Expats Living in Shanghai

Part One

The city of Shanghai is divided most obviously by the Huang Pu River, creating two distinct areas: Puxi and Pudong

Puxi (pronounced Pooshee) to the West of the River contains the historical ‘heart’ of Shanghai, and still constitutes the area of what most people refer to as downtown. This side of the city undoubtedly offers the greatest choice of shops, culture and nightlife.
Downtown Shanghai in Puxi is a relatively small area and constitutes the greater parts of Jing An, Luwan and Xuhui district. The official center of the city is People Square, but to many people this is merely the geographical center while social life is focused more on the Former International and French Concessions.

Pudong (pronounced Poodong) to the East of the River was largely built in the last twenty years and is particularly known for the financial and commercial district called Lujiazui. This part of town has two strong features: commercial life and high-end residential complexes.
The two sides of the city are connected by bridges, road tunnels, the subway and ferries. There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to each area depending on your own particular circumstances and lifestyle preferences.

Both Pudong and Puxi have hot expats residential areas, where you can easily meet new friends, expats or non-expats.