Eye of the Beholder

I was a bit misled by the title of an article that proclaimed "Shanghai World's 2nd Most Attractive City." I thought it was article about aesthetics, but it was really about attractiveness to businesspeople--the ratings were based on political stability, economic situation, and security. But, it got me thinking about aesthetics and city rankings (of course, it's all subjective).

I do think Shanghai is a beautiful city--I spent a week there during my first Spring Festival holiday. However, it's difficult to judge the city's beauty based on my experience as I only saw a fraction of it. The sprawling city would be impossible to see in just a week (especially considering how quickly buildings are demolished and constructed).

I'll admit that I'm a sucker for older styles of architecture in cities, but I do enjoy some of the modern designs that fit in among the older buildings. It's why I like walking around New York--though I still think the Westin at Times Square is ugly. It's also why I like the view from the Bund in Shanghai--the beautiful colonial-style buildings across the river from the modern towers of Pudong.