Manhattan for the newbies

[Stardust]

Just wanted to share some info here...frankly, this is common knowledge for anyone even semi-familiar with the Shanghai scene, but folks still seem to regularly ask about this stuff, so I feel it's worth mentioning...

If you're in Shanghai (or heading to Shanghai) and you want to know to where to hook up with a FL, there's really only one place you need to have on your radar...

Manhattan
Address: 154 NanYang Rd (near XiKang Rd)
南阳路154号 (近西康路)
Tel: 6247-6656
Note: Any concierge in any hotel in the city can help inform the taxi driver on how to get there. Requests for "how do you find Manhattan" will be ignored...grow a pair & figure it out. I've provided the address, the rest just ain't that tough.

Manhattan is hand's down the best place to go in the city for FL's. It's literally a Shanghai institution. If you search the Shanghai forum, you'll likely find a few posts with comments like: "I went to Manhattan & didn't see anything"...
These people either:
a) are extremely picky
b) went at the wrong time
c) didn't hang out long enough
d) didn't walk around the whole place to check what's available
e) or... are stupid

So, here's some solid advice & some general knowledge:
- Manhattan picks up at around 11.30pm - Midnight & runs pretty much til dawn most nights. Going any earlier will yield a mostly empty bar.
- If you go there (pretty much any night of the week) at around midnight-1am, it will start to get crowded. And the girls will be filing in. Remember, we're talking about freelancers here...they're not bound to any set schedule! It's not a fishbowl lineup for your perusal on a fixed schedule! Come in, sit down, order a beer (or 3) and see what materializes! On any given Fri or Sat night after 1 am, there are easily 75-100 girls in there.
- The bar itself isn't all that big, but you'd be surprised how many folks can cram into there...don't just sit in one place and expect all the girls to go parading by you. Walk around. Don't be afraid to stare, admire, and assess...they expect it!
- If you see one you like, engage her! Girls will generally not come up to you (although a few are more aggressive). You really need to make the first move more often than not. And don't be afraid that she might be a "normal" girl...while a few non-FL's do drop in from time to time, the ratio of FL to non-FL is extremely high.
- Nationality-wise, there are always a good contingent of Filipinas. Vietnamese are easily the 2nd most represented (and some nights even seem to outnumber the Filipinas). There are also a smattering of Chinese girls, and the occasional Thai.

Forget about the other options...
If you're thinking about one of the street walkers, or calling some dodgy escort service, or something along those lines...seriously, forget that. Get off your butt & get down to Manhattan & hang out for 2 hours. You get to see what's on offer, talk, interact, have a drink with the girl(s), and even grope a bit right there in the bar before you make any commitment. Despite what you may have read or heard about raids & whatnot, the place is really quite safe. You're not actually engaging in prostitution by sitting in the bar having a drink & talking, so you literally have nothing to fear. Also there's a GREAT bar called Big Bamboo not 20 meters down the street to hang out at while you're waiting for the gals to roll in at Manhattan...so get out of the hotel room & make a night of it!
Are there other options, you ask? Yes...there's Malone's, Bar Rouge, Zapatas (and maybe a few others)...but trust me, Manhattan is ground zero.

Prices...
Asking price across the board is typically in the 1000rmb range for short time. I've paid as little as 800rmb. My advice would be never pay more than 1000rmb...every girl there should be agreeable at that price.

I've never been to any massage-type places, so don't ask me for advice on that. It's just never been my thing...

Anyway, there it is...hope it's helpful.