The pace of change has quickened in the past few years with the development of an eclectic restaurant scene and thriving nightlife. Some of the sleek new veneer complements the Western colonial architecture that remains from Shanghai's heyday in the early part of the 20th century, when it was among the most exciting cities on the planet. Back then, Shanghai was a freewheeling port city filled with gamblers, prostitutes, gangsters and foreign businessmen who, by virtue of government treaties, lived by the rules of their home countries or none at all. Last fall, when Julie's father, Nick, and stepmother, Anita, told us they were coming to visit from Towson, we decided to show them the city's new face. Ordinarily, booking a room is easy.
Shanghai has hundreds of hotels and some are first-rate.
This week, though, Shanghai was playing host to an international tourism festival to give travel agents a glimpse of its new incarnation. After about 15 phone calls, we stumbled into the Central Hotel Shanghai, which overlooks Nanjing Road. Nick's and Anita's room was on the 23rd floor. The window curved around to give them a panoramic view of the pulsating street. They stood by the glass and marveled at the energy below.