Miles, Moments, and the Secret Spots That Make This Home

Jeff Pi calls himself a "typical overseas Chinese with an identity crisis," but what he's really found in Shanghai is a sense of belonging shaped by constant reinvention. After falling in love with the city's chaos and beauty during a visit, he moved from Canada more than a decade ago – and never looked back.

From corporate boardrooms at Bayer to Hollywood film sets with DMG Entertainment, and now as a partner at Studio Stare, he's built a career defined by motion, luck, and late nights. Shanghai, he says, never lets you coast; she changes constantly, and you have to change with her.

Can you introduce the neighborhood you live in?

I've been living in the Dapuqiao neighborhood for the past eight years. It's right on the edge of Xuhui and the old Luwan District. Hard to imagine now, but Zhaojiabang Road used to be a river canal.

What's the best thing about living in this neighborhood?

This neighborhood sits at a crossroads of everything I love about Shanghai. Within two kilometers, I can reach all my favorite spots – a few blocks south is the Huangpu River Bike trail and the Xuhui Binjiang Park, where I like to have my morning runs – nothing clears my head better than a run along the river. West is the tree-lined downtown, East is Xintiandi and Fuxing Park, and North is Huaihai Road. Of course, the Dapuqiao station itself has one of the busiest foot traffic malls in China, Sun Moon Place, and behind it are the kitschy Tianzifang tourist alleyways; it's all very convenient.

What attraction here should not be missed?

Grab a bike or a pair of running shoes and hit the West Bund, and go as far as you can go in any direction. South to the museum and Gate M, or cross the river by ferry to the other side of the river. The entire Huangpu River bank in Shanghai, from West Bund, South Bund, North Bund, and East Bund, is all connected for bikes and pedestrians. I absolutely love it – no cars, no traffic. You discover cafes, museums, wetland parks, art installations, pop-up shops, and naval vessels.

I'd say it's one of the most impressive urban river paths in the world, maybe even longer than New York's Hudson River Greenway in New York. I challenge anyone to find a city with a cooler biking/pedestrian path running through their city. You could spend an entire day exploring Shanghai's riverside this way, and every time you will find something new.

Each person may have different tastes, but they all want a great cafe. What's your favorite cafe near home?

There's a Hefa Coffee (Unit 2, 93 Zhaojiabang Rd 肇嘉浜路93号-2室), a block away – just a small stand with almost no seating. They have an Americano made with Guatemalan beans that unapologetically tastes like thick black jet fuel mixed with water. I love it; it's cheap and will instantly clear out any doubts you may have about your existence with one sip.

Where should someone eat around here?

There is one of the few remaining "street side" alley restaurants (No. 332 Taikang Rd 泰康路332弄) tucked inside Tianzifang; I don't even know what it's called. The lady who runs it has a crazy perm, is usually yelling at someone, and looks like she's straight out of the "Kung Fu Hustle" movie. You sit outside, on plastic stools, drinking beer from thin plastic cups; the food comes straight out of a flaming wok and onto your plate. Greasy, tasty, and damn delicious.

From high fashion to emerging designers, from flowers to fresh produce, where do you shop in your neighborhood?

My favorite market in Shanghai is on Mengzi Rd; it's right across from the Madang Road subway station. The official name is Mengxi Market 蒙西菜场 (2 Mengzi Rd W. 蒙自西路2号). It's the "Goldilocks" wet market for me and is "just right" in so many ways: not too big and not too small. Not too new so that it looks artificial, but not too grimy and old, where you worry about sanitation. The produce there is incredibly fresh; the sheer variety available always amazes me. The quality of the meat and the live seafood is unbeatable. Locals complain that the prices in that particular market aren't the cheapest, but you're not there for cheap; you go there for the best variety and quality and to see what's in season. When I can pick up the freshest, fattest crab that's trying to snap my finger off, or when the Ayi selling some wild greens is lecturing me on what's in season, that puts me in my happy place.

Is there a neighborhood place you recommend for a night out or simply a drink after work?

Okay, this is going to be controversial, but my "night out" place is San Bai Bei (56 Maoming Rd S. 茂名南路56号) on Maoming Road. This place is massively popular for dinner, and it's impossible to get a table unless you use their extremely annoying booking app and book a week in advance, but after 10:30pm you can always get a seat. Salty, fermented, stinky Ningbo delicacies plus teapots filled with cheap rice wine in a hip, Izakaya-like setting? A Shanghai-only experience.

Have you made any new discoveries in your neighborhood lately?

The Shanghai food scene is so competitive that it can be a bit like watching "survival of the fittest" – places open and close, sometimes within a year. I get sad when a place I actually like doesn't last. So I was pleasantly surprised to find Luyin Changfen (679 Xujiahui Road 徐家汇路679号), a place that sells Cantonese-style rice rolls, reopened on Xuhui Road. They're now smaller, with a similar menu; they still steam their rice rolls to order, an authentic no-nonsense Canto snack I find myself eating when I need comfort.