Thought it might be helpful for people new to Shanghai or have been away for a while.
Get the money: exchange your USD for RMB at Pudong Development Bank in PVG airport. There is no transaction fee if you exchange more than $500. You can use the US debit card to withdraw cash (RMB only) although I have not done so.
Where to stay: I suggest Ru Jia (Home Inn) or Jin Jiang. I stayed at both places in past few years. Both are clean and inexpensive.
Get around: there are a few options get from Airport (PVG) to downtown including the Maglev. But the best one is probablly the Airport Bus (to save the transfer). There are 6 routes and they covers pretty much the whole city. Metro (subway) is the best way to get around, there are 5 routes running around the city now. In the rainy days or certain rush hours (Friday night), it will be difficult to get a taxi. In that case, knowing some bus routes will be helpful.