The Huangpu river, cuts Shanghai into two parts. Pu Dong means "east" (of the river) and Pu Xi means "west" (of the river). Pu Xi usually refers to downtown which also means "Old Shanghai". This is where the old French Concession is located. The Bund is also on this side of river, directly across from the famous Shanghai landmark, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower which is located on the east side of the Huang Pu river.
The Bund is where the old famous Shanghai landmark classic buildings are located. This was the commercial heart of Shanghai, but still retains some of it beauty and mystery. Opposite the Bund is the Lu Jia Zui financial area, a newly developed central area of Pu Dong. Three bridges and tunnels link the Pu Dong with downtown.

Huang Pu River

Residential Area: There are three main residential areas in Shanghai. Downtown (Pu Xi)
This is the "real" Shanghai, where the old and new seem to be able to blend with one another. Many great restaurants and shops are within walking distance. Living here is no doubt a bit more exciting, but a little crowded too--even by Chinese standards! Many good expat apartments are located here. But for those with more discerning tastes, you may also find a beautiful old house to suit your needs. In general we can divide the city by neighborhood. They are:

Hengshan Lu

- French Concession Area, classic residential area of old Shanghai, Hengshan Lu activity place.
- Jing An Area, with many office buildings, the heart of the city.
- Huai Hai Road, with many office and commercial buildings, famous shopping street.
- Xu Jia Hui, a new hub of activity with many shopping and restaurants.

Hong Qiao Area

This area is located about 20 minutes west of the city center. It was mainly developed in the 1990's and is also regarded as an expat area for housing, especially the Gubei area, which is actually located within Hong Qiao. Most of expat villas are located in this area, there's more fresh air here, more greenery, less noisy and also very convenient for daily living. Most of the international schools are in or nearby Hong Qiao. Usually families prefer to this area as their new home in Shanghai.

Pu Dong Area

This is on the east side of the Huang Pu river and means the 'real suburbs'. This area is continually being developed. It is the focus of worldwide capitalization. Some large villas compounds are located in this area, and there are A few other international schools. So if you're concerned with quieter, more peaceful surroundings, this area is for you, although usually people who work in this area will live there.

Apartments

Most all the apartments are fully furnished, but you may pick and choose what you would like to keep or replace. Most of serviced luxury apartments offer housekeeping, fitness center and concierge service. Standard apartments offer basic style housing, fitness may be not provided.

Villas

They are fully furnished but you may add or subtract furnishings to suit your taste. Most all have big garden compounds, all services, such as gardening and housekeeping are inclusive. Most provide sports facilities, clubhouse and shuttle bus to major shopping areas and international schools.

Old House

They are usually near the city center, detached houses with private garden, and were built between 1920s and 1940s. They offer a lot of charm of old Shanghai, but they are very difficult to find and much sought after. They also require a great deal of maintenance, make sure you have a cooperative landlord and a security home.
Generally the landlord will repaint the walls, refinish the floors and generally prepare the apartment for your occupancy. Inspection of the electrical circuits and plumbing is also standard practice.
1-2 Television sets and stereo system are provided. Standard kitchen appliances include refrigerator, range, washing machine, dryer and microwave. Oven and dishwasher are usually available if you wish. The water is not recommended for drinking directly, a water machine is needed, but a few good villas have water filtration systems.
1-2 IDD telephone lines are offered, more lines or Cable, ADSL broaden internet line can be requested and easily installed.
One year lease is most common. You could request the Diplomatic Clause included in Tenancy Agreement, this clause enables you to break the lease after a set period of time, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, i.e. you might be arranged to leave this city by your company in a advanced timing.
The lease terms are written in English and Chinese. Under Chinese law, the Chinese version is the official version of the lease and will be relied on the event of a dispute.
Big Landlord (Developer / Company) VS Small Landlord (Individual)
Most of expat housings are from Big Landlords, it means the whole buildings or compounds are for lease only. These kind of housings are well managed and you will have a wide choice on furnishing, because they have full of standard furnishing and you can choose the furnishing condition as per your ideas - this might be a problem when dealing with a small landlord. It's wise to choose those Big Landlords for new comers who are not familiar with this city -