Dongzhimen (东直门), which means "East Gate" in Chinese - the area was originally the location of the East Gate of the wall surrounding old Beijing - is a popular residential area for expatriates wanting to live close to downtown, without necessarily paying the premium housing prices they'll pay a little closer to the heart of the city... though there are still plenty of luxury accommodations here to spare, too.
The East Gate -
Dongzhimen - in 1908.
Dongzhimen lies between Beijing's 2nd Ring and 3rd Ring Roads, with 2nd Ring Road in Dongzhimen connecting to the Airport Expressway and China National Highway 101. The Dongzhimen subway station is a transfer station between Line 2, Line 13, and the Airport Express subway line.
Due to Dongzhimen's proximity to Sanlitun, it's a common
neighborhood for young singles as well as the working professionals
employed in the nearby CBD.
Living Arrangements
Dongzhimen runs the gamut from old Chinese-style walk-up apartments with no elevators or amenities to plush villas by a small manmade lake, and the range of housing prices here is among the broadest in Beijing.
Whatever the sort of housing you're searching for, you'll probably
find it in Dongzhimen.
In all Western living compounds here, you'll find:
- Central, government-mandated parks and green space
- Exercise facilities and fitness gyms
- Convenience stores and shops
- Guardhouses with regular patrols
Not quite as pricey as what you'll encounter either closer to downtown, or deeper into the built-up expatriate residential zones like Lufthansa Area or Shunyi, rent prices for Western accommodations in Dongzhimen range from about ¥6,000 per month for a studio apartment on the low end, to more normal prices of ¥10,000 to ¥30,000 for most apartment options.
Local Amenities
Dongzhimen's selection of expatriate-friendly amenities include:
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Western supermarkets BHG, Carrefour, Jenny Lou's, and Wal-Mart
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Dining options including Italian, Russian, French, Latin American, American, and Thai restaurants
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Cafés and coffee shops like Beetle in a Box, Costa Coffee, SPR Coffee, Starbucks, A Corner Café, Finnice Café Bar, Sole Café, The Red House, Cookie World, Taste Coffee, and more
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Bars such as Great Leap Brewing, The Sea, Cheers, Cru Bar, Somewhere, DORON, and others
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Raffles City, Ginza Mall, East Gate Plaza, and other large shopping malls with a variety of shops and stores
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Guijie ("Food Vessel Street"), also known as "Ghost Street" because the Chinese character gui (簋) sounds similar to the Chinese for "ghost", actually has much more to do with food than it does with spirits - its 100 or so restaurants up and down the street are open nearly 24 hours, and see some of their busiest hours by night. It's located right in the heart of Dongzhimen
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Office buildings located here include Oriental Kenzo, the Yu-Fei Building, Geshua Plaza, East Gate Plaza, Fuhua Mansion, Guohua Investment Tower, and Sky Plaza, among others
Dongzhimen offers an especially good selection of conveniences, with
its numerous shopping malls, coffee shops, and proximity to similar
offerings in downtown. Ghost Street promises you'll never be hungry, no
matter what hour of the day or night your tummy starts rumbling, either.
Education
The only school located in Dongzhimen serving international students is Beijing No. 55 Middle School and High School, a Chinese public middle and high school that accepts exptriate students. Students here receive dual instruction in international curricula and the Chinese national curriculum. The main language of instruction in the middle school is Chinese; instruction is offered in both English and Chinese in the high school (and left at the student's discretion as to which language he will be instructed in).
However, Dongzhimen is only a hop, skip, and a jump from the many
international schools located in the Lufthansa Area - so families here
are not too far from where children will most likely end up heading for
their educations.
Main article: International Schools in Beijing: The
School Guide
Location
Dongzhimen is located between the East 2nd and 3rd Ring Roads, and offers straightforward transportation to anywhere else in the city or out of it, via numerous transportation options (subway, bus, train, airport express).
Next to Sanlitun, the area is in close walking distance of Beijing's best shopping, dining, and nightlife experiences. Its proximity to where most expatriates will go to work or attend school makes life easier too.
If Dongzhimen has one downside, it may be that it lies close to your
likely destinations - rather than being the destination itself.
Verdict
The wide variety of living options in Dongzhimen, the area's long history of housing expatriates of all stripes and shades, and its proximity to downtown and the major school districts make it a frequent choice for residents looking to settle somewhere that puts them close to the action without being right in the middle of it.
If you're looking for a solid choice that doesn't have the so-steep
rents of downtown or Lufthansa / Shunyi, but you still want to be near
to where you need to get to, Dongzhimen can do the trick. Or, if you
don't want to be in the thick of things all the time and would like to
get away, if just for a little bit (except when near the crowded train
station, that is), Dongzhimen just might be the choice for you.
Ready to begin browsing for an apartment in Dongzhimen? You can head here to start now:
 Dongzhimenwai 东直门外 Price: ¥6 500 Beds: 1 | Baths: 1 |
 Dongzhimenwai 东直门外 Price: ¥70 000 Beds: 5 | Baths: 3 |
 Dongzhimenwai 东直门外 Price: ¥16 000 Beds: 3 | Baths: 2 |
 Dongzhimenwai 东直门外 Price: ¥18 000 Beds: 3 | Baths: 2 |
 Dongzhimenwai 东直门外 Price: ¥8 000 Beds: 1 | Baths: 1 |
Or, see more apartments here: Apartments in Dongzhimen
