Shanghai’s Hidden Gems - Broke Student Edition
上海 is a city filled with secret nooks and crannies. The best places to explore are the hidden ones, in my opinion. The places that take ten minutes of walking back and forth in order to spot. Although studying abroad at NYU Shanghai can seem daunting, the takeaways will always outway your hesitation, I guarantee it. However crucial it may be to visit the main cultural and nightlife sights, the best places are always the ones you discover for yourself. In this beautiful city I had the pleasure of spending four months in, I found some places off the beaten path that I thought I’d share.
Study Spot: Cafe on Air
Hidden by a nondescript door down an alley in Jing’An, Cafe on Air is one of the best places to get some weekend studying done. With tons of natural light and a minimalist-modern backdrop, it’s a great place to focus. The baristas have impeccable music taste, playing a range of soft jazz to 2000’s hits, all at an ideal volume for catching up on that reading you “started”. The baristas speak English and are super sweet, and you will find a mix of Chinese working professionals and expats here on a busy day. I always gravitated towards the matcha latte and a window seat.
*Tip: The coffee is on the expensive side, but the portions are large and you can literally stay there for hours.
Outdoor Hideaway: Century Park Paddle Boats
Century Park is not exactly a hidden park in Shanghai. In fact, it is huge! It makes for a fun place to go on picnics, read a good book, or go on a long run. It costs 10 kuai to gain entrance, about equivalent to $1.50, and it’s totally worth it. My advice would be to walk from the NYU Shanghai campus on a nice day and go straight for the Paddle Boats on the lake. Don’t be quick to compare these to the ever-crowded Central Park boats. If you grab three friends and head out, it will cost you about 20 kuai each for one hour. The lake itself is extremely peaceful and, oddly enough, a great place to chat or even go on a date. Bring some snacks and your camera along, and you’re golden.
*Tip: If you take the subway, the fake market is also located at the same stop (Shanghai Science and Technology Museum).
Instagrammable Hangout: RIINK
RIINK is just the best. Whether you can drink or not, it’s an amazing bar that also happens to be a little roller rink, and it’s almost never busy. RIINK’s vibe is 80’s chic, featuring neon signs multi-colored flashing lights, and different inflatable hats and props, perfect for that photo you’re planning. They truly thought of everything, including bumblebee and ladybug butt/knee pads for the more weary skaters out there. Each roller skating package they have comes with a locker, skate rental and money to spend at the bar on drinks and/or food. Plus, the music is THE BEST for dancing to.
*Tip: If it’s not too busy, you can totally request songs from the DJ.
Vegetarian Delight: Vegetarian Lifestyle
Being a Vegetarian in Shanghai was surprisingly harder than I anticipated. After being used to the vegan-vegetarian comforts of NYC, I was shocked that it was somewhat difficult to find veggie-friendly restaurants. One of the best I came across is Vegetarian Lifestyle, a dim-sum style restaurant that is in fact all veggie!! They are able to mix vegetarian options with traditional Chinese dishes beautifully, and honestly for a pretty low cost, especially if you split dinner with friends. Try the skewers and cauliflower nuggets, and definitely opt for their hot tea. The best thing about this restaurant is that there is always a table open.
*Tip: This is a perfect spot to hit before venturing to museums in the area like MOCA or the Shanghai Museum!
While not all of these are the “most hidden” locations, they are all places that are not super popular-and should be! The best piece of advice I can give as an NYU Shanghai Study Abroad student is to really step outside your comfort zone. Speak the language (no matter how much you butcher it!), visit somewhere farther than you would normally dare to go, introduce yourself to locals! Shanghai is now very near and dear to my heart, and I owe so much to some of the spots like these that I frequented. They made my time in China a little more interesting.
:) 再见！
