The heart of this neighborhood is the Jing'an Temple, while the main artery of excitement and entertainment is West Nanjing Road. Large, flashy malls, luxe residential high-rises and trendy nightlife areas can be found along West Nanjing Road, but areas off the busy street have quiet cafes and independent boutiques.

West of Shanghai’s better-known business, cultural and entertainment centers, lies an expansive area of residential neighborhoods peppered with lifestyle pockets that have their own unique attractions. The schools have formed pockets of international communities throughout Gubei, Hongqiao and Minhang. Quite a few entertainment and shopping centers have built up over the years to cater to these communities. While living here means you are relatively far away from Shanghai’s usual hot spots, the large parks, spacious homes and proximity to great Japanese and Korean food keep the neighborhoods popular.

While there are technical borders to the area formerly governed by the French in Shanghai, the "French Concession" of today is an amorphous neighborhood that is a favorite of the city's foreign residents. While it is mostly within the Xuhui district, residents will sometimes include parts of Jing'an and Luwan in their mental maps of the Former French Concession. The area seems frozen in time, characterized by quiet, tree-lined avenues, French-style villas, interesting boutiques, lively bars and quaint cafes that are not typical of China. All of these mix and mingle with local life as Chinese markets and lanehouse communities are peppered throughout. Denizens of the Former French Concession can spectate a mahjong game on the street or get their bike checked at a tiny bike repair store on the way to their refurbished apartment tucked away among Chinese family homes.