Stay in the Former French Concession and give the Bund one evening

The skyline is worth an hour at dusk, and hotels beside it charge for the privilege of being there. The city you will actually enjoy walking is the Concession: plane trees, lane houses, coffee, and a metro station every few blocks.

Base yourself around Wukang Road or Jing'an, walk to the Bund after dinner, cross the river for the reverse view, and come back. Zhujiajiao and Suzhou both work as half-day escapes from the same base.