The part of the city around Green Lake is indeed a nice area to walk around in, and there are coffee shops and bars in the area - almost everywhere there are restaurants. Might be hard to find a 6-month rental in Cui Ming Yuan, but there are other opportunities in the area. The area is a bit more expensive than most areas in the city, but still far below your suggested budget.

This topic has been covered over and over this year and last. Click on the forums tab. Go to the search function. Type in Apartment or similar topic. You will get a wide variety of opinions. A lot depends on your specific situation and over all budgets.

Directly adjacent to Green Lake Road (cuifu lu) is probably NOT a good place to live, if you're home during morning and evening rush hours. The smog and noise from buses and cars is utterly noxious, unless you're pretty high up in the high-rise buildings. Aside from that - strolling, biking, or jogging around the lake (outside of rush hours) is fantastic. The late evenings (after 10-11pm) after the noisy groups have shutdown - make the area a great place for quiet scenic walks.

There are many nice locations in the general downtown area. A lot appear not so upscale outside. If not serviced apartments I assume you want furnished. There are a few cleaning services. We have regular classical music concerts and plays of many sorts. A lot of buildings have gyms. Like the Brilliant Plaza. Some places do not have western style toilets. There is subway to some parts of the city and many buses for public transportation as well as taxis. Depending on your work and living locations commute time is factor. See my PM.

Then we have the Visa and permit questions since you will be here for six months. Be sure you have the proper permits or visas for both of you to live and/or work in Kunming. If its a Chinese organization you will be working for, be sure they have experience doing this for foreign nationals.

'Utterly noxious' smog and noise will be relevant to whatever you may be used to - doesn't strike me as particularly bad. Cui Ming is high-rise, upscale, haven't noticed noise in the apartments of friends I have there; 'utterly noxious', in Chinese cities, is a whole lot more serious than this area, or Kunming in general.

I am going through the Visa process now and will have the documents needed by late August. I would like to live in an upscale accomidation and would love if it had a pool/ fitness facility. I am not sure if this is possible in Kunming. Are their any specific properties that people can recommend or specific websites or companies that are good to find upscale housing?

OK, but note the bubble effect of living in much upscale housing (think of gated communities in the US, for example).

I've know places with swimming pools, gyms, serviced apartments (you mean with cleaners - right?). Unfortunately I don't know a specific place in or near the northwest of the city that has all 3. There are many villas in the south west area of the city (near dianchi lake), but that could be an annoying commute for you. My advice is this: stay in a hotel when you arrive. Go with your wife and a Chinese helper (assuming you don't speak good Chinese) to the most upmarket letting agency you can find. Tell them your budget is 12,000 per month. They will of course try to show you properties priced above that, which according to your maximum of 18k, will not be a problem for you. I pay 2500 per month for a 82 square metre 2 bedroom apartment in a niceish newish complex. Having a serviced apartment triples the price, but that won't be a problem with your budget.

The HiTech zone has a couple of semi shopping areas. The best one is where the Walmart is (there is a gym), but you'll still be quite far from most expat bars cafes etc.

It's totally safe and boring everywhere there and quite pleasant for walks or cycling as long as you avoid dump truck streets or time.

Plenty of nice new complexes. Given your monthly allowance, you can rent anything anywhere (no pool; they're just rare).

If you live in the other areas and commute, then car is the best option unless you're a cyclist. Buses there are less common and crowded and take a while, and no subway.