Serviced apartments to rent in Beijing CBD

The place in Beijing that is most suited to serviced apartments is Beijing CBD. This is the city's business hub, with Fortune 500 companies settlements in Beijing (sometimes their China's headquarter, 100 of those companies have office in the Beijing CBD).


The Beijing CBD project has been an amazing urban lansdcape change in 10 years. The project was launched in 2000 and since then everything is going very fast. The most iconic tower in this project is currently the CCTV tower and its design that was a tremendous challenge for structure engineers.


Actually more tha half of foreign companies in Beijing are located in this area, at the point that it is difficult to plan the future for the area with so much activity. The Beijing CBD needs to be extended, and solutions are being found up north in Wangjing, while IT companies are favored to move to Zhogguancun, in the west of Beijing.


There is currently even embassies in the area, if the original diplomatic district was in Sanlitun, it has moved and now embassies are spreading across Beijing. In Jianguomen, close to this area you find embassies of Great Britain, Koweit, Thailand, Mongolia.


This is a logical place to rent a serviced apartment in Beijing, and currently you can find the following compounds with very high end serviced apartments. Visit this page for more links.


Serviced apartments around Central Park


The core of Beijing CBD, with the nice Central Park restaurant area for a western luch in Beijing. The compounds are:

• Jing Guang Center 京广中心
• Kerry Residence 嘉里中心(北京嘉里公寓)
  
  
  

Serviced apartments in Guomao


The most impressive towers in CBD with the China World Trade Center Tower III.
You can rent serviced apartmets in:

• China World Apartments 国贸公寓 ,
  
  

Serviced apartments close to Ritan Park


A pleasant large park in the east of Beijing, you might like the following compound:

• Asia Pacific Building 亚太大厦.

Serviced apartments in the Hujialu area


At the limit of the CBD, a nice place with parks. Here are the best compounds:

• Forte International Apartment 复地国际公寓,
• Riverside Baroque Palace 山水铂宫酒店式服务公寓,
  
  
  

Serviced apartments in the Hujialu area


West of the Beijing CBD, a large choice for services apartments:

• The St Regis (St Regis Residence) 国际俱乐部,
• Meihua Century International 美华世纪公寓,
• Luxury Apartment 丽舍公寓,
• Center Service Apartment 长安驿公寓.

Zhonguo Zun, or “Z15” tower is about to rise in Beijing

There is a competition going on in the world of arhitecture, the super tall towers. Competition is especially strong between towers in Chinese cities, and compared with Shanghai and Shenzhen, Beijing seemed to stay behind with towers “only” 300 meters high when others are struggling to buid their 600 meters high towers.


So far, the three highest towers in Beijing, are the China Wolrld Trade Center III tower, the high rise building of Guomao, that peaks at 330 meters, the second one is the Fortune Plaza tower, with 250 meters of height and the third one is 250 meters high as well, the highest tower of the Yintai Center called the Park tower. The Beijing CBD is still being planned, with dozens of high rise towers still to be built, as well as a new extension in Wangjing, and some iconic ones such as the CCTV tower with its strange shape that was a challenge for the building teams.


Next to this CCTV tower, something high is going on. A new tower is being built, inside a large project called the CITIC Plaza that will feature 15 towers. The superstar of this project is the tower number 15, the Z15 that has a more poetic name, the Zhonguo Zun.


Zun is the name of an ancient Chinese vessel, with an elegant shape with a large opening at the top, and indeed the new Z15 tower has an elegant shape, curved, that maximalizes the surface at the top and the base. This allows the tower to be very stable at the base, while reducing the “wind load” of the buiding.


The Z15 Tower will be 528 meters high, and is under the responsibility of artcitects TP Farrels, master designers in the project are Gavin Erasmus and Stefan Krummeck, more details about the people involved and the structure engineers here. The Farells project have been distinguished among the 60 competitors for the project.


This represents 120 floors, so far there should be 60 floors of Grade A office space, 20 floors of serviced apartments and 20 floors of a six star hotel. High end retail space will be included inside the CITIC Plaza.


The total surface area inside the tower is 300.000 sqaure meters and it will feature spectacular views on Beijing and the tower will certainy be an iconic landmark in Beijing.


The whole CITIC Plaza project should be a nice place to spend time in Beijing, since the Zun vessel in culture Chinese symbolizes common goodwill, the place is designed to be welcoming and warm, a place you have a comfortable leisure time.


The architects put the stress on the sustainability of the whole project and the laest developments in technology will be used to dismisish the environmantal impact of the tower and its carbon consumotion, as it is currently an important issue in Beijing.


A subway station will give direct access to the tower.

New warning system for pollution in Beijing

Pollution in China does not seem to go much better these days, but there is definitively something new this year : the Beijing authorities put this problem forward and do not try to deny it at any price. New measures are being implemented.

The worst case month so far has been january 2013 in Beijing, but the month of october has been quite grey too and the people coming from all over China as tourists during the national holidays have witnessed a grey skyline (let s say no skyline at all).

This was a strange event that the first golf tournament to be held in China to see the competitors wearing masks to avoid the worst effects of pollution on the lungs.

The Beijing and Tianjin authoroties have decided new measures, a red alert in case of pollution, which means 3 days with heavy rate of microparticles in the air. In this case, half the cars would be prevented from circulating on the streets as long as the red alert lasts.

Public transportation would be strenghtened and schools closed.

Another level would make a list of 300 factories around Beijing to close for a few days.

The announcement also made of Zhao Huimin , a member of the municipal administration to become a star in China when he explained that the fact that Chinese people cook a lot a fry things in their kitchen is a part of the explanation why there is pollution in Beijing. Quickly the Beijing municipal bureau stated that it was inaccurate but there was a lot of laughter around in the public.

The plan as a whole is much more ambitious since cars in Beijing would be limited at 6 millions, maximum to be reached in 2017 (actually there is already 5.3 million cars in tthe streets), the promotion of smaller cars, in addition to the list of 1.200 compa,ies that would have to adopt measures.

The great issue with the fight against pollution in China is that more and more cities are concerned with the development of the country and the emerginbg of a new lifestyle, so that theis kind of measures will have to be implemented everywhere, something that could harm the economic devemlopement of the country that relies on manufacturing and car isdustry to sustain growth in the future.

The measures thar will have to be taken are not easy to design and this is a true challnege for China.

Sources :

The Economist

Living in Beijing

NBC Behind the Wall

Daxue Consulting

Rent an apartment in Xidan and Fuxingmen

Most of the expatriates in Beijing live in the east of the city, in the districts centered on Chaoyang, but there is important economic and administrative activity in the west as well, and one of the most important places in Beijing is located at the West of the Changan avenue, with Xidan and the Finance Street up to Fuxingmen.

All these places are located in the Xichang district of Beijing, this is not far from the seats of many Chinese administrations and central power, the Tiananmen place is not far at the west.

Let's say it, this is an important landmark in Beijing, with business hubs and banks, as well as a large shopping mall area in Xidan. Chinese people love to get there, foreign people in Beijing not so much, but Xidan is an area that counts and you may have to live there for professionnal reasons.

Close to Jirong Jie : Beijing's Financial Street.

Beijing is not one of mainland China's most important financial centers, but still there is quite important financial institutions there. Finance in China in settled in other cities , Shanghai and Shenzhen, but central banks authorities that have authority on the Chinese financial and monetary system are in Beijing. Insurance companies are located there too, so this is actually a really important financial center.

Some foreign companies such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and UBS are there.

However, there is not enough foreigners in this area to attract any international school, this is definitely not a place suited for expat with kids.

One of the main shopping place in Beijing

For centuries, this area has had a very intense commercial activity. You have now many of the most luxurious shopping mall in Beijing and China there, among the mst famous ones, the Xidan Joy City, Seasons Place, Grand Pacific, lines up in Xidan, which is quite impressive to see with sophisticated lightnings at night. The very last of those shopping place is the Galeries Lafayette that have opened their Chinese flagshipstore there.

This is a place for culture with many theaters around, especially the magnificient National Center for Performing Arts, also called the Beijing Opera House, the largest bookshop in Beijing, Xidan Bookstore and many other venues.

If you chose to live in Xidan, yo may consider the following places :

Feng Qiao Apartment 丰侨公寓,

Feng Hui Yan 丰汇园.

Tai Yang Yuan 太阳

West Endpoint 西城晶华,

Feng Qiao Apartment 丰侨公寓,

Feng Hui Yan 丰汇园.

Sources :

Scout Real Estate

Wikipedia

Architectural Record

Marketing China

Rent an apartment in Liangmaqiao

You are looking or an apartment well located, close to Beijing business hubs, not too far from the historical center, with international schools, the Beijing international airport easy to reach, with a large expatriate community, not far from Sanlitun and its night life and close to the foreign embassies? You are looking for an apartment to rent in Liangmaqiao.

Foreigners sometime call this area “Lufthansa”, because of the very large shopping mall there, located in the Lufthansa building, one of the first foreign shopping malls that has been settled in Beijing, and is still an important landmark named after the german airline that has its Beijing office in the building.

The liangmaqiao area is known above all for its embassies, this is the diplmatic area of Beijing, this includes many of the major ones such as the embassies of the United-States, Japan, South Korea, France, Israel, India, Qatar, Malaysia

The area is a bit compartimentalized; because of large avenues and unoccupied land mixed with the security of the embassies. One of the drawbacks of living there is the dificulty to circulate in the neughborhood.

You have some attractions there, such as the “Lady Street”, Nuren Jie, a place dedicated to wmen's clothes where you can find anything, bargain, buy various qualities of stuff and have fun.

The Solana commercial center next to Liangmaqiao is a major landmark in Beijing, with dozens of restaurants of all kinds, Chinese, western, Asian, large shops with all the international major brands in a large area you can stroll quietly with your children.

Another curiosity, the Liangma flower market.

Two important international schools in the area: the Canadian school and the German school.

Here is a list of Apartment compounds in Liangmaqiao:

Mixxion 九都汇

US United Apartments US 联邦公寓,

Beijing Garden 北京花园, 

Landmark Palace 亮马名居

Concordia Plaza 嘉和丽园,

Somerset Fortune Garden 福景苑 

Four Seasons 四季世家 

Liangmaqiao DRC 亮马桥外交公寓 

Guang Ming Apartments 光明公寓.

Ocean Express 远洋新干线 

Ocean Honored Château 远洋公馆

No. 8 Palace 霄云里八号 

No. 8 Royal Park 霄云路八号 

You'll see more details and links to descriptions here, or search on the various websites.

Sources:

Wikipedia

Time Out Beijing

Yahoo

Renovation of courtyards and renovation of apartments in Beijing

There is a strong evolution going on in real estate in China and especially in Tier I cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

The price increase has been curbed down in China these 2 past years. The problem is simple, the Chinese authorities fear that tere might be the rashest crisis in China caused by a terrible housing bubble, the biggest ever. There is as well a social problem together with the same proble, since the emerging Chinese middle class which is just emerging has now difficulties to find affordable accomodation in Beijing. This might cause discontent in the public opinion.

For these reasons, the price have been curned down. Actually, the rise in the last twenty years have been unbelivable, an apartment could see its value double in less than 4 years, and some landlords have built fortunes just by buyibg and selling apartments. In such a context, there was no need for renovation, and no interest in it. All the apartments were new, and the investment to renovate an a flat was not worth it.

This has changed and new trends are emerging. The price curbing policy has been a success (at least in Shanghai, it is not that clear in Beijing where there was a 16% price increase last year, only 3% in Shanghai).

In such a context, it is not that easy to maximize the profit when selling an apartement. The solution is to renovate them to have a better price when selling it.

There is as well a cultural shift. Chinese people want to live in better environments, this can be illustrated by the great success in the renovation of Hutongs.

The courtyards were usually a place Chinese people tried to flee when they lived in Beijin. The places were dirty, poorly managed, the location were perceived as far from the business hubs. A whole generation of Chinese city dwellers has longed to leave the traditionnal housing to go in a very modern apartemet, perceived as profgress. Now that China is opening on the world, some Chinese people can compare better what a renovated home can bring for a pleasant life. The renovation is clearly a new trend, some Hutongs are magnificiently decorated and design is smething that interest Chinese people more and more.

The result might be a changing urban environment and better living standards. What will Chinese interiors look like in a few years when things can go so fast in China ?

What s certain is that places that were neglected like Hutongs, old apartement compounds and bad quality accomodation is drawing the attenion of investors. This is the sign that the real estate market becomes more mature.

Sources:

Financial Times

Forbes

Beijing Relocation

Wikipedia

A new CBD in Beijing: Wangjing

Wangjing is a district in northeast Beijing, which actually used to be a small village with a legendary pagoda tree. Now, it hard to imagine, the Pagoda tree is gone and has been planted elsewhere in a park, the villagers have received money to quit as soon as possible (this is an example where villagers have received a decent amount of money, this is not always the case), the village has been destroyed and now a brand new place has appeared, Wangjing of the 21^st century, a showcase for Beijing urbanization. Once this was not Beijing, since from there the Qing dynasty emperor Qianlong has a sight of ts capital city, hence the name Wangjing. Now this is king of downtown Beijing.


The work is under way, the cranes are there lined up and active day and night, workers are everywhere and spectacularly the new Wangjing is coming out of the ground.


Wangjing has turned these last decades as one of the most cosmopolitan areas of Beijing, with expatriates settling there as a favorite district of Beijing, not too far from the airport, not too far from many internationam schools, not too far from the Chaoyang district and its business hubs and becoming itself a business hub as testifies the Mercedes Benz tower there.


This is the Korean district of Beijing as well, have a look around Wangjing subway station and you'll see all the restaurants from South Korea with their iconic dishes, barbecues, stone pots...


The urge of a new CBD in Beijing


Actually, Beijing is still developping fast and the real estate price increase of more than 20% every year proves it. The market cooling down methods that the Chinese authorities have tried to set up have failed in Beijing when they have proven successful in other places in China, such as Shanghai.


The current Beijing CBD in Chaoyang built around Guomao is becoming too small and the extension possibilities are limited. It is time for a new CBD, and Beijing Wangjing has been the chosen place.


Many real estate developers have settled themselves there and here are some of the main projects:


The Greenland Real Estate Towers


A projetct that should be completed in 2014, the Greeland Center towers will be 280 meters high and the architects have designed a beautiful irreguar shape that should be beautiful to watch once finished, the surface will look like it is woven or made od scales.

The Poly Real Estate Diamond Lantern Tower


This real estate developer has designed a Tower that will be located among a group of large buildings. Shattered surface effects and light manipulation skills will enable them to build a tower that looks like a Chinese “Diamond Lantern”. Thisb one should be completed in 2014 as well.

SOHO Peaks


The most prestigious until now project is certainly the SOHO project, a group of towers that will be the core of the large Wangjing CBD project. It is designed by architect Zaha Hadid, the same that designed the Galaxy SOHO project, but this time it is reminiscent of mountains, and should be called SOHO Peaks. You can already visit the place, it is not finished but already beautiful, which is impressive for building under construction.




Sources:

SOHO China
Living in Beijing
INS Global Consulting
Wikipedia

Real Estate Prices Evolution, a tale of two cities, Beijing and Shanghai

There is a small rift under way between two Chinese Tier I cities, the cities that are the showcase of China's economic success, Beijing and Shanghai. The difference is seen in the price evolution for residential and profesionnal real estate, but this has repercussions in the authorities policy. Is Shanghai about to rise higher than ever agains all the other Chinese cities, or is Beijing unstoppable rela estate price the sign of an unbelievable dynamism.

Beijing, the price are still rising


The problematic is simple: Beijing prices have risen dramatically in the past 20 years, sometimes more than 30% a year, for both rental prices and property prices. This causes a lot of trouble, even without considering that it might be the largest real estate bubble of all times, this is a source of potential siocial unrest. The young generation of Chinese people wishing to buy an apartment are now more and more unable to do so, the average salary in Beijing is still very low but housing prices are above many world large cities, creating a gap. The Beijing authorities have tried to implement a large set of measures to cool down the market, with buying restrictions for non Beijing residents, higher taxation, but there is still a strong dynamic in Beijing, the residential real estate property prices have risen of more than 26% in capital values in 2012, according to Colliers, the rise should “only” be 16% in 2013. This is a lot less, but this is still too much, and he Chinese authoritis are furious about it.

Shanghai, the prices are under control


In the meantime, the measures have proven to be a success in Shanghai. In 2012, the price rise has been 3% and it is exepected to be exactly the same in 2013, this is an achievement for Shanghai authorities, all the more that things are changing. An experimental free trade zone is being opened in Shnaghai, something very new to China that positions the city as a rival of Hong Kong. The China authorities have designed a new economic development zone with a lot of incitations in a couple of China's cities around Shanghai: Suzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjing. These cities together are now the gateway to China's commerce and economy, while, in the south things are moving fast as well: Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou are willing to become a large new economic zone.




In this scheme, the always more expensive Beijing is “abandoned” as a purely adminstrative or touristic city, settled into heavy pollution.


Is this the way thigs are heading in China ?




Sources:

New York Times
Colliers International
Scout Real Estate
KPMG

More and more chinese buyers of apartments in USA

More and more chinese buyers of apartments in USA

It is still a long way from Chinese to USA Florida , but a growing number of Asians join the crowd of foreign investors buying real estate in Florida, according to a recent study by the National Association of Realtors, in cooperation with Florida Realtors.

China & Florida real estate

While still a minor player in Florida real estate , China joined the Latin American countries like Venezuela , Brazil and Argentina to become a growing source of buyers of foreign nationality in the state, the survey found. Meanwhile , Europeans in the UK , Germany and France " have figured prominently less than in previous years .''
The number of real estate transactions in Florida by foreigners fell by 15.8 percent to 22,572 to 26,806 a year earlier , the study says . Foreign sales total still increased 3.8 percent to 6.43 billion from 6.20 billion a year earlier , reflecting higher prices.
Among all foreign sales , the Miami area accounted for 21.1 per cent for the year ended in August , followed by the Orlando -Kissimmee area , representing 13.5 percent and greater Fort Lauderdale, which accounted for 8.5 percent .
Canadians continued to lead the pack among foreigners purchasing real estate in Florida, which represents about 30 percent of foreign sales in Florida, while the Venezuelans have reached 8 percent, the investigation 977 Realtors July 9 at 16 Aug revealed.

What about Miami ? 

Chinese Rich People accounted for 11 percent of foreign purchases in the Fort Lauderdale area in the past year ( a surprising discovery some realtors surveyed ), 10 percent of people in the greater Orlando area , and 5 percent in Miami, according to the survey .
A Japanese broker real estate, which represents 10 buyers and accompanied by a translator and advisor , recently signed deals for 10 units at nine o'clock, a new condominium project under construction above Mary Brickell Village center Miami city .
the perosnla GM of Fortune International, which is marketing the project , told the visitors left , the broker " was asked if he has 10 other friends in a month, I would follow the same price I said. : " Let's see if I units ," and he was very excited . "


Defortuna says a Chinese visitor recently signed to a unit pre - construction condominium Signature Jade in Sunny Isles Beach. The architect of this project , Herzog & De Meuron , is well known in China, since the firm was also the National Stadium for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 , Defortuna said.
"They really have money" awakened them later .

" This is something from another buyer , a buyer who was attracted to New York. Now he ran .''

Others agree that Miami is now on the radar of Chinese. 

"Interest in Miami in general highest in Asia , and the consciousness of Miami as an international gateway has also increased ,'' said Stephen Owens , president of Swire Properties Inc. This is the U.S. subsidiary of Hong Kong Swire Properties Ltd. , which is building Brickell CityCentre , a company $ 1 billion that combines shopping, living , entertainment and workspace should transform the look of downtown Miami and feel .
Swire has recently doubled down on his bet Miami with his purchase of the property 700 Brickell , where he plans to develop a further investment of nearly $ 1 billion , 80-story , mixed-use tower as the second phase of redesigning the city center.
" The interest in Cjo,ese in general is in place, but also from Canada and within the United States ," said this person. " So the dependence of Miami on Latin America  for investment  is changing .''
Institutional projects such as Swire ya , of course, distinct from the purchase of houses that make up much of the structure of international investment in real estate in Florida.

 Chinese Malaysian

However , many people see the presence of Swire - and that of Genting , the Malaysian giant acquired the former headquarters of the Miami Herald in 2011 and Omni neighboring property for redevelopment - drawing more Asian investment in the region.
" Money follows money ," said the founder of Cervera Real Estate, a brokerage that sells Miami pre-construction luxury condominium projects for many developers . "We are at a tipping point ," she said, with the expansion of the Panama Canal and the deepening of the Port of Miami to accommodate larger ships , developments that will boost Asian focus on region. " The missing piece of the puzzle is a direct flight. "
The Miami Association of Realtors works hard to prime the pump. Among other things , Teresa King Kinney, real estate  , joined a trade mission this year in Hong Kong and Singapore to promote the Miami market . The Realtors group plans to host a team of Chinese television to film the Miami market for a promotional program.