Nils-Arne Schroeder and Renate Lee-Schroeder know all about making homes in new places. The German and South Korean couple moves every few years as part of Nils’ work in the hospitality industry. After living in Malaysia and Namhae, South Korea, today Nils, Renate, and their kids Kyla, 5, and Kaden, 18 months, love their new life in Wangfujing.
Place for weekend fun
We go to the parks if weather permits. We find Chaoyang Park the easiest one for walking around with a baby stroller. Plus the kids love to run around on the grass, which is difficult to find
in Beijing.
Outdoor play space
Since we live so close to the Forbidden City, we like to stroll around the old hutongs by Wangfujing on the way to Tian’anmen Square.
Easy getaway
Singapore. It’s warm year-round and they’ve got a great zoo, night safari, aquarium, toy stores and bookstores for the kids, as well as fantastic shopping and restaurants for mom and dad.
Weekend ritual
Kyla has ballet and ice skating lessons on weekends, so we always go out for lunch afterward. We like to go to Vascos for Macanese food.
Kid’s clothing
We go to Zara Kids for Kyla and
Mothercare in Solana for Kaden.
Remedy for homesickness
It’s difficult to justify homesickness for our family, since all four of us were born and raised in different countries. We bring Kyla, who was born in Malaysia, to Awana on Ladies Street for authentic Malaysian food.
Toy shopping
We go to the toyshops on the fourth floor of the APM Mall, which includes a big Lego shop. There’s also a guy who performs magic for kids.
Good report card award
We take Kyla to her favorite ice cream shop Romana, located in the basement of APM Mall in Wangfujing. She can’t get enough of their strawberry and mango ice creams.
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