School Bar and Party Project

School Bar and Party Project

Down the street we found a hidden nightlife hotspot, the School Bar and Party Project. The owner and founder, Billy, hopes that soon there will be more parking lots in the area to cater to customers. He started his bar in Wudaoying because it is a unique and growing area that is attracting more and more tourists. He hopes, however, that more of these visitors will stay later into the night to more fully enjoy his bar. Billy's advice to the new visitors of Wudaoying? "Look out for pickpockets." Not bad advice in this town, though it is surprising that one might have that problem on this street.

Zig Zag

Across the way from School, we visited a massage and spa therapy boutique called Zigzag that provides manicures and other services. Initially the owner, Nancy Wu, wanted something simple. She used to go for manicures and massages but wasn’t satisfied with what she received, so she decided to set up her own place and got a lot of support from customers who encouraged her to do better. Business has been expanding, but Nancy hopes that the hutong will retain its rustic old Beijing charm and culture. Hopefully, she says, it will not become too commercialized like other hutongs have.