Gentrification of a Long Tang

Long Tangs are the Shanghainese equivalent of the Beijing Hu Tong. They are residential complexes that house dozens and dozens of families. Typically, there is a main Long Tang (or alley), with smaller branch Long Tangs leading to separate residences. I love this picture, I think I deserve a photography award for it, self congratulatory pat on the back, hehe.

For a while, Shanghai was in a skyscraper building frenzy, but now they've realized foreigners tend to prefer sites with more local characters... so the current movement in Shanghai is to renovate old Long Tangs, so that foreign tourists can have the prvilege of walking under the local's undergarments...
Look at the beautiful moulding around the door... reminds me of a Vermeer painting.

Lots of cafes, restaurants, wine bars, small shops, galleries...

We went to this one, Cafe Dan... I believe it's owned by a Japanese ex-pat.

Look at the beautiful view from our table... the owner planted lots of herby plants in the windowsill.

I think this is Dan. Never mind, just googled the store, and Dan's real name is Taka Niuya. Mr. Niuya was a physicist prior to his life as a cafe owner in trendy Shanghai.

This is what we had, homemade youghurt and coffee... if you are ever in Shanghai make sure you check out Dan's Cafe on Taikang Road.

This is the same scene as the first picture, but taken from the opposite direction.