Jaw-dropping awe — that's the invariable reaction of first-time visitors to Shanghai upon witnessing the city's futuristic skyline and experiencing its seething streets, vibrant atmosphere and breakneck speed. If there is a dollar to be made or a demand to be satisfied, someone in Shanghai is certain to be on the case, working at the frantic pace that has become the hallmark of China's most enterprising city.
This east-coast Chinese port is changing more quickly than any other place on earth. Even the most die-hard socialites and dedicated followers of fashion struggle to keep track of the stream of restaurants, bars, boutiques and hotels opening up in the soaring modern high-rises, classic colonial buildings and quaint back alleyways.
People are coming to Shanghai's get-rich-quick party from all over the world, anxious to be part of what many commentators say will be the Chinese Century. Young American Emile Yu is typical of this influx, an expatriate who saw a niche and quickly capitalized on it: the former sales and marketing executive has made a career of renovating and selling the glorious pre-1950s Western-style residences that are scattered around Shanghai, many of them in the tree-lined French Concession. Recently, Yu and two pals opened A Future Perfect, the Shanghai smart set's restaurant du jour (Lane 351, House 16, Huashan Road; 011-86-21-6248-8020; afutureperfect.com.cn). The intimate eatery, adjacent to the Old House Inn, combines an elegant building with modern cuisine to irresistibly glamorous effect. The same formula is repeated all over Shanghai, with grand British and French structures converted, at considerable expense, into contemporary restaurant-and-bar complexes such as Sasha's (Number 11, Dongping Road; 011-86-21-6474-6628; sashas-shanghai.com) and the Face bar, with the adjoining Indian Hazara and the upstairs Lan Na Thai restaurants (Building 4 Ruijin Guest House, Ruijin Er Road; 011-86-21-6466-4328).
There are a number of stately old hotels, the prime example being the Peace Hotel (20 Nanjing East Road; 011-86-21-6321-6888; shanghaipeacehotel.com), where Charlie Chaplin stayed and Noël Coward put the finishing touches on Private Lives. With its colorful history and Art Deco style, it rates a visit — perhaps for a drink at the famous Old Jazz Bar — but you would be more comfortable staying at a newer property. Limited by structures built to suit bygone eras, the older hotels cannot compete with contemporary ones in creature comforts, state-of-the-art facilities and slick service.
The newest of Shanghai's accommodations is Tower 2, recently opened at the eight-year-old Pudong Shangri-La (33 Fucheng Road; 011-86-21-6882-8888), where the five-star hotel group has installed an additional 375 guest rooms and suites, a branch of its signature CHI spa and a cluster of tony restaurants, including Jade on 36, which was designed by the much-in-demand Adam D. Tihany.
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