New Frontiers Families who boldly live where few expats have lived before by Sijia Chen and Ellis Friedman
T
hough there are no hard statistics, it’s probably safe to say that the majority of Beijing’s expat families live in Chaoyang or Shunyi. But some have eschewed the bustle and gridlock of downtown and the quiet expanses of Shunyi in favor of more distant neighborhoods, such as Haidian, Changping, and Tongzhou. While these areas may seem remote compared to Central Park or Beijing Riviera, families living on Beijing’s outskirts cite factors like lower cost of living, minimal traffic congestion, and an enhanced China experience as reasons for staying put. beijingkids reached out to these enterprising expats to find out what it’s like to live outside the bubble.
July 2013
beijingkids
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