A walk through a local Shanghainese neighborhood last June .....2012.

One Sunday morning in June my friend Kyle took me to the neighborhood where he spent his childhood, Laoximen, Shanghai.  Kyle wanted to show me the traditional 'stone gates' .  This is an architectural style also known as Shikumen. We began our walk in front of  Kyle's childhood apartment building.  Here he is standing in front of the apartment building and "door" that he spent the first 15 years of his life. His parents were the first on the block to rent out their apartment to a small business.  This is now a stationary store selling items averaging 10 rmb ($1.50), the rent 8,000 rmb  per month( or $1,270 usd : some quick math and that means that this store has to sell about 800 items every month or 27 items a day and if every person buys 2 items you need 14 customers a day, seems do-able just to make rent.) Kyle's family is considered 'up and coming', he is the first person in his family to attend University so he will be one of the middle class once he has gainful employment.  I consider his whole family an example in upward mobility in Shanghai! Fantastic!

 

We began walking down his street and I noted the architectural appeal just peaking out behind the AC units on the top of the doorway of this grey blue brick building.  The hand carved wood window inserts were calling my name.  Kyle asked if I wanted to go inside and I said YES! Although I was concerned that we were going into a strangers home without an invitation. 

Sorry for the blurry photo, my camera sometimes doesn't co-operate but I was unaware of this new feature until I got home and viewed the photos.  This fellow lives in one of the many one room apartments in this old house. I am sorry you can't appreciate the detail on the door due to my poor showing. But hopefully you get the idea.  And no the guy eating his soup didn't even look up and wonder why these strangers were walking into his building. 

Finally, an in-focus picture. Noticed the beautiful wood carving. 

The lotus flower is used frequently as decoration,  it is associated with purity and beauty.

As we were walking down the main street, I noticed a small alleyway and suggested we take a look.  I like to imagine it's 1925 and we are on a main street with the wealthy merchants' homes facing out toward the street and buried behind, in alleyways, are smaller homes.  Where the merchants' home had 8 rooms and an open courtyard the smaller home had perhaps 2 or 3 rooms.    As one friend said to me a few weeks ago, our reflection on what Shanghai may have looked like in 1920 maybe far more romantic (and clean) then what it actually was.  Frankly, at that time there were few homes with running water and these Shikumens were built similar in fashion to a row houses in America.  In Shanghai though, only those with money, traders, merchants, and shop owners could afford such a place.  The rest of the riffraff had to make due in smaller more crowded conditions.  Perhaps in the place pictured below.

 

Today however, the original Shanghainese family/ies have moved up and out and are renting these small accommodations to migrant workers.  Kyle says that there are no Shanghainese people living here. 

We were fortunate to find a friendly Nana, who was willing to show us where her family lives. It is one room but we couldn't figure out if 3 people lived there or 5.  Truly.  And I didn't have the heart to ask and be intrusive.  You see one of the first things she said to me was, 'I bet in America you have a bigger house and don't just live in one room.' (as interpreted by Kyle).  The room had the one bed that we were sitting on - could fit 2 adults and one child,  a TV, a microwave and lots of dirt and clutter.  The table was pushed up right next to the bed and there were 2 chairs. There was also a hot plate and wok for cooking. I suppose her daughter/son was out working and living on a work site making some money.  The cost to rent is very expensive, but living in Shanghai and having your family nearby is preferable then having them live far out in the country side, 20 hours away by train.  I wish I has asked more questions but I didn't want to invade their privacy.  Nana probably would have like to have a chat with a Laowei, foreigner, I just hated to intrude.

Here we are on the bed having our picture taken, the grandson was not so eager to be in the picture.  We said goodbye and headed back out to the main drag.  Then I saw an entrance to another cluster of what looked like refurbished Shikumen homes.  It turned out they were refurbished only on the outside.  "Face" is very important to the Chinese.  Looking good on the outside.......

A mess of people living inside.  This is gleaned from the number of electric meters lining the wall here.  I held my camera over my head and took a picture of what could be seen through the window.

Ah, ha a beautiful banister, I must go in to see it!!!

I WANT THIS BANISTER! Inside I went......No longer an open stairwell, a wall has been erected to make a room or storage in the space.

We climbed up the steep narrow steps, OSHA be damned, anyway didn't the ladies all have small bound feet here in China.  Who needs a whole 9" to 12" depth for a step as required by OSHA..  It's tip toe all the way to the top!  I just love the detail on this railing!

As we broached the landing this lovely lady was coming out of her one room apartment.  I see three doors here so at least three apartments.  Not one person ever asked us what we were doing in their apartment building snapping pictures, nor did they stop us.   This landing was crowded with storage cabinets and things I suppose that wouldn't fit inside their apartments.  Communal storage? So communist.

 I was able to peek inside one room on the third floor and quickly snap a picture, once again blurry but still interesting.  A one room, 'studio' apartment.  Seems to have everything, TV, table, bed and lots of shoes and bags.  I wonder how many people live in here?
 

Nothing more to see except the coveted banister, so we went on our merry way.

Finally, a Shikumen that has not been refurbished, here it stands in it's natural state. 

 

This woman told us she is chopping vegetables for the dumplings she will be making to sell at her restaurant tomorrow.

Nice art deco detail from the 1920's.

This chef was being quite a flirt when I asked if I could take his picture!

Kyle and I decided we were hungry so he took me to a local 'fast food' joint.  Fantastic xiaolongbao and zhenjinbao and of course a bowl of wonton soup.  Yes, they call them wonton.  The old guy pictures below, was worried I think that his bird was uncomfortable in the restaurant.  But I really like that he brought his bird along with him for lunch.

Xiaolongbao in the back of the picture, zhenjinbao in the front.

It's a great local restaurant and it's always busy Kyle told me.

I wish I could give you the address of this local hot spot but I never wrote down the address or took a picture of the place.  If you really need to find it take line 8 or 10 to the Laoximen stop.   When you come out of  the exit (you may have to try one or two get the right one,  you will see a four corner intersection you have to go to each corner and walk about 50 meters....actually you can sort of scan each street length and if you see the "signal" large red Chinese hanging lanterns outside and of course a line of people waiting for Xiaolongbao.