gice me your shanghai secrets

July 18, 2007 8:42 PM

what are the secrets of shanghai for an expat trying to make the most of his experience

shanghai these days is a lot different from the old shanghai, but one thing i think still holds, money still talks. so i have a bit of money, and will spend about 18 months there. i want to know the secrets. not about where to buy a watch, or where the best starbucks is. give me something deeper, something that the normal expat would never see. like underground clubs, or trading, or night spots you wouldnt usually hear about, secret organisations, a way to get good seat at the grand prix, anything interesting. i want to get the most out of my time there.

posted by edtut to travel & transportation (2 comments total)

There's a great cycling club called Sisu, in Pudong District just south of Century Park. It's a great way to meet other foreign expats, make some friends where you have none, stay in shape, and see the city.

They do both easy and fast weeknight rides, and longer weekend tours. There's also the occasional cycling getaway to other parts of China.

Google them and give them a call when you get here.
posted by BeaverTerror at 9:49 PM on July 18, 2007

There are a few high-rollers on the ShanghaiExpat forums. Check there. If you're into clubbing, then try to meet some people on SmartShanghai. Going personal is probably your best bet to finding the secret stuff. (And I myself am too much of a cheapskate to know the the moneyed crowd's secrets.)

And of course the most "secret" stuff that "the normal expat would never see" is out there in plain sight... in Chinese. So it helps to make bilingual local friends. Just had to throw that out there.
posted by msittig at 12:24 AM on July 19, 2007