The Many Sides of Shanghai

When talking to other people living in Shanghai, I frequently get asked if I like the city so far. This is an easy question to answer. Shanghai is amazing. It has a few flaws, but those are significantly outweighed by its amazing amount of culture, social scene and landmarks. I want to showcase a few of the things that I have found in this city so far, which perfectly illustrates what Shanghai has to offer.

·      Langxiao Jiutian: There are a ton of great restaurants within a ten-minute walk of where we live. This place definitely takes the prize for best meal. They roast whole lamb legs outside on a charcoal grill. You simply order a leg and then pay by the weight. They then bring it to your table and carve it in front of you. This has been one of the best meals I’ve had so far, and it comes at a great value, about $12 per person.

·      Yuyuan Gardens: These gardens provide a lively refuge in the middle of a busy city. It was mostly destroyed during the first opium war but was rebuilt in the 1960’s by the Chinese government. The garden can be very busy, but it features traditional Chinese architecture and a wide variety of different plants. It is a great way to step back in time while staying in the middle of downtown Shanghai. I went with the other students in the Global Bachelors program and we were all surprised by its beauty.

·      Epicure on 45: This restaurant is on the 45^th floor of the Radisson Blu hotel, and has panoramic views of the whole city. While the menu is pricey, the views of the city are incredible, and it’s a much quieter atmosphere than some of the other viewing platforms in the city.

·      Starbucks Roastery: This is the largest Starbucks in the world, and they roast all of the beans in house. It is over 30,000 square feet and just opened last year. I personally don’t like the atmosphere of most Starbucks locations, but this one was very well decorated and just chill. The music was solid, and it is definitely a place I would consider going to do work. They also bake fresh bread and have a completely different menu.

·      French Concession: This is a very broad one, as the French concession is a very wide area that includes many of the top restaurants and bars in Shanghai. It is very popular among expats. The one thing that sometimes gets overlooked though, is the art. I was walking down a side street the other day and found an alley that was completely covered in murals. At the end of the street was a baby blue loveseat with a Michelangelo bust on it. It was one of the coolest things and could have been easily overlooked.  

·      The Tipsy Fiddler: This is an Irish restaurant I went to for St. Patrick’s Day. They were showing the Ireland-England Rugby game and had a live band playing traditional Celtic music. It was a great environment and I met so many interesting people. Shanghai is full of people who are doing big things and so anytime I go anywhere, I like to talk to the people around me. I met a group of students from NYU Shanghai, another group from Fordham, and a woman who was in Shanghai for four days as a consultant for Deloitte. Overall, a very interesting group of people and a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

I hope that this can show at least some of the variety that Shanghai has to offer. It’s a great city for everyone because it truly allows for as much cultural immersion as you are comfortable with. They sell western food everywhere, and you can easily go to establishments that are full of foreigners. At the same time, it’s also very easy to immerse yourself in Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean culture, which is what makes this city so special.