Shanghai Expat: Pudong or Puxi ?

We're moving in August to Shanghai and this has been an area we're still deep in research. I think though we're leaning more towards the Puxi area. We're moving from central Toronto--for those who know it's the St. Clair/Dufferin area--which is not quite downtown however a 10 minute walk down the street and we'll be downtown. We love our neighbourhood for the "classic Toronto" feel--We just have to turn the corner and we have well over 20 family owned mulit-cultural restaurants that cater to anything our taste buds desire. We also love that there are schools around us, parks galore and the neighbourhoods are settled. I was working out in the 'burbs' of Toronto and my partner was working downtown yet we chose not to live in the burbs--and this for me is what Pudong seems like--that urban sprawl that is Mississauga or Markham. Manufactured neighbourhoods. I think Puxi appears more settled, diverse and while it is 'dirtier' it's Shanghai. We also have a child and I cant help but feel I would be letting her down if I was to live in the 'burbs'.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this is how I see it--I suppose we'll find out if our feelings are the same when we actually arrive.

And...

Really have a think before u settle down in Century Park. Sure, it is a nice and fairly clean and quiet area, close to Carrefour and quite convenient.. But it is also very far from things! I lived there for 6 months, and enjoyed it OK, but in the end I was so fed up with catching the metro and doing that annoying change at (always crowded) people square, as well as having to pay an expensive taxi ride every time I missed the last metro home.

I find Puxi to be more enjoyable in terms of things going on, and living at Century park proved to be annoying a lot of times when someone called and asked if I wanted to grab a quick bite somewhere (like in the french concession), and I knew it would take me maybe 45 min to get there, and then 45 min home.... I moved after 6 months and now live in the french concession, which I like so much better! I don't find the FC noisy or overwhelming. Pollution is everywhere, and I can still go and visit Pudong when I have an errand there. But overall I find life on the west side more convenient.

Really, you catch different vibes from the Puxi and Pudong peoples' answers. It's like the Caltech and Harvey Mudd rivalry: Techers speak fondly of their campus, and Mudders yap at our heels trying to justify how good they are, always using their rival's yardstick to measure themselves.