Our curiosity had been piqued when we first saw news of Jimmy's Kitchen, one of Shanghai's first Western restaurants, coming back to the city after over 60 years away. When they asked us if we'd like to preview their menu ahead of the April 28 grand opening, we jumped at the chance. This is the new Shanghai Jimmy's, which like the new Shanghai, now caters to expense accounts rather than sailor's wages. more ›

If you're planning on going out to the Hengshan Lu, French Concession area tonight, be forewarned - it seems like the cops down there have been cracking down on excessively drunk people, inside of cars and out. A tipster told us that he's seen as many as ten cops on the corners of Wulumuqi Lu and Yongjia Lu every night and a few more hanging around by Zapata's. Not only are they doing random drunk driving checks, they've also become much less forgiving of public displays of drunkenness and loitering. The breathalyzer testing has also been confirmed on Baoqing and Huaihai Lu. Perhaps they're afraid foreigners coming for the Expo will be disgusted by the sites of their drunken compatriots? P.S. No disrespect to the drunken laowai pictured, who very charitably and heroically chugged beer after beer at our July 4 party near where the cops are now patrolling. more ›

This week's Adoptable Pet from Second Chance Animal Aid, Shanghaiist's favorite adopted animal charity. more ›

Translation of captions:

OPPOSING THE SHANGHAI MAGLEV ONSTRUCTION PLAN: 10,000 RESIDENTS TAKE PART IN THE 'HARMONIOUS WALK' NEAR PEOPLE'S SQUARE more ›

In a report just released an hour ago, Reuters tells us that Shanghai housing rights activist, Chen Xiaoming, who was one of seven Chinese activists awarded the 2006 Housing Rights Defender Award by the Geneva-based Centre for Housing Rights and Evictions, "has died hours after he was released on medical parole". more ›

Shanghai Daily tells us that all businesses in Xintiandi and along Huaihai Road, "especially foreign-brand stores", must add Chinese names to their signs and must do so before this Sunday. more ›

The back cover of yesterday's Xinmin Evening News featured the photograph to the right accompanied by an article centered on Mr Ding, a worker who has been employed at Shanghai historic Jiangnan Shipyard for 42 years. The reason that the photographer wrote the article is because he finally got the chance, through a photography contest, to tour the limited-access factory that was founded in 1856. And the reason that the newspaper published the article is that the factory is set to be moved to a new location; the buildings are being repurposed to serve as logistics, administration and public service bases, and supermarkets for the 2010 World Expo Park. more ›

We'll admit it: When we first saw the map at ShanghaiClimb.com, we thought it might be an addendum to the "14 ways to die in Shanghai" map. But it's not (not yet, at least -- as far as we know no one died during the first month that normal folk were allowed to walk to the top of the world's longest arch bridge). On April 28, the Shanghai Yangzi International Travel Agency opened the Lupu Bridge hike -- 367 steps to the top of the arch, 100 meters above the Huangpu River. During this "trial-run," the duration of which we aren't sure of, the activity costs 68 RMB. Later the price will get bumped up to 80 RMB. You know, we actually might do this. This is about the closest thing to hiking we've got in downtown Shanghai. (And if walking up a bunch of steps crowded with tourists isn't your idea of "hiking," then you haven't attempted much hiking in China.) We're also intrigued by the hike's "emergency route," which by the looks of the diagram, includes rappelling down one of the bridge's supports. more ›

Shanghai Star -- which looks seriously f*cked on both of our browsers -- has a story about the uncertain future faced by two of Shanghai's old Russian Orthodox churches. The Mission Church, at 55 Xinle Lu, used to house a bar/club called The Dome, but has sat empty since that place closed nearly two years ago. And then there is St. Nicholas Military Church, 18 Gaolan Lu. Its latest tenants, restaurant/bars Ashanti Dome and Boca, were kicked out in October. (There were rumors of Boca opening elsewhere, but we haven't heard anything about that recently.) more ›