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Report back: I found an apartment-hotel in Xuhui District (2 minutes from the Xuhuijia subway station and overlooking the park, on Zhajiabang Rd.) that suited me perfectly. The place is called “DiJing Yuan Service Apartment” 帝景苑酒店式公寓. It is not luxurious or stylish, but it is clean and roomy, and the staff is very helpful with any small problems. A month’s stay post-Golden Week is a little over RMB18,000 for 2-bedrooms, 20th floor, park view. Prices seem to vary a lot according to season but are subject to modest negotiation; the price differences between upper and lower floors, non/park side is not large, but you can penny-pinch depending on what’s important for you.

The second bedroom is small but OK; overall, the place seems quite roomy. Since even luxury hotel rooms leave me claustrophobic after a few days, I find this very comfortable. There is a fully equipped kitchen (no oven) and a clothes washer-dryer. However, the promised fitness room is supposedly undergoing repairs. (There is a big gym 1 minute down the street.) The breakfast buffet is included with daily rate but not monthly stays; it would get pretty boring after a few days anyway. The bed is even harder than most Chinese beds (and basically I like firm beds); however, the staff rustled up an extra mattress layer, which made it normal. …Still, if you like a soft bed, I don’t think this is the place for you, unless they gave you a pile of their mattresses (which I suppose they just might).

The road is very noisy, but the closed windows do a surprisingly good job at keeping the cacophony tuned low. I’m pretty sensitive to noise, so if I can stand it, it’s OK for most people. If you are *extremely* sensitive to noise, the best advice is to avoid Shanghai…. Other guests seem to include a mix of Chinese and Taiwanese and foreign tourists and business types. Altogether, I’d give it 3&1/2 stars, and recommend it as good value for the money, taking into account the roominess, OK furnishings, and location (and the views).