Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
One stop east of Guomao is Xidawang Lu (or Dawang Lu on the subway line). Again,
this is a major expat hub, and has been for many years. Luxury malls Shin Kong Place and
China Central Place are here, but before they came there was already China Central Place
(Huamao) and Blue Castle, apartment complexes that are a little older now but still favored
by expats. An important resource in this area is the Dongjiao Markets, and whether you live
in the neighborhood or not, you should come to this sprawling market for at least one visit.
You'll find kitchenware, hardware, stationery, linen, fresh produce, almost anything. And
all at bargain prices.
Now stretching out into the northwest quadrant of Guomao, life is very Western and
city like. The area has a dense concentration of international lifestyle facilities, hotels, and
apartment complexes, the main one being Central Park. Central Park is a collection of
high-price-tag apartment buildings organized around a park-like setting. At the bases of
the buildings, restaurants and cafés with outdoor seating, mini-supermarkets, and boutiques
create a village feel, and even those who don't live here are drawn to the neighborhood on
sunny days for brunch or lunch. In some ways Central Park is like an inner-city Shunyi.
Rather than live out in the suburbs, many expat families choose instead to live here and
either send their kids on the school buses out to school in Shunyi or northwest Chaoyang,
or send them to the inner-city international schools. The surrounding streets complement
the neighborhood with complexes such as The Place (Shìmào Ti ā nji ē , www.theplace.cn ) ,
a mega mall complete with a football-field-sized LCD screen; Parkview Green
( www.parkviewgreen.com ) , an energy-friendly luxury shopping and office complex; and
Ritan Park, a small but pretty park that creates a wonderful clash of old against modern sur-
rounds.
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