Chengdu - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
US Consulate compound. It is adjacent to the Consulate. <1 minute walk to work. Units are single-floor units with various sizes, some with balconies. It is simple and cozy but adequate. The compound has a playground, a tennis court and a pool. Kids love riding the scooters/bikes around the compound, playing tennis, swimming in the pool and having friends around to play with. Location is great. Walking distance to many restaurants, shops and a mall. Subway station is right around the corner. - Aug 2017
Consulate housing is moving towards service apartments (Oakwood, Ascott, Fraser Suites), which is very nice. For large families, there is housing on the consulate compound. There are a few older apartment buildings which are not as nice, but i think they are mostly being phased out. Almost all of the housing is quite convenient to the Consulate, either by walking or the metro. - May 2016
Chengdu is a rapidly growing Consulate so the housing pool is always changing. Compact high-rise apartments are the norm. They often look quite nice but construction standards are not what they are in the U.S.---as is the case in most developing countries. Depending on traffic (which increased dramatically even during our 2 years in Chengdu) commute times vary from 5-10 minutes to 30-45 minutes at rush hour to the apartments the furthest away. The nice thing is that these high-rises always tend to open right into bustling neighborhoods. Unless you live in a villa community outside of town, you are never more than a 5 minute walk from a noodle shop, a convenience store and a vegetable or fruit stand. The Consulate does have 12 apartments mostly reserved for families with children. They may not be the most stylish but the build quality is much appreciated. - Aug 2013
In the US Consulate community there are a couple of free-standing homes, a couple of townhouses, and lots of apartments. - May 2013
