在安福路或者武康路附近，你总能看到成群结队的年轻老外。他们骑着共享单车，端着咖啡，或者坐在街边的小酒馆里。对于初来上海的年轻外籍人来说，梧桐区几乎是他们租房的唯一首选。
Around Anfu Road or Wukang Road, you can always see groups of young expats. They ride shared bikes, hold coffee, or sit in street-side bistros. For young foreigners who just arrived in Shanghai, the Plane Tree District is almost their only first choice for renting.
年轻老外：“我租的房子就在这附近，走路就能去喝一杯。” (Nian qing lao wai: Wo zu de fang zi jiu zai zhe fu jin, zou lu jiu neng qu he yi bei.)
Young expat: “My rented apartment is right around here, I can walk to grab a drink.”你：“这里的夜生活确实很丰富，年轻人很多。” (Nong: Zhe li de ye sheng huo que shi hen feng fu, nian qing ren hen duo.)
You: “The nightlife here is indeed very rich, and there are many young people.”
为什么年轻老外对这里如此痴迷？
Why are young expats so obsessed with this place?
首先是极致的安全感与社交氛围。 梧桐区街道干净、路灯明亮，半夜走在路上也不会觉得害怕。这里的咖啡馆和酒吧极其密集，不用提前定计划，随便走进去一家，就能认识来自世界各地的新朋友。
First is the extreme sense of safety and social atmosphere. The streets in the Plane Tree District are clean and well-lit; walking on the street in the middle of the night doesn’t feel scary. The cafes and bars here are extremely dense; there’s no need to plan ahead. Just walk into any one, and you can meet new friends from all over the world.
其次是对“Chill（松弛感）”的追求。 相比于高压的金融区或者拥挤的郊区，梧桐区的节奏很慢。年轻老外非常看重生活质量，他们愿意花三分之一的工资租一个老洋房的小房间，就为了周末能穿着短裤在梧桐树下散步。
Second is the pursuit of “Chill”. Compared to high-pressure financial districts or crowded suburbs, the pace in the Plane Tree District is very slow. Young expats value quality of life very much. They are willing to spend a third of their salary to rent a small room in an old Western-style house, just to be able to walk under the plane trees in shorts on weekends.
最后，这里是“国际化”与“市井气”的完美结合。 他们既能在进口超市买到家乡的奶酪，也能在弄堂口的大爷那里买到刚出锅的生煎。这种极大的反差感，让他们觉得生活在这个城市充满了乐趣。
Finally, this is the perfect combination of “international” and “everyday life”. They can buy hometown cheese in an imported supermarket, and also buy freshly cooked shengjian from the uncle at the entrance of the alley. This huge contrast makes them feel that living in this city is full of fun.
当然，对于很多有家庭的资深高管来说，他们最终会为了更好的学区和更大的空间搬离这里。但对于年轻老外而言，梧桐区就是他们在上海最完美的“乌托邦”。
Of course, for many senior executives with families, they will eventually move away from here for better school districts and larger spaces. But for young expats, the Plane Tree District is their most perfect “Utopia” in Shanghai.
观察他们的生活方式，其实也是观察这座城市语言和文化交融的一个绝佳切面。
Observing their lifestyle is actually also an excellent cross-section for observing the integration of language and culture in this city.