u/Fun_Counter_5902

Let's define terms first so we're not arguing past each other.

Then = anything before 2018. That was the prime. 2022 = we don't need to relitigate it. Worst year. Moving on. Now = 2026. Honestly? Fine. Not great, not bad. Fine.

Five things that were better then:

Rent. You could be broke and still live somewhere interesting.
The food that had no name. No sign, no mini-program, no packaging. A guy and a corner. When those closed they didn't reopen anywhere else.
Lilongs before they got restored. Coal stove in the alley. Now it's a design object with a coffee shop in it.
Fewer of us. You knew everyone. You knew who was leaving before they announced it.
The feeling that everything was about to get better. That was the actual amenity. No restaurant replaces it.

Five things that are better now:

You can walk. Both riverbanks, the small streets. Genuinely transformed.
The average restaurant. Fewer great dodgy places, much higher floor.
The air. People forget how bad it was.
Raising a kid here. Not close.
Nobody bothers you. Still the best thing about this city.

So 2026 is fine. I think most of what we miss is being young in a city that was still being built, which isn't the same as missing the city.

you thoughts?

Shanghai then (pre-2018) vs now: 5 things better then, 5 better now

OYSTERS COMMUNITY IN SHANGHAI

Where do you buy Baby/Toddler products in Shanghai?