Former French Concession (Jing An) Apartments and Neighborhood Info

The Former French Concession is perhaps the most charming part of Shanghai's truly unique appeal - the juxtaposition between the ultra-modern and the colonial past. With its tree-lined streets, boutique shops, historic lane houses and villas, the area is a window into the city's history. For a certain type of expatriate, the opportunity to experience 'lane house life' or what some call 'the real China' is the main draw. For others it's the area's location at the heart of downtown Shanghai which provides unfettered access to the city's seemingly boundless shopping, cultural, dining and nightlife options. Some are attracted to the exclusivity of living in the unique properties sprinkled among the locals who still comprise the vast majority of residents.

To the north, the area is bounded by Yan'an Elevated Road, which divides the downtown inner ring area roughly in half east to west. The combination of Xujiahui Lu and Hongqiao Lu mark the southern edge while Huashan Lu and Xizang Nan Lu define the western and eastern borders of the district respectively. Huaihai Lu is the main east-west thoroughfare through the area.

If you are looking for that authentic Shanghai experience, then there are three types of properties that you'll be looking at. The first and most stunning of these properties are garden houses. Each of these stand alone two story villas has a large garden and in most cases have been restored to their former grace rather than renovated. Of the options for historic homes, they are in the shortest supply and are at the top end of the price range. They are also the most exclusive properties in the city.

The second option and by far the most popular with expats are lane houses, which can be found in shikumen. Each shikumen (literally stone gate), or lane, is a micro community of formerly 3 or 4-floor townhouses which in most cases were divided into smaller dwellings. Over the past decade, many of these townhouses were reconstituted and renovated - often beautifully - into spacious single family dwellings. They usually come with a small courtyard with a high stone fence or roof patio and in some cases a carpark.

During the renovation process, many lanehouses were totally gutted to make way for a fully modern makeover. It's not uncommon to find a lane house that is better appointed than the luxury villas found in suburban areas and with a design that is totally unique.

That being said, for every grade A renovated lane house, there is another with issues. Many of the shikumen do not have upgraded water and sewage, so while the property may have all new pipes, it may still suffer from slow draining showers and inadequate water pressure. Internet speeds may also be an issue. Ironically, Shanghai has some of the worst Internet speeds in China and shikumen are only now being upgraded to 2MB bandwidth. Mold is another problem to be aware of as corner cutting on waterproofing in an already damp city can lead to very damp homes.

The third option for colonial housing in the Former French Concession is the colonial apartment, many of which are in classic art-deco buildings designed by famous architects in the first half of the 20th century. Many have been beautifully renovated and are quite popular with young professional couples looking for something more special during their time in the city.

Though only about 20 percent of what was once 9000 colonial buildings remain standing, many of them are in the Former French Concession. That isn't to say that colonial vestiges are the only possibilities for housing, as numerous high-rise luxury apartment complexes replete with top-end amenities also dot the area. Many of these complexes offer stunning views of the city, given their low-rise surroundings, providing occupants the feeling of being above it all.