C’s apartment is located in the Xu Jia Hui district, about a few stops away from the centre of Shanghai. But it is self-sufficient and thus, we spent a week in this district by foot without the need of venturing out of this district.
There is a nice little park across the road. Supermarkets (big and small), wet markets, convenient stalls, eateries, restaurants, confectionaries (yes, it seems that Shanghainese has taken a liking to bread!), cafes, small tea shops and gigantic shopping malls can all be found just within walking distance of the apartment. There is even a small Japanese village where one can find a small concentration of Japanese restaurants.
IKEA is also within walking distance. Local and international banks are dotted along a road which is just 3 minutes’ walk from the apartment. And not to mention, the huge electronics malls in the vicinity! So we managed to set up our 3G connection and bank account, bought a Chinese SIM card, some electrical appliances, cleaning products, cutlery all in Xu Jia Hui without having to take any transport. Dental clinics are also nearby.
