Staying at Xintiandi and south Huangpu

Xintiandi is the development that started Shanghai’s habit of turning historic lanes into commercial quarters: restored shikumen houses now holding restaurants, bars and shops, with glass towers behind them.

It is attractive, safe, well located and thoroughly synthetic. Some people love it; others find it the least Shanghai place in Shanghai.

The location argument

It is genuinely well placed: fifteen minutes’ walk to the Bund area in one direction, fifteen to the old city and Yu Garden in the other, and directly connected by line 10 to the Concession.

For a short trip where you want both old city and modern centre within walking distance, few areas beat it.

The downsides, plainly

Prices. Everything from coffee to dinner is set at expat-and-tourist levels. You can find better food within a fifteen-minute walk for a third of the cost.

And it has no daily life. There is no grocery shopping, no school run, nothing ordinary — it is a dining destination with hotels attached.

Better value nearby

The blocks immediately south toward the old city and Dashijie are considerably cheaper and much more interesting, though less pretty.

Also worth considering: staying near Laoximen for access to both Xintiandi and the real city at ordinary prices.

The downside

Everything here costs more than it should, and the area has a corporate sheen.