Whether you are here for the World Cup, the Premier League, the NFL/NBA/NCAA playoffs, or just want a place to catch a game with a cold beer, Shanghai has plenty of options. The city’s sports bar scene has grown well beyond a few expat haunts. Today, you have dedicated American-style sports bars, Aussie pubs, British-style boozers, and massive multi-sport complexes. Here is a guide to some of the...

As an expat parent, one of your biggest decisions in Shanghai will be your child‘s education. You have three main options: international schools (for foreign passport holders), local public schools (for the academically intense local curriculum), and the increasingly popular middle ground – bilingual schools. This guide focuses on bilingual schools. We will explain what they are, how they...

Chevalier Place is not a large compound. It is a single 33-story tower with only 113 units . But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in exclusivity and service. The building sits on Anfu Road, one of the most desirable streets in the Former French Concession. You are steps from the cafes on Anfu, the boutiques on Wukang Road, and the consulates on Wulumuqi Road . Yet the building itself is...

If you have rented an apartment in Shanghai, chances are you have already encountered the concept of a second landlord (二房东 / èr fáng dōng) – whether you realized it or not. You find a beautifully renovated apartment online. The photos look great. The price is reasonable. You meet someone for a viewing, sign a contract, and move in. Weeks later, you discover that the person you...

There is a corner of Shanghai where grey brick Shikumen walls meet glass shopfronts. Where an alley that once led to a family kitchen now leads to an Italian restaurant. Where the past was not torn down. It was redesigned. Xintiandi is not the oldest part of Shanghai. It is not the quietest or the cheapest. But no other neighborhood tells the story of the city‘s transformation quite like this...

If you have been searching for an apartment in central Shanghai, you have noticed the trade-off. The compounds in Jing’an and the Former French Concession are well-managed and conveniently located, but they were built in the 2000s. The air conditioning works, but the layout feels dated. The flooring is intact, but you can tell it‘s been there for twenty years. Hong Yin Li (鸿印里) changes...

You‘ve landed in Shanghai. You’ve cleared customs. You‘re standing in the arrivals hall, jet-lagged, staring at your phone, and it says "No Service." That’s the moment you realize: you need a Chinese SIM card. And you need it now. It‘s not complicated. But there are a few things you should know before you walk into the first China Mobile shop you see. This guide covers the three major...

Some compounds in Shanghai feel like they were designed by committee – safe, boring, indistinguishable from a dozen others. One Park Avenue is not one of those places. Walk through the entrance on Changde Road, and you step into a different world. The central garden is massive. Mature trees shade winding paths. A small pond sits next to a barbecue area. Willow branches brush the water. Young couples...

Some places feel like they belong on a movie set. Yuyuan Garden is one of them. Tucked away in the middle of Shanghai‘s busiest tourist district, this 400-year-old garden is a time machine. One minute you‘re pushing through crowds near the City God Temple, surrounded by neon signs and souvenir shops. The next minute, you step through an ancient gate and suddenly the noise fades. You‘re standing...

The elevator opens directly into your apartment. No shared hallway. No neighbors walking past your door. That is the first thing you notice about Kingsville. The building sits at 198 Anfu Road, tucked back from the street behind a small courtyard. The twin towers are 29 stories each, but there are only 102 units total. Most floors have just two apartments. On some floors, there is only one. The...