Hi
I am planning on moving to Kunming can anyone give me any suggestion of a nice area or neighborhood to live?

first you should know that there is a street you can easyly find english speaking friends in kunming, it is wen lin jie文林街. around it, you can live in cuihu area. these areas are comfortable and expensive. the other convenient residental area is beichen xiaoqu北辰小区. near Metro but far away from the university of yunnan.

Hi zlif23 and thanks for your input. I plan to arrive Kunming next week ! Please define expensive and inexpensive and is there a comfortable and inexpensive area in which to live ? thank you.

i found this: geteven
Thursday, 17th August 2006

Rent in Kunming depends largely on what part of the city you are renting in. Two of the major universities, most western cafes, and the idyllic green lake park are all located within a 10-minute stroll of each other. This is the highest rent area, although it's still much lower than most major cities in China. A room in a fairly modern two or three bedroom with a western toilet might run around 700 RMB, renting your own (furnished) place would be more like 2000-2500 RMB/month.

If you're willing to live a bit farther away, or rent an unfurnished or older apartment, you can pay less. My fully furnished 2BR is 1100/month (I split with my housemate), and it is a 20-minute walk from the housing crunch area (Wenlin Jie).

Utilities: my apartment seems to cost about 50/month for water, 100/month for phone and internet, 20/month for trash and management, 50/month for electricity, and 10/month for gas (for the stove).
it was the price in 2006. so now is maybe around 2500-4000/ apt around the green lake.
i myself live in jiang an xiao qu, here is around 800/2 bedroom apartment. also close to the university of yunnan, 20 mins on foot. convenient and cheap, but not too many people speak english.

Thank you this information, you have been very helpful and I am grateful. I look forward to discovering Kunming.

Apartment for rent :
5 minute walk to Yunnan univisity; 5 minute walk to green lake; 3 minute walk to french cafe.
Rooms are fully furnished.
internet 24hr; hotwater 24hr ;
nice and large
850 yuan RMB / month / room (can be a couple in a room)
Contact: Jeremy 131 162 070 63 or Marsha:131 878 269 23

Got that Marsha! Thank you.

Hi this is Eric Wu, a Century 21 Real Estate sale assistant.I would like to provide you the best servises. We are major in the Apartments of CBD area of Beijing, let me take R&F for introduction.

R&F Town is between the East 2 Ring Rd. and the East 3 Ring Rd., a garden style residental community, it is on the south of Guomao (Jianguo Rd.) and the north of Shuangjing (Guangqu Rd.), it has facilities like Beauty House and Massage parlor, fitness club specially for R&F Town, Quanjude Roast Duck resturant, Hot Pot, Tea House, Papa John's, Yoshinaya, Dental Clink, also banks of your favorite. The Subway station Guomao and buses to Tiananmen Square&Olympic Statiums are just within the arm-reach.

The apartment is 73 Sqms, on the 12th floor(with great view) with 2br and a bathroom and a setting room. Well furnished(with water heater, Cable TV, High speed internet access, Air Conditioner), 24 hours' Guard and hot water, enough parking palaces etc, you name it.The rent is only 8000 RMB/Month.

The quiet and beatuiful comunity with white collors working in the CBD and people from the international companies are waiting for your coalization!

We do also have apartments of other hot cummunities in Beijing, and the one you may like,just tell me what do you want.
Contact: +86 13261998721
Email: capteric513love@yahoo.com.cn

I don't think the poster was looking for apartments in the "hot cummunities" (heh heh heh) in Beijing, but rather Kunming (hence the title). Nice try though. Only 8000 a month! Even in BJ, where rents are indeed much higher, I wouldn't preface a number like 8000 with the word "only." Just sayin ...

By the way, my favorite apartment in Kunming -- and over 5 years, I lived in many an apartment -- was when I lived along 大管路, near 棕树营。My apartment was nice and cheap (fully furnished 2 bedroom for 800), I was close to the whole Wenlin Jie scene but not tooooo close (living on Wenlin Jie can get a bit tedious), and the atmosphere was great, lots of parks and trees and the river leading out to 大管楼. We plan to buy an apartment in the same area when we return to KM in '09. Check it out if you haven't found a place yet.