Chinatown: Shanghai Low

All the views on this page look north on Grant between Pine/California, showing Shanghai Low restaurant. City directories list Shanghai Low at 532 Grant for over 50 years, from 1927 through 1980. In Orson Welles' 1947 classic Lady from Shanghai, Michael O'Hara (Welles) passes Shanghai Low as he flees through Chinatown. reelsf.com has great photos documenting the film's locations. Some Shanghai Low ephemera is here.



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These linen era cards all show a decorative fixture suspended over Grant Avenue near Shanghai Low.

These cards and the earlier cards show two way traffic on Grant; it later became one way northbound, as seen below.



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In 2022, the vertical "Lamps of China" sign at Grant/Vinton (not shown in the earlier linen era postcards above) reads "City of Hong Kong" and New Lotus Garden restaurant occupies the Shanghai Low space. The distinctive Shanghai Low marquee is gone and the very faded large vertical sign reads "Lotus Garden".



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These cards advertise Shanghai Low.

Continue north on Grant: see pages Sing Fat Co. and Sing Chong Co. at California, Chinatown: Hang Far Low near Sacramento, Chinatown: Before the Earthquake (2) and Chinatown: Bulletin Board at Clay, Chinatown: Street Scene at Washington, and Chinatown: Stores.



Steve's SF postcard pages: