
A variety of parks and open fields (for now, China IS a developing country you know!), fountains and, yes, foul-smelling lakes, ponds and canals.
A new subway system allegedly starting operations on May 1st to take to points west (including near TGIF)
A whole bunch of western restaurants scattered everywhere (but by JinJi Lake and the Rainbow walk will be many of them).
JinJi Lake and DuShu Lake to . . . walk around, look at . . . certainly not a whole lot of options for water sports such as jet skiing or wind surfing or even swimming
A big indoor swimming complex whose name escapes me at the moment.
An alleged "outlet" mall, but the prices there seem as overly-inflated as anywhere else.

SIP is certainly the most modern and "westernized" and cleanest of all the parts of Suzhou. Having a car would make this area of the city really convenient and nice to live in. But taxis are cheap enough (although taxi rates went up to 11 rmb lately and the meter flips over more quickly now) and buses and the subway makes it easy enough to handle.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Wow, Thanks Kevin!

How about cheese and root beer? Wink

GeminiTiger · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:14 am Post subject:

wow TGIF .. i'll have to check that out next trip to SZ.

i really like the mexican food at Casa Zoe
http://www.liveinsuzhou.com/article.asp?id=827

peewee1979 · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:16 am Post subject:

I live in Suzhou. Near Incity.

Dushu isn't that far away. Riding my bike takes about 30 minutes to get there.

mosquitoes ARE a big problem as there are filthy canals all over including around the educational park area. I have been there 2 times within the last few weeks.

Pros and cons to that area.

Pros are its close to a bunch of colleges and universities. A movie theater and a few fast food restaurants. MAYBE a bowling alley but I couldn't find it. I was told it was next to the lake. Lots of residential developments. Not far by car or bus to Times Square. (buy a bike if you come here, BEST way to get around town!). AS kev Said Times Square is ok but filled with the usual overpriced crap that Chinese malls seem to attempt to sell.

Cons- it is a little far from the city center. No real supermarkets there and the smaller ones have higher prices than Auchan or RT Mart. Can't say there was much going on there at night as it is filled with 1000's of students and they don't seem to spend much money.

Not the worst place to live, not the best but if you live close to your work place and get some cheap transportation you will survive.

The 2 lakes close by are ok. Jin Ji Hu lake has some decent tourist appeal and they are doing some work on Dushu lake to make it better for tourism. There is also a church there if you are into that and some 5 star hotels if you need some high class service.

A fair amount of Western restaurants and bars in that area (SIP) near Jin Ji Hu lake and an Imax theater.

We saw David Copperfield at the Performing Arts theater last night and that place is 5 stars. Has a multi-screen movie theater as well.

Suzhou is a nice place to live, better than some other cities.

And they sell M&Ms here...

peewee1979 · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:22 am Post subject:

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

PB M&Ms, root beer, and cheese. I think I'll be in heaven

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

There are quite a few small shops that sell western goods that have a good selection of cheese. Summit supermarket is fairly large and sells all western goods (expensive though). I buy diet root beer all the time. My apartment overlooks Dushu lake. There are many mosquitos but I live up on the 19th floor so I never get any in my apartment. Watch out if you live on a lower level floor.

shadowrider · Joined: 05 Feb 2012 Posts: 208

Brand new American-style shopping mall opened up last September as well. SM Suzhou. Big in the Philippines and in other cities in China.

No.1109, Yuehu Road, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu China.

http://mb.com.ph/articles/335313/sm-opening-4th-china-mall

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Hey, I missed that one. I see advertisements for SM Philippines all the time on my satellite TV.

Yes, those import stores as mentioned usually carry A&W and Casa Zoe Mexican restaurant has it on their menu (at 16 rmb a can - - about $2.75 - - worth it?)

The bowling alley is on the college campus grounds (near an indoor swimming pool?) and is identified by the, well, GIANT BOWLING PIN in front of the building. But don't ask me for specific directions as I've only gone there once. There's a bus stop that will drop you off right in front of it though.