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I spent my early childhood in Northwest China, where I developed a love for lamb kabobs and Lanzhou noodles. At age 10, I moved to the US, where I longed for kabobs and noodles for the next 20 years! Now, I am back in China, and I can eat to my heart's content!

TaiKang Lu Shopping, aka Tian Zi Fang (田子房）
 
I first discovered the neighborhood around TaiKang Lu, Sinan Lu, when I first moved to Shanghai three years ago. I asked a local friend where I could find a laid-back neighborhood, away from the tourists and bars, a place with interesting shops and cafes. To my delight, she introduced me to Tian Zi Fang.

The entrance to Tian Zi Fang is located on Taikang Lu, halfway between Sinan Lu and Ruijing Lu. If you drive too fast, you will miss it. Flanked by a pottery studio and a boutique, the entrance is not particularly eye-catching. As you walk through the entrance， however, you will start to notice this alley is no ordinary expat hangout.

Immediately, I noticed there were hardly anyone else in the alley. I passed a couple of mediocre art galleries, and a few jewelry boutiques. So far, I wasn't impressed by what I saw, but I was already happy to be away from the crowds. As I walked forther into the alley, I discovered a small quartyard, filled with empty tables for a cafe, and a handful of shops. That's where I discovered Jo ma Arts, which is where I would find too many beautiful things. 

At that time, three years ago, that was basically the extent of Tian Zi Fang, a handful of galleries, boutiques and a cafe. One of the things that made it unique was the fact that all of this was nestled inside a traditional Shanghainese nonghang, which is equivalent to the Beijing hutongs. Built around 1920s, these Shanghainese neighborhoods are known for their tight living quarters, narrow alleys, and traces of art deco architecture and influence.

How quickly things have changed in three years! If you go to Tian Zi Fang today, you will no longer enjoy peace and tranquility. Instead of a handful of cafes and shops, you will find at least ten cafes alone, and five times the number of boutiques.

While it can feel a little too crowded, most of the changes are welcomed. Instead of a short stroll in an alley, you can stay in Tian Zi Fang all day, walking from restaurant to shop to cafe to restaurant. Also, this is probably the only place in Shanghai where the locals hang out with expats side-by-side. Grandmas and grandpas come out to chit chat outside of cafes, while expats sip on expensive coffee inside the cafe.

You might wonder if the local residents mind if the cafes and shops have taken over their neighborhood. In fact, it was the local resident board that started this craze in the first place. Around two years ago, the local residents joined together and started renting out their apartments to investors. They got a lot more from the investors than they would from the market, so more and more started renting our their apartments. As a result, I find new shops every time I go back to Tian Zi Fang, which is almost every week.

If you want to check out a place where expats go when they get tired of XinTianDi, go check out Tian Zi Fang!





06/23/2008
 

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