Young workers find cheap rent, great digs
March 26, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WHEN 27-year-old Luo Yu started searching for an apartment to rent in the Jiangchuan area, he suffered no end of frustration. He visited no fewer than 10 rental agencies before stumbling on to the 2030 Youth Apartments, a residential site where he found a new home.
The 2030 Youth Apartments are in a yellow-and-green building on Jiangchuan Road, only a 15-minute walk from the Jinping Road Station of Metro Line 5. The site opened a year ago as a project targeting young tenants.
The majority of leasees are people between the ages of 20 and 30, many of whom work at the nearby Minhang Economic and Technological Development Zone and the Zizhu Science Park.
The building was a renovation project jointly undertaken by the Minhang district government and the Wujing Property Management Co. The management group receives government funding that helps reduce the rental fees.
The complex has 102 apartments, between 20 and 40 square meters in size, equipped with basics like beds and cable television. The average monthly rent is 1,200 yuan (US$175.95), about 20 percent lower than those for equivalent size accommodation in the area. About 90 percent of the apartments have been rented out.
"I have a strong sense of belonging after moving to this apartment," Luo said.
He lives in Room 102, where visitors are greeted with a warm ambience. One wall is decorated with cartoon posters, and the aroma of rice and spices fills the air.
Luo, who grew up in the city of Nanchang in inland Jiangxi Province, used to work in downtown Shanghai at the credit card division of a bank. Last year, he was transferred by the bank to Jiangchuan.
Luo said the rents for a 50-square-meter apartment at the complex range between 1,500 yuan and 2,000 yuan. He almost couldn't believe his luck when he first found the site.
"I visited many apartments," he said. "For those with reasonable rents, the facilities were very old, and even then, some were charging more than 2,000 yuan. That wasn't affordable for me because I am just starting my career."
He finally decided on a 40-square-meter unit that costs him 1,200 yuan a month. He said he is more than satisfied about the outcome.
"This 2030 is a warm place and has a good social atmosphere," he said.
There is a book bar in the complex where tenants can go to read, watch films or just chat with other residents. There's even a wall where everyone is invited to post their feelings or observations about anything they want. Some tenants have become close friends.
A notice board lists upcoming free movies that will be screened there: "Inception," "Castle in the Sky" and "First Love."
The complex also sponsors social events, like a Christmas party, Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, cultural salons and table tennis games. No fees are charged, said Xing Dongping, a senior manager of the building.
For some outdoor activities, however, there are small fees.
Two months after moving into his new flat, Luo quit his bank job and decided to work for 2030. He handles the financial affairs, rents and promotion activities for the complex.
Gu Chunyan, a 23-year-old woman who has just started her first job, said she is very happy living at the complex. She decorated her room with yellow walls, pink chairs, green curtains and stuffed animals.
She moved twice in three years before settling in at 2030.
"The environment is good, the rent is relatively cheap and the locale is convenient," she said. "It's a perfect place for young people."
She said she also doesn't have to worry about a landlord terminating the lease on her because of the integrity of the complex.
The 2030 Youth Apartments are in a yellow-and-green building on Jiangchuan Road, only a 15-minute walk from the Jinping Road Station of Metro Line 5. The site opened a year ago as a project targeting young tenants.
The majority of leasees are people between the ages of 20 and 30, many of whom work at the nearby Minhang Economic and Technological Development Zone and the Zizhu Science Park.
The building was a renovation project jointly undertaken by the Minhang district government and the Wujing Property Management Co. The management group receives government funding that helps reduce the rental fees.
The complex has 102 apartments, between 20 and 40 square meters in size, equipped with basics like beds and cable television. The average monthly rent is 1,200 yuan (US$175.95), about 20 percent lower than those for equivalent size accommodation in the area. About 90 percent of the apartments have been rented out.
"I have a strong sense of belonging after moving to this apartment," Luo said.
He lives in Room 102, where visitors are greeted with a warm ambience. One wall is decorated with cartoon posters, and the aroma of rice and spices fills the air.
Luo, who grew up in the city of Nanchang in inland Jiangxi Province, used to work in downtown Shanghai at the credit card division of a bank. Last year, he was transferred by the bank to Jiangchuan.
Luo said the rents for a 50-square-meter apartment at the complex range between 1,500 yuan and 2,000 yuan. He almost couldn't believe his luck when he first found the site.
"I visited many apartments," he said. "For those with reasonable rents, the facilities were very old, and even then, some were charging more than 2,000 yuan. That wasn't affordable for me because I am just starting my career."
He finally decided on a 40-square-meter unit that costs him 1,200 yuan a month. He said he is more than satisfied about the outcome.
"This 2030 is a warm place and has a good social atmosphere," he said.
There is a book bar in the complex where tenants can go to read, watch films or just chat with other residents. There's even a wall where everyone is invited to post their feelings or observations about anything they want. Some tenants have become close friends.
A notice board lists upcoming free movies that will be screened there: "Inception," "Castle in the Sky" and "First Love."
The complex also sponsors social events, like a Christmas party, Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, cultural salons and table tennis games. No fees are charged, said Xing Dongping, a senior manager of the building.
For some outdoor activities, however, there are small fees.
Two months after moving into his new flat, Luo quit his bank job and decided to work for 2030. He handles the financial affairs, rents and promotion activities for the complex.
Gu Chunyan, a 23-year-old woman who has just started her first job, said she is very happy living at the complex. She decorated her room with yellow walls, pink chairs, green curtains and stuffed animals.
She moved twice in three years before settling in at 2030.
"The environment is good, the rent is relatively cheap and the locale is convenient," she said. "It's a perfect place for young people."
She said she also doesn't have to worry about a landlord terminating the lease on her because of the integrity of the complex.
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