Hongkou has some of the city’s best mix of European and Chinese-style architecture and offers a blend of new high-rises, older homes and mid-range local communities. Duolun Lu, the area’s famous cobblestone ‘culture street’, has smaller apartments, along with coffee shops, scroll stores and jewellery stalls. Near the universities, housing is mainly older apartment buildings for students. Expect rent to range from ¥2,000 for student housing to ¥15,000 for larger homes.