Lane Houses and a real Thanksgiving

Based on Thursday’s adventure, we asked to see more houses and apartments in the French Concession neighborhood. We really like the tree-lined streets and character of the area. We began with 2 traditional Shanghai-style 1930s/1940s Lane Houses that had been restored. They are basically lanes of 4 to 5-floor townhouses off of main roads. In the end we decided it was too much stair climbing for a daily basis, especially if family comes to visit. One interesting housing possibility is a converted mansion subdivided into 2 or 3 bedroom apartments on a third of an acre lot in the middle of the action. The mansion option is amazing – except for the Chinese owners’ decorations which were inspired by an Italian designer who clearly loved Easter egg colors. We spent the afternoon on the Pudong (East side of river) checking out that neighborhood. We were in awe by a 4BR/3BA (plus maid quarters) apartment on the 43rd floor, which overlooked the river and the construction of the world’s tallest building (at least for a few months before the Dubai building finishes!). The apartment was as spectacular as the views. Unfortunately, Pudong is not convenient for work or downtown night life.
We finished the evening at Tom’s (Lila’s new boss) for dinner. He and his wife had over 3 other expat couples for a turkey dinner with all the fixings. Apparently turkeys are ordered from hotels since the local ovens are too small to cook turkeys. Also, we learned that cans of green beans cost $5/ea – so they had packed some from the last business trip! We had a great time and picked up quite a few tips on how to successfully transition to Shanghai.