Hi,

I'm trying to get an idea of the different areas in Kunming since I'll be living there soon. I've been told that Wenlin is the 'foreigner area' and it seems pretty close to everything - bars, restaurants, my school etc. However, I guess it gets pretty noisy there, right? The other area I've been told about is in the North of the city (Bei Chen) which is apparently quieter and has nicer apartments. However, this is further away from the centre and my school so travel time would be more.

Which area do you think is better? Or are there any other places you can recommend?

My budget is 1,000 - 1,500RMB per month.

Any help would be appreciated.

Dear Vexed - - you will likely receive many opinions. However, there is really not a "best" area - - but one which will most fit your needs/desires.

We are part of the "older" crowd and live in BeiChen - - and have been here more than two years. We are not that familiar with the WenLinJie area except to go there at times for some of the good restaurants. It does seem more populated with the "younger" crowd - - and I am told by the "party-group."

Bus service from our area is great and many buses go straight down Beijing Lu and get to downtown areas quicker than private cars since buses use special bus lane.

The shopping up here is very good - - as Metro, Wal-Mart and Carrefours are all very close (plus, of course, local markets).

There are over 200 "eating places" within walking distance of our place - - including some very up-scale Chinese restaurants and many "Western-oriented" restaurants such as Wicker Basket, Sandra's, Prague, Samoana, Silver Spoon, and others (can't leave out KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut).

So really depends on your desires.

Disclaimer: I am not a real estate agent - - and offer no services except maybe a helpful hint.

Cheers - - JJ

Dear Vexed,

To give some contrast to JJ's description, I've lived in the Wen Lin Jie area for about 3 years.

I'm not really part of the young crowd, but more of the middle-aged working crowd. However, I have been a Chinese language student for more than a year.

Pros of Wen Lin Jie: I'm partial to the food here. Western Cafes abound (Salvadore's, Mazagran, French Cafe, Vintage, etc.) along with Italian, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Thai. Plenty of Chinese food as well. However, after a year, the scene can get a bit tiresome, but I think that's the case for most places, not just Wen Lin Jie.

For shopping, there's a Walmart about 20 minutes walk away, you can take a short ride to Carrefour, and there are local stores to fill some shopping needs and Paul's Shop/Green Kunming to fill slightly more expensive Western needs. There's bookstores, candy stores, clothing stores, shoe stores, etc. all around, but as a foreigner, you may or may not find this accessible (depends on your taste and size).

For convenience, many people come to this area to meet and drink so it's a great place to live if you want to meet friends for dinner or a drink. JJ's Toast Master's is just nearby on 121 Street; there's ping-pong tables and basketball, badminton courts nearby, and the green lake is literally at your door step (a really nice public park).

The Cons: The rent is more expensive here and apartments are older. The further you get away from Wen Lin Jie and the Green Lake, the cheaper prices are, but then, the less convenient the location. As a student, I ended up only getting to know Wen Lin Jie my first year (mostly) and got stuck in a routine of visiting the cafes, hanging out with foreigners, and basically not interacting with Chinese locals. The Kunming expat community is smaller than you think, so, for better or worse, you'll start seeing the same faces after a time. Wen Lin Jie is much louder than up north and the crowd here is younger, mostly students or travelers, and change every few months.

That's all I can think of for now. It might come down to why you are coming and how long you are planning to stay. If you plan to work in the future, you may want to think about being close to your future work (though you probably wouldn't know that right now) or if you plan to stay long term, then the north may be better for settling roots. Just my two jiao...Steve

Steve - - thanks for adding info on WenLinJie. I admitted up front that I had little knowledge of the area other than restaurants (and there are some good ones). The main thing for "Vexed" is to have as much info as possible.

Come see us at Toastmasters!!

Cheers - - JJ

Hey guys,

Thanks for the info.

It's a tough decision! I think I'm leaning more towards Wen Lin Jie since I want to be closer to things. Plus, I'd like to be able to meet people in my age group (mid-twenties). I am concerned about the noise levels though (since I'm a light sleeper) and the older, more expensive apartments. Having said that, I live in a shoebox apartment in Korea so anything bigger than that is going to be a step up for me!

I plan to be in Kunming for a few years - maybe I'll start out in Wen Lin Jie and move up North later on.

Thanks again, and I'll be sure to check out Toastmasters once I get to Kunming.