There exists three possible futures for the bar street:
1. It鈥檚 all going to be scrapped across the board. Clean slate. Wipe 鈥榚m out. Doneski. Kaput. Peace. Welcome to Earth. (See: Maoming Lu, Tongren Lu, etc.)
2. Bars with full licensing -- that is, bars who are explicitly cleared to sling booze -- will avoid the axe, with the several unlicensed venues on the street shut down. The herd gets thinned. The whole deal gets reigned in a bit.
3. Everything is allllllll good in the 鈥榟ood and the street is going to enact a permanent 鈥�80s night music policy with 20rmb pitchers. All! Night! Long!
Probably the first or the second one. But which one! 香港六合彩资料网 did a fact finding bar crawl mission to Yongkang Lu to GET THE SCOOP. It got bleary-eyed, it got random, it got blotto, I don鈥檛 even know if we found anything out.
On said fact and booze finding mission was SmSh photographer extraordinaire Rhiannon, and Shanghai-based food writer and slayer of French restaurants Christopher St. Cavish, there to provide insight, expertise, Chinese, and to do basically all the work. Thanks Chris!
A note on how this is going to read: So, my man CstC talked to the majority of the people we met in Chinese and then translated and paraphrased it back to my dictaphone. I鈥檝e condensed the quotations down for length -- he managed some very enlightening but very lengthy conversations with a few of the long-time YKL residents -- while making all possible effort to maintain the spirit of what they were saying.
We begin with the very affable dry cleaner who鈥檚 shop is right smack dab in the middle of the dense cluster of bars east of the Xiangyang Lu and Yongkang Lu intersection. The affable dry cleaner is a good entry point into this thing, setting up, as he does, a bit of the history of the street and the major concerns there today.
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The Very Affable Dry Cleaner:
鈥淢y rent has gone up from 5 or 6 thousand kuai in 2010 to 20,000 kuai in 2016.
And people keep calling my landlord -- hey, I want to open a bar, can you get rid of the dry cleaner. But I can鈥檛 leave this business because we have customers who store their winter clothes here -- they store their winter clothes in my shop -- and I don鈥檛 have their phone number, so if I leave, how will they get their winter clothes!
So, I pay the rent. And I still have a little bit of profit left over. The rent is higher, of course, but there are also more people who come now. So business is better. As for the future of the street? I think it鈥檚 all going to be done in a month. If they published it in the news鈥� well, I guess that will happen.
Basically, it鈥檚 a problem with bad management. People are too noisy, people drink too much and then urinate on the buildings. It causes problems.
But, you know, this area, this street, even before this government, everything was a big wet market. It鈥檚 been a wet market for 70 years. Initially, it was the state-owned food processing companies that owned this block. And that鈥檚 why the wet market was here. The wet market used to be all the way here, and all the way up Fuxing Lu.
And then Expo came and they cleaned it up.
After that, for a couple of years, artists came here but everyone was losing money. And then the bars came and they鈥檙e making a bit of money.
But it鈥檚 always been a noisy street.鈥�
SmSh: So, he鈥檚 saying it鈥檚 always been a raucous street. From its days as a wet market, It鈥檚 got a heritage in noise and grit鈥�
Chris: That鈥檚 what he was saying. So, he鈥檚 not dogmatic about it, really. He鈥檚 not really critical of the bars, but just saying that the main problem is always between the bars and the people who live here, and management鈥檚 inability to reconcile the two groups.
He had one great cultural observance. This is his cultural observance: He said, 鈥淲hen foreigners get drunk, they get excited! And they get loud. But they are just loud and not hurting anyone. When Chinese people get drunk, they fight."
SmSh: [Laughs] He must be from the north.
Chris: He had a lot to say. But that鈥檚 the main thing from him: He thinks it will be a month and then it will be all over.
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The Bottle and Vape Shop Merchant:
鈥淭he real issue is that one of the residents here, instead of the using the usual route, which is to go complain to the street manager if there鈥檚 a problem -- instead of the usual route, they went and complained directly to the district government. And that鈥檚 what sparked everything.
But the media exaggerated everything -- the media is full of shit. But yeah, places that do not have the right license have to go. That鈥檚 true. But places that have the right licenses will continue -- we [his bar] have the license. We already talked to the property manager and they have said we will continue. Maybe the worst case scenario is that maybe people will not be able to sit outside, at the front of the venues.
I don鈥檛 know how many places will have to go, though. Maybe 70% of the places have proper licenses. If I had to guess鈥� maybe 30% do not."
SmSh: He seems pretty confident that he鈥檒l be around a while.
Chris: Yeah, his main point was that it鈥檚 all been exacerbated by the media and it鈥檚 not as big a deal as people are making it out to be.
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This bright and fresh banner has been wrapped around the front of the scaffolding at , which is right at the intersection of Xiangyang Lu and Yongkang Lu, bisecting the bar street.
It reads: 鈥淪hanghai historical cultural view area and outstanding historical building protection regulations are to be carried out in strict accordance with the law."
Chris: How long before some naked Irish dude wraps himself up in this and it all goes to hell.
SmSh: Let鈥檚 get a few more drinks and we鈥檒l wrap you up in that, get you a new MySpace profile picture.
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Very Nice Manager Lady at :
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a business license which is good until 2033! And the lease is good for another year at least. It鈥檚 still uncertain though. We鈥檒l have to wait and see. We have other locations in Shanghai but we started out here鈥︹��
One interesting aspect of YKL is how it has sort of served like a training ground for Shanghai F&B start-ups. A few businesses here hashed out their concept, developed their brand, and then translated their success into multiple venues in the city. Tap House is one of those. They鈥檝e got a few Tap Houses around Shanghai, coming from this one small room on Yongkang Lu.
My esteemed colleague Mr. St Cavish describes the street as a "Shanghai F&B incubator":
Chris: It鈥檚 like a college class in F&B start-ups. The cheap rent allowed a lot of people to test out their ideas. The ones that worked have gone on to expand across the city: , , El Luchador, .
Speaking of El Luchador鈥�
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Chris: Clearly, whoever wants to close Yongkang Lu down has never had a Corona-Rita. How can you close this? Look at this, it鈥檚 beautiful.
SmSh: You鈥檇 have to be so joyless to want to put a stop to the Corona-Ritas. You鈥檇 have to have absolutely no joy in your life.
SmSh [to the waiter]: Hey! Did you hear that this street, Yongkang Lu is going to get shut down?
Waiter at El Luchador:
[Laughs uneasily.] 鈥淯h鈥� when?鈥�
No luck with this gentleman. Chris goes to ask the manager of El Luchador about the fate of Yongkang Lu and then comes back.
SmSh: What did she say?
Chris: She was reticent. All she would say is that east of Xiangyang Lu, around 8 venues don鈥檛 have a license, and that鈥檚 going to a problem. West of Xiangyang Lu, there is only one store with a license. And that鈥檚 a big problem. That鈥檚 all she was going to say.
SmSh: So the venues west of Xiangyang Lu -- they鈥檙e pretty fucked.
Chris: That鈥檚 the thinking. Also, I鈥檇 like people to know that El Luchadore fried their chips to order. Look at this -- they鈥檙e warm. With the Corona-Ritas and the chips, who would ever want to shut this down?
SmSh: Who indeed!
Chris: You know what the point of our little adventure here is? You know what the point is?
SmSh: Getting right hammered on 香港六合彩资料网鈥檚 dime and putting together some Pulitzer-worthy lifestyle journalism?
Chris: No, no. I鈥檓 talking about the chips and the Corona-Ritas -- this is all about stopping and appreciating what you have in life. You never know when you could lose it. And you鈥檙e left with a sweeter appreciation for the people around you and the life you have.
SmSh: Can鈥檛 wait to edit that bullshit out of the article. Hey look, there is a Porche over there, we gotta get a picture of that. I think its going to be metaphorically significant somehow, that Porche. Also maybe we can get a shot of the sun setting on Yongkong Lu鈥� for the metaphors 鈥�
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Of course, we had to get the two cents of the 鈥榟ood grandmas, sitting in the shade, fanning themselves, judging and cataloging, as they鈥檝e been doing in the exact same spot for eons.
These ladies have seen empires rise and fall; they鈥檒l see this beer and bar bites empire crumble into the ocean, too.
The 鈥楬ood Grandmas:
鈥淲e can tell what kind of night it鈥檚 been by how much garbage is on the streets the next morning. When you wake up and come out on the street and it鈥檚 a lot of garbage, we know it鈥檚 a bad night. You know, the people who live here didn鈥檛 sleep well. We鈥檝e lived here forever. There鈥檚 three schools in the neighborhood, and then the bars. The kids don鈥檛 sleep well. Also, the bar managers don鈥檛 talk to us.
Before, with the wet market, it used to be very noisy in the morning -- 3 or 4 in the morning -- now it鈥檚 noisy at night.鈥�
SmSh: So, it鈥檚 like cosmic ballet, huh.
Chris: Yeah, but I don鈥檛 know how to say 鈥渃osmic ballet鈥� in Chinese. They鈥檙e representing the standard residential complaint sort of thing. They鈥檙e thinking of the children. They're thinking of the kids that will one day be taking the gaokao. [The national test that determines which university kids get into. - Ed.] The lady in the yellow pants particularly doesn't like venues numbers 52 to 54 and 58 to 60. We should find out which one is.
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East of Xiangyang Lu, the prevailing opinion is definitely, 鈥渙n this side, we鈥檝e got our licenses. We鈥檒l be fine. Maybe one or two places or three places on this side will shutter, but west of Xiangyang Lu, that鈥檚 where things are going to change drastically.鈥�
Thus, the bar crawl of truth makes its way westwards, where the sword of Damocles looms!
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Bar Bro! It鈥檚 a bar, bro! Bro, let鈥檚 go to Bar Bro, bro. BRUH. BRAH. BRUUAAH!
Sweeeeeeeet.
We we鈥檙e drinking 鈥淩ock Star鈥� cocktails in Bar Bro. 55rmb. Quite delicious. Kinda like Kool-Aid.
A Nice French Gentleman in Bar Bro:
I have many friends with bars on the street because I also work in the industry -- the F&B industry in Shanghai for many years. I personally don鈥檛 know the situation and can鈥檛 comment on it. I haven鈥檛 had a chance to talk to my friends with bars here to find out what鈥檚 going on.
I just got back from France, where I was for three months. Even in three months time, everything changes, right? But yeah, this is not my bar so I cannot tell you definitely what鈥檚 happening. I鈥檝e just heard the same things you guys have. This news came out yesterday and everyone is talking about it. But I haven鈥檛 had time to catch up with my friends to hear their side of the story.
It鈥檚 all going to be complicated because I know people have a lease, but not the right licenses to operate bars. Several places here are like this -- without the proper license. And it鈥檚 hard to get the right licenses for bars and clubs. Honestly, not just on this street, but several places around the city don鈥檛 have the right licenses. I'm not even talking about small bars but the big dance clubs as well.
Before, years ago, it was almost like people didn鈥檛 really care, but now Shanghai is getting more developed, and people want this to be more legitimate and organized. Not even just with licenses, but also the areas where you can even operate a certain type of business.
SmSh: It鈥檚 like a game of Sim City. Someone on high, some mysterious overseer, is playing a real life game of Sim City and zoning off residential and commercial areas in big, square swaths, like highlighting a section of pixels and chunking down some generalized developmental scheme.
That鈥檚 where the typhoons come from too, like someone clicked on 鈥淣atural Disaster鈥� just to shake things up a bit.
Chris: 鈥�
SmSh: Oh, here we go. Chris has something to say. He鈥檚 got something to say.
Chris: You know what? In the osmosis of life, the net transfer of 鈥渞ock star鈥� is from you to them.
SmSh: You know what? I agree with that one hundred percent.
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The Barkeep at :
Everything is uncertain. Maybe they鈥檒l shut down the whole street even if you have the licenses. The problem is the schools 鈥� the schools make everyone worried, and so maybe there shouldn鈥檛 be this kind of business here at all. From what I鈥檝e heard, it seems like people will start moving out on the 20th of this month. I have some friends in the government, and even they鈥檙e saying that 80%-90% of the places might get shut down.
But I鈥檓 taking about our side of the road -- the side west of Xiangyang Lu. Even though the other side is busier and louder鈥�
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Chris: So, I had my assistant call the property company that takes care of the street 鈥� the management company. So, she calls them up, and she goes, 鈥淗ello, this is an English website calling鈥︹��
SmSh: Oh god no. She didn鈥檛鈥�
Chris: She says they hung up even before she finished the sentence.
SmSh: [Laughs.] That鈥檚 alright. That鈥檚 okay, we鈥檙e taking this to the streets. We鈥檙e men of action. Men of vision.
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SmSh: I鈥檓 going to ask Tinder. I鈥檓 going to ask Tinder what will happen to Yongkang Lu. Tinder will know. Tinder will tell me.
Chris: Oh, that鈥檚 good idea.
SmSh: I can never get on this fucking thing. Bah. Tinder!
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Gilligan鈥檚 is a nice and inviting little hole in the wall at the other end of Yongkang. They promise Gilligan's / Drink / Eat / Lounge / Party / Gilligan's. See?
This dog is called Otto.
The Bartender at Gilligan鈥檚:
Yeah, we鈥檒l very likely close. The bar鈥檚 been here for two years. But maybe after two more weeks we鈥檒l be done. Will I do another business like this? I don鈥檛 know. Maybe yes, maybe no.
He seemed pretty gloomy. He gave us two fake Fireball shots on the house and then went to sit by himself on the patio. And then everything seemed quite sad. It has to be tough to be powerless about your business and your future.
It seems like it鈥檚 almost like Shanghai鈥檚 favorite pastime to shit on this street, Yongkang Lu -- it鈥檚 cheesy, it鈥檚 for tourists, it鈥檚 for drunk students. I don鈥檛 know. What鈥檚 wrong with that? Tourist and drunk students -- hey, the kids are alright. Is it cheesy? Who cares? Who gives a shit about depth? I鈥檇 rather have a street full of dirty, unique little hole-in-the-wall bars than another bland shopping mall with the same five international designer brands rolling out their latest Shanghai megastores. With the unrelenting process of the lame-ification of Shanghai, it feels like things are going that way. In losing Yongkang Lu, we're losing a bit of the character of this city. So what if that character barfs all over your shoes sometimes!
These are people's businesses. That they worked hard on. If they鈥檝e gotta go down -- for the children -- so be it, but I鈥檒l mourn their passing. Raise a glass to Yongkang Lu!
Tramps like us! Baby, we were born to run!
Chris: Holy shit are you watching this? This guy is catching footballs through the sunroof! Are you seeing this?
[This is the video playing on the bar television. It is very impressive.]
SmSh: We should have GoPro鈥檈d this whole experience. It could be like people are right here with us in this bar watching this amazing show.
Chris: Let me tell you something: I watched seven and a half hours of COPS episodes on YouTube yesterday, seven and a half hours. There鈥檚 a channel called 鈥淐OPS Full Episodes鈥�. You know what I learned? People who get busted for drugs possession, people who get busted with drugs in their pockets -- it鈥檚 never, ever, ever, ever their pants.
SmSh: Nice. How can you tie this back to Yongkang Lu?
Chris: Sometimes things are your fault. Sometimes things are not your fault. Sometimes things are both your fault AND not your fault. Sometimes you can be the victim of your own success. And that鈥檚 Yongkang Lu.
SmSh: Shots.
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This is the funeral shop on the west side of Yongkang Lu. This dude did not want to talk to us in the least. We tried but he was not having it. Death had no comment.
But it鈥檚 a nice way to end. With the death shop, on Yongkang, that will be there even after some, most, or all of the bars -- who knows, we鈥檒l just have to wait and see -- rage on into oblivion.
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Big thanks to Chris St. Cavish and Rhiannon!
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