Shanghai Travel Forum

we are a twenty-somethings couple arriving in the city at the beginning of august for 3-4 days. we would appreciate any advice with regard to unmissable sights/museums/shopping spots. we are interested in seeing the city from a historical perspective as well as experiencing the best that the modern city has to offer - architecture/gardens/eating out/nightlife!!

also wondering where to stay. want to be as convenient as possible for all of the above. budget is 100-150 USD per night.

You have a lot of hotel choices for 100-150 USD per night. check out sinohotel.com. Although Shanghai has a subway system, but it does not go to all the tourist attractions. However, taxis are cheap, make sure you fasten your seatbelt for the wild rides.

Stayed at the Sofitel Nanjing Road. I found it convenient and easy to get around to. The price was fairly reasonable. There are a tons of shops around it. Can be crowded but that's Shanghai for you. It's great to walk Nanjing Road and just marvel at the people. Wake up early morning and watch people do their morning exercises.

As far as sights go:
1. Historical
The Bund, of course. Great architecture and the best view to see the skyline of Pudong.

French Concession. Love this area because I felt that I was in old China, but be careful. Love the old residential complex and lots of small shops. Don't bring out your camera because those street peddlers will be haunting you asking you to buy fake stuffs. Check out Fuxing Road.

Xintiandi. Where expats hang out. Lots of great/Western bars and restaurants. Great nightlife.

Pudong, if you want to see the modern Shanghai, but it's more like a business district, lots of skyscrapers.

Although taxi is cheap, subway system is easy enough to take. Plus, you get the feel of the city more. Also, lots of traffic, so sometimes it's easier to take the subway.

A few other historical sites:

-- Old Shanghai: Includes Yuyuan Garden and Temple of the City God. Tourist traps but interesting for a short visit.
-- Site of First Congress of the Chinese Communist Party: In old French section, near Xintiandi. Good English signs/ explanations
-- Shanghai Art Museum, near People's Square - includes much ancient art

-- Shopping: the traditional foreigner shopping area is Nanjing Road, but there is a lot of newer shopping on Huahai Lu(Road).

--Nightlife - everywhere.

Enjoy!

For sure you will enjoy the French Concession...try the Boonna Cafe, on Xinle Rd., as it is a fabulous place to relax, use the internet, meet people, eat some good panini sandwiches, get a cup of joe...very bohemian and relaxed. The shops in this area are wonderfully small, eclectic and tempting. Also, Garden Bookstore has incredible books on Shanghai (etc.) that are not available anywhere else...and just walking around. (have to admit the Starbucks here has the best pudding cakes!).
We found the Jinjiang hotel to be historic as well as convenient. It has the best beds. The City Hotel is decent too, with reasonable rates and a delightful cafe area with many (free) newspapers and magazines.
The Ritz Carleton was a treat, and is an area that offers a lot of opportunities for walking around some historic sites. They offer specials , so check their website.
Have fun.!!
We found that walking around without an agenda yielded the best,most serendipitous experiences.
The people of Shanghai were extremely helpful, kind and receptive.

Hotels: Radisson New World, Donghu Hotel
Museums: Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Municipal History Museum --> I could recommend more, but I don't know how much you like museums
Gardens: Yuyuan Garden
Nightlife: Xintiandi, Tongren Lu, Fuxing Park etc
Sounds like you need to do some general reading up for sightseeing?
http://www.chinahighlights.com/shanghai/
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1d57/5be/
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/shanghai/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/china/shanghai/
http://www.roughguides.com/website/travel/destination/content/default.aspx?titleid=88&xid=idh196999928_0357
http://www.timeout.com/travel/shanghai/
http://travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shanghai.htm