Suzhou
Suzhou is a city about 80km west of Shanghai with about 6 million inhabitants. It is most renowned in China for its gardens and canals. Some of the gardens are worth a visit and canal trips can be good if you want to get a feel for the city as it used to be.
Much has changed however, and partly due to the construction of a massive industrial park/export zone the city is now starting to fill with foreign ex-pats, and as a consequence more foreign bars and restaurants. Unfortunately the air and water pollution have spun out of control, also as a result of the industrial park. All in all though, it's not the worst place to live and if you get bored you can escape to Shanghai very easily.
Living
Suzhou has some good restaurants and bars, both chinese and foreign, as more and more foreigners of all ages are coming to live here, senior managers, engineers and younger people teaching english, basically. Apart from going to bars there are more and more western oriented activities becoming available such as bowling, golf, boating and other types of sports and leisure activities.
There are buses around the city for about 10 cents but Taxis are about 2 euro from the city centre to most areas in suzhou. Trains to shanghai cost between 1 and 2 euro and can take between 40 and 90 minutes. Bicycle or scooter is a good way of getting around too and are quite inexpensive, but its hard to hold on to one for too long without it getting stolen. That said, the pace of life here is very laid back and although there are robberies and some pickpocketing, physical attacks on foreigners or breaking and entering foreigners homes is practically unheard of.
In winter the cold is unbearable and in summer the heat (combined with humidity and pollution) is also unbearable so keep that in mind. You will need good air heating/air conditioning wherever you go at these times.
The cost of living is very low here. You can eat out 2 or 3 times every day and take taxis everywhere you go and it should not cost you any more than 80 euros per week.
Dining Out
Blue Marlin restaurant/bars (for foreigners mostly with english menus and friendly english speaking staff), you can find these in SGV in the new district, feng huan jie in the city centre, and in the SIP.
Southern Cross Cafe at the end of guan qian jie (walking/shopping street)
Sicilys restaurant, off guan qian jie
Amazon, also off guan qian jie, do all you can eat deals for 5 euros, great food.
Thai Food on Shang Yie Jie in the new district, excellent and authentic Thai food.
The Drunken Chef at Gan Jiang Lu and Lin Dun Lu crossing, excellent Mexican and European foods
Indian at the cross on Shi Quan Jie prepared by Indian chefs.
There are also several good restaurants in the Suzhou Industrial Park, along with a great new German Brau Haus which opened recently, it serves home made brews and does great barbeques at the weekends.
There are a host of good Chinese restaurants along ren min lu and top qualtiy inexpensiveJapanese restaurants along downtown street in the new district.
There are a number of Pizza Huts & Mc Donalds and KFC is everywhere if thats your thing.
Entertainment
There are two cinemas off guan qian jie (one shows films in english), several theatres and there are usuallysome good outdoor shows on guan qian jie beside the temple. Apart from the parks and canals that I already mentioned you have Karaoke bars, usually for Japanese and regular bars, usually for westerners. Chinese people don't go to bars so much, they prefer to go to restaurants and drink there with a meal.
There are one or 2 places to dance but if you want to go clubbing properly you'd be better off going to shanghai, trains run to and from shanghai all night and if you get stuck you can usually bargain a taxi either way for 30 euros. DVD's and Playstation games are *very* cheap (don't ask!) and very available.
Nightlife
Pulp Fiction Bar on Shi Qian Jie (bar street). Run by 2 australian brothers, always full of foreigners andusually gets a bit crazy on weekends.
The Pub Bar (beside pulp fiction)
Whiskey Jacks bar, on the other side of pulp fiction, more mature western crowd and usually has good music
Scarlets Disco (beside whiskey jacks) good mix of music & dance floor, not always many westerners.
The Funky Monkey (shi qian jie) great spot and cheap for students and english teachers albeit a bit small
Toms Bar, around the corner from the cluster of bars on Shi Qian Jie, small dance floor. Interesting spot..
Casablanca, around the corner again from Toms bar, a kind of a last resort place, be careful though, thereare some chinese mafia types floating around though.
The Drunken Chef (as mentioned in the restaurants section) is also a good spot for a pint and a chat.
There are four Blue Marlin restaurants dotted around Suzhou that are good if you fancy a quiet drink.
Several more places that sound promising are opening soon including an Irish bar and a 'Paulhaner Brauhaus'.