Shanghai is divided in two halves by the Huangpu Rive. The Puxi (West) region is the old part of Shanghai and home to the Bund, Old City, and historic architecture. Pudong (East) boasts a futuristic landscape and is a primarily business district.
Taxis are cheap, but not always easy to flag down (and drivers rarely speak English). Always have your hotel concierge write your destination in Mandarin to help the process.
Download an app like WayGo — it offers the English translation for anything you aim your smartphone at, even when you're not connected to the internet.
Pollution levels vary from day to day and can impact the quality of your stay in Shanghai. You can check the air quality on this site, and it's not a bad idea to stash a few face masks in your luggage.