What’s “family-friendly” mean?
“Family-friendly” evaluations can be split into the following:
1, Property compound - What facilities are offered? Properties that have children’s pools and playgrounds not only help children make new friends, but parents too.
2, The apartment itself - Check out the layout of the apartment and space based on your criteria. Keep in mind that apartments in the same compound can vary greatly.
3, The residents – Are the people nice and friendly? Are the common areas busy or regular activities organized within the compound? Sometimes some compounds just develop a great “family vibe” over time and that attracts even more. If possible, check out the compound in late afternoon and see if lots of families are by the pool.
How to pick the right compound?
The closer an apartment is to international schools, the higher probability of finding family-friendly accommodation with similar families. Expat families naturally tend to prioritize accommodation near their child’s school.
How many 3+ bedroom apartments does it have?
Having a high percentage of 3+ bedrooms apartments within a condo is a good indicator that mostly families reside there. Importantly, most compounds that provide larger apartments were built with families in mind, and will usually include family-friendly facilities such as children's playground, basketball courts and some even offer child care and baby-sitting options.
Is the area quiet?
Visit the condo at different times of day if possible, to monitor the noise levels. Is it quite enough for your child to have a nap? For parents with teenagers, a 24-hour security guard can give you piece of mind when your children play around the condo complex. Check to see if there is any construction work nearby, work on construction sites is done 6 days a week up until the late evenings - not the best place to live with an infant.
Does the area have a community feel?
Walk around the area and see what type of vibe you feel, ask questions to locals and expats to gauge how responsive they are and if they are willing to help. Are there community centers or clubs for children to join in at the weekends or family oriented parks or events? This can help you determine the community feels for an area.
Is the condo and surrounding area friendly for children?
Your new apartment/house in Beijing might be nothing like your residence back home, with the lack of open space often being the biggest disparity. A compound that has something to keep the children busy such as a swimming pool, tennis courts, or even a park nearby is important. Having fun things to keep them occupied, along with giving them the opportunity to make friends much easier, can help them adjust and settle in faster.
Family-friendly compounds in Beijing
We recommend you look and ask around, but to get you started we present here some compounds that are well-recognized for having a great family atmosphere in Beijing.
1. Beijing Yosemite
Beijing Yosemite is a popular expat compound located along the Wenyu River and it is very green constituting around half of the compound with feng shui landscaping, barbecuing area, jogging trails and a lake to enjoy those summer days. Yosemite is situated along the banks of the Wenyu River by the Jingshun road and near to both the Beijing American School and the International School of Beijing (ISB).
2. Dragon Bay Villa
Dragon Bay Villa contains over 600 properties including townhouses, semi-detached and detached villas that range from a 286sqm 3 bedroom layout to a 420sqm 4 bedroom layout. Dragon Bay is situated along the banks of the Wenyu River and near to both the Beijing American School and the International School of Beijing (ISB).
3. Capital Paradise
Capital Paradise consists of over a thousand villas, apartments and townhouses that range from a 159sqm 3 bedroom layout to a 229sqm 4 bedroom layout. The compound has a large green area and is a favorite amongst foreigners due to its high quality and close location to ISB.
4. Beijing Riviera
Beijing Riviera covers an area of around 1.5 million square meters and contains around 447 luxury European style villas, 124 serviced apartments and 64 townhouses. The compound is popular amongst families for its family tailored facilities including a bike track, large green spaces including a lake, close to the Western Academy of Beijing, on-site Dulwich Kindergarten.
5. Grand Hills
Grand Hills covers an area of 240,000sqm with a central park that covers 80,000sqm and a man made lake, there are 153 North American style detached villas ranging from a 450sqm 4 bedroom layout to a 711sqm 5 bedroom layout. the compound contains green sloping hills and water features mixed with the low density housing makes this one of the most exclusive and popular compounds for expats in Beijing. Grand Hills is located on the Jing Shun Road opposite the Beijing Riviera compound and close to the Western Academy of Beijing.
Find your ideal Beijing property to rent
When hunting for family-friendly compounds in Beijing, it’s important to find something that matches everyone’s needs. Hopefully this article prompts you not to forget anything. And let us know in the comments below if you think there’s anything important we missed out!
To start your search for family-friendly compound now, check Maxview Realty website here that you can search from nearly two thousand properties to find the ones that suit you best.
Source: Maxview Realty website
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