Insider's Guide:
This section is designed for foreigners living in Shanghai to share their experiences and insights on daily life in their local communities. From hidden gems to popular spots, they will introduce you to the best food, drink, entertainment, and more in their neighborhoods.
Lucy Young, born and raised in New York, has lived in Shanghai for the past 19 years.
Lucy Young, born and raised in New York, has been living in Shanghai for the last 19 years with her husband and children. Her arrival in the city followed years of living and working in Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore. She loved every one of those cities, but Shanghai is the place where she feels truly at home.
Young has a gift paper and card design business called Paper Tiger Shanghai. During the COVID pandemic, she and her friends started a small community mahjong lessons group – the Shanghai Joy Luck Club – teaching mahjong in English which included a book they put together.
Currently, she's heavily involved in the creative side and marketing of Julu Gin, a gin brand she and her husband founded last year with two friends.
A street scene of Julu Road
Q: Introduce the neighborhood you live in.
A: I live in what's known as the Ju Fu neighborhood – the street where Julu Road and Fumin Road intersect.
Q: What's the best thing about living in this neighborhood?
A: We have seen this neighborhood grow from a street of mom-and-pop stores and noodle shops (where I used to witness the cook chopping vegetables on the sidewalk – using the sidewalk as the cutting board!) to its current incarnation of cafés, bars, and boutiques. But the best thing about this neighborhood, despite the gentrification, is the same people living in the area who have stories, memories and histories that date back decades. There are also a few holdouts from the old neighborhood businesses that still continue to thrive.
Dip In Gelato
Q: What's the unmissable attraction here?
A: The long queue for the gelato shop on Fumin Road (Dip In Gelato at 203 Fumin Road) and the sneaker shop on Julu Road (Juice at 832 Julu Road). Basically, the people are watching.
Slabtown is a great little café on Fumin Road.
Q: Each person may have different stands, but they all want a great café. What's your favorite café near home?
A: We go to Slabtown at 1 Fumin Road. Not only is it a great little café, but it has the best beans for home brewing too.
For a casual quick bite, Young heads over to More Than Eat at 758 Julu Road.
Nepali Kitchen at 819 Julu Road is a weekly go-to.
Q: Where to eat around here?
A: So many. For a casual quick bite I would head over to More Than Eat at 758 Julu Road – an indoor food hall that has many different cuisines. Our weekly go-to includes Nepali Kitchen at 819 Julu Road for delicious Nepalese/Indian food; Shandong Dumplings at 14 Yanqing Road for plump and juicy handmade dumplings; Tres Perros at 148 Fumin Road for tapas and sangria; Chicago tavern-style pizza we go to Zup Pizza Bar at 291 Fumin Road.
For breakfast, we love the Shanghainese breakfast stalls at the end of Fumin and on the corner of Yanqing Road.
Young's favorite boutique, Madame Mao's Dowry, used to be on Fumin Road and is now tucked into 820 Julu Road, House 6, in a studio space.
Q: From high fashion to emerging designers, from flowers to fresh produce, where do you shop in your neighborhood?
A: I shop at my favorite boutique Madame Mao's Dowry which used to be on Fumin Road, but is now tucked into 820 Julu Road, House 6, in a studio space. Farther down this lane is The Studio, a wonderful collective of locally based international designers that houses Loop Swimwear, The Nectary Foundry and Fernanda Sung Jewelry.
I pick up my fresh fruit and vegetables from a small stand that is at 845 Julu Road. My fresh flowers come from my flower man, whose cart is always in the JuFu area; and for my Western pantry items, I go to Alex Shop on Fumin Road.
When the weather is nice, Young likes to grab a beer at La Mesa on Julu Road.
Q: Any neighborhood place for a night out or simply a drink after work?
A: So many choices! I used to love to go to Kartel rooftop at the corner of Julu and Xiangyang roads, but they closed during the pandemic and that building is undergoing some renovations which will be interesting to see what happens there.
When the weather is nice, we like grabbing a beer at La Mesa at 758 Julu Road; for cocktails, Banana Moon at 259 Fumin Road is a great spot and for after-dinner drinks we sometimes hit Lucky Mart (185 Fumin Road) for a highball or beer.
Q: Any new discovery in your neighborhood lately?
A: Suzie's Garden (38 Fumin Road) is a welcome new addition to the neighborhood. The food, service and cocktail menu was amazing. Attentive staff, excellent food and drinks.