Former French Concession

With its tree-lined streets and crumbling old villas, the Former French Concession is possibly Shanghai's most visitor-friendly area, with ample shade and sidewalks meant to be pounded. It's a wonderful place to go wandering and make serendipitous discoveries of stately architecture, groovy boutiques and galleries, or cozy cafés. Here much of Shanghai's past beauty remains, although many of the old buildings are in desperate state of disrepair. One of the major roads through this area, Huaihai Lu, is a popular shopping location, with shops selling international and local brands. Julu Lu, Fumin Lu, Fuxing Xi Lu, and Yongfu Lu are where many of Shanghai's restaurants, bars, and clubs are located, so if you are looking for an evening out, head to this area.