Beijing’s Expat Enclave
Few people realize just how far Shunyi has come in the past decade. Once marked by sweeping stretches of countryside where Legend Garden Villas was the only place for foreigners to reside, Shunyi has rapidly grown to become your typical, friendly, albeit expat, neighborhood. The core of Beijing’s international school community, and home to luxury villas and international eateries such as the iconic Mrs. Shanen’s and The Orchard, it’s no surprise expat families should gravitate towards this home away from home. Naturally, with fabulous residences such as River Garden Villas (with its lush gardens and personal Sequoia Cafe), headlining the residential scene, living in Shunyi can come at a hefty price. Nonetheless, families will no doubt value the tranquility, fresh(er) air and starry skies that are absent within the city-something you can’t put a price on.

Quick Facts

Perfect for: Families
Who lives here: Expat families
Culinary hot spots: The Orchard, The Pomegranate
Notable developments: Pinnacle Plaza, Western Academy of Beijing
Look out for: Juncheng International School

Where You Work: CAFT Foods Headquarters

Laurence Lin, International Sales Manager
With hundreds of people on the street every hour, downtown Shunyi seems like any main street in downtown Beijing. However, since I work far out in Shunyi, away from many of the foreign compounds and plazas, good restaurants can be hard to find. I often resort to grabbing McDonald’s for a quick bite. When I have time, I like to go to The Orchard, which was a little hard to find at first. Although a tad on the pricey side, they serve delicious food in a relaxing atmosphere, making for a nice ending to a hard day’s work. Since I live in the city, the commute is also one of the harder parts about working in Shunyi. I often have to wake up very early to beat the traffic and get to work on time, and I usually leave very late. Also, since I drive myself, it can be pretty aggravating having to deal with the Beijing traffic day in and day out. Fortunately, because we’re so far away, the people I work with make up for a lot of the negative aspects. They make me feel like part of a family and remind me why I like living and working in China.

Preview

East Beverly Garden
Located next to the Museum of Cinematic Art, Drama & Art Centre, close to 798 Art District and Caochangdi, East Beverly Garden is the perfect place for art lovers to nest. The property is also just a three-minute drive from the East Fifth Ring Road and seven minutes from the Western Academy of Beijing, making it a great option for families. Made up of 201 units, the complex is divided into 31 detached bungalows, 44 semi-detached bungalows and 126 townhouses, giving future residents a range of layouts to choose from. They also feature walkout basements, French windows and come with unfinished interiors, allowing residents to choose designs that suit their own wishes and to create a space that truly feels like home. Officially launching this coming june, the property is already available for ￥22,000, 25,600 and 29,500/sq meter for townhouses, semi-detached and detached bungalows, respectively.
Address: Nangao Lu 南皋路.
Tel: 137-0103-2822

Review

Le Leman Lake 莱蒙湖别墅
Le Leman Lake is situated right in the center of the Central Villa District (CVD) along the Airport Expressway and Jingshun Road, and close to the Wenyu river. In the surrounding vicinity is Pinnacle Plaza, home to some of Shunyi’s best restaurants and cafes, as well as a United Family Hospital and Clinic, Jenny Lou’s, Golden Riverside Resort Golf Club and Eton International School. The houses and townhouses range from 266 to 674 sq meters, and come with a spacious layout, open kitchen, six-meter high ceilings, large basement, separate central heating system and a beautiful lake view. Since opening in 2000, Le Leman Lake now boasts an 80 percent occupancy rate and currently has a variety of three to four-bedroom residences available for rent ranging from US$2,500-9000/month. Price to buy ranges from ￥14,600-23,000/ sq meter.
Address: Houshayu Town, Jingshun Lu 后沙峪 京顺路.
Tel: 8046-4622/33

Retail Space

Yosemite A Zone
Slated to open this coming June by Shandong Luneng, Yosemite A Zone is a new Chinese-style mixed-use complex complete with 600 villas, three apartment buildings and a commercial building. Featuring 6,500 sq meters of floor space divided among three floors, the commercial building can be easily divided and combined to create flexible retail spaces of any shape and size.

Located within the nucleus of the Central Housing Area adjacent to the New International Exhibition Center, Yosemite A Zone is within easy reach of eight international schools, such as The International School of Beijing and Limai International School, five golf clubs and four horse racing tracks. Also nearby is the ever popular Pinnacle Plaza, which, featuring well-known names such as Starbucks and Dragonfly Retreat. With convenient transportation between the Embassy Zone and CBD, this new complex will no doubt be a worthy choice for many multinational top managers, ambassadors and foreigners.
Address: 4 Yuyang Road Houshayu 顺义区后沙峪镇榆阳路4号
Tel: 8046-5880