A New Yorker's Day of Shanghaiese Tourism

I don't remember being up there, but apparently I was once in Windows on The World atop the World Trade Center. The next time I had a sky high view of the Big Apple some of my cousins were in town and they wanted to go to the top of the Empire State Building. Being a native New Yorker who grew up about a half mile from the building I figured the top of the Empire State Building was the ultimate tourist trap, but once I was up there I changed my mind. Up on the 102nd floor the city seemed so small, orderly, and peaceful. Sure I could still hear the sirens, but they were dimmed, distant, and decibels lower than what I was used to. 

When Katy said she wanted be a tourist and go to the top of a tall building in downtown Shanghai I did not object. The Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in Shanghai, but expensive for only 30 minutes of gawking, so instead we visited the bar across the street – on the 92nd floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center. Going up in the elevator I was still convinced that I was from a big city, but once we looked out the window my mind had changed. 24 million people live here in Shanghai and even though it was a relatively smog-less day, we couldn't see the outer edge of the city.

After enjoying a cocktail and a hot chocolate, we decided to go to the opposite type of tourist experience and visited Yu Garden, City God Temple and surrounding markets. The garden and most of the architecture is over 500 years old and included a huge pond of koi, beautiful stone architecture, interesting stone tiled floors, and even a few galleries of traditional art. Every once in a while we could see a skyscraper poking up above the garden wall, but for the most part we were lost in a garden older than America. The garden was quiet and the running water inspired tranquility. Even if they didn’t need the garden when they built it, it seemed like a good idea in the modern bustling city Shanghai is today.

  

The afternoon wasn’t over, but we were getting hungry and wanted to experience modern Shanghai from ground level, so we headed over to Tianzifang. The area specializes in hookah bars, street food, and tourist shopping (including plenty of fake Yankee hats and allegedly leather bags). The entire area is only a few blocks but it is easy to get lost in the maze of tiny alleyways and even smaller shops. Finally we found a New York style pizzeria and despite my skepticism, Katy felt like some comfort food. The dough spinner had good technique, the oven was hot, the slices dripped with orange grease and the beer was cold: so we were happy as clams. Plus the graffiti was sweet.

Overall it was a great day of getting to know the city but I think we also learned just how big and diverse Shanghai really is. We know now there is no way we can become experts in only six months. If we had six years to live here I don't think we would be confident telling people we are knowledgeable Shanghaiese. That being said, it's good to know that there are millions of experiences to be had here and we have only just begun - plus now we know where to get a decent slice if we're homesick.