Shanghaiist: Scrooge does Shanghai

vatvyf

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:50:14 +0800

Damn Americans!!! It would be far more interesting if the guy came to Shanghai and only had Rmb500 to spend. And yes it could be done.... including accommodation. $500 is more than many college-educated white-collar workers make in a month in Shanghai. Frugal traveller and Sens+Bund in the same sentence is totally oxymoronic. Give me a break!!!!

qwerty

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 02:31:32 +0800

I would leave the infant at home if possible. The air pollution is really horrendous. Try to come in April or May but not the first week of May which is a holiday. Avoid July and August which are uncomfortably hot and humid.

travelmom

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 23:47:46 +0800

My husband and I may be coming to Shanghai later this year with an infanct (9-12 months old depending on when we come). We have a friend living in Shanghai and would be staying with her. What are some things we could do with an infant (or to which it is okay to bring an infant?) When would be the best time to travel?

rick1688

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 22:14:54 +0800

Thanks, Scrooge for your well-argued position. A frugal trip to Shanghai with stops at two of the most expensive restaurants in town... Those Manhattanites must have it good. But wait, he came here for less than three full days and couldn't afford to go out on Saturday night? We are meant to take advice on how to spend money in Shanghai from this guy?

Scrooge

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:36:31 +0800

Shanghai is so f'n lame, once you get over the initial culture shock.

Arthur James

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:43:14 +0800

Yes, he is writing for The NYT and for its audience. And frugality is indeed a relative concept, but his sense of frugality prevented him from going out on both of his nights in Shanghai. It did not, however, prevent him from enjoying the comforts of Jean Georges and Sens & Bund. What if instead he had enjoyed any of Shanghai's many other less expensive international restaurants, or perhaps a Shanghainese one, and used his savings to go to Cashbox (karaoke), or a theater show, or more bars, or anything else that would have taken him out of his hotel room that Saturday night and interacting with Shanghai? Would his experience have been a lesser one with those more inexpensive alternatives?

Joe

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 09:43:59 +0800

People from New York City don't like Chinese food?

Ryan

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 05:27:33 +0800

Keep in mind that Matt writes for the New York Times, and gears his articles for a New York City audience. A Shanghaiist's idea of 'frugal' is pretty different than what is 'frugal' for a Manhattanite.

Joe

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:39:18 +0800

I'm just spit-ballin' here, but maybe ... I don't know ... maybe he'd want to try a Chinese restaurant while visiting China's most populous city? I hear we have a few decent ones in Shanghai. And they aren't expensive, either. Or maybe breakfast food was as Chinese as he wanted to get?