I started out at the Lufthansa centre, which is very old school cool. It was exciting and new for shopping and building new venues maybe 5-6 years ago, but now has a decidedly dated and out-of-touch feel to it.
This is 坝河, or the Ba River, which snakes along the inner north of Beijing.
There are old guys swimming in this in the summer, which just seems creepy given pollution levels in China.
This department store is pretty silly. You can't go more than 5' without being pestered by a dozen different sales ladies.
This is the German Embassy School here in Beijing.
This is the Israeli embassy here on Nürenjie.
I think the only reason this area became important is because the American's moved their embassy to here. Otherwise, it seems like a pretty barren place.
The new American embassy here is huge, and apparently cost some 400$ million USD to make.
This is Xing Ba Lu (星巴路), translated as Super Bar Street.
Nürenjie itself is pretty tame.
There are always guys selling these roasted red potatoes in the winter. They're deliciously warming on a cold day.
Into Super Bar Street, with it's collection of restaurants, bars, and large consumer electronics (all shǔide, or having avoided import taxes). This is where I get my iPhones.
Many of the restaurants have a little balcony/patio area which allows you a view of ...
... the toxic sludge pond they have here out back right next to some of the slummy areas back there.
Nothing like a pile of rubbish, the smell of sewage, and the finest Bavarian foods and beer!!!
Nice place to hang out in your car and rest for a while.
Always lots of locals hanging out here, having a smoke, washing their hands in the lake.
At least the water is nice and clean.
This is the big electronics market. Phones, TVs, washing machines, etc. Just don't ask for a warranty.
Tattoos?
This is the only Philippine restaurant I know of in Beijing. But I haven't looked all that hard, in all fairness.
This is apparently the "Century Theatre". I've been past it some 10x, and never heard of it before.
This is the sign taking you to ... Lucky Street.
I tried to take a rolling panorama of this street, but the panorama software hated it, and I don't really want to do it by hand, so just follow the pictures as I roll down the road.
Actually that Punjabi restaurant is awesome. Really good food.
Looking back up the whole way ... it's barely even 400m long.
Arriving at Solana, called something completely different in Chinese.
I love the girl in red reading the map here guy friend is holding up. It looks kinda bizarre.
No mall would be complete without a Starbucks, and apparently also a Coldstone place (these are popping up all over Beijing), which I believe is some sort of American Ice Cream thing.
Being newly opened, the mall is 75% empty.
But already has some key brands.
Everybody's getting ready to go with Christmas.
Posing for the camera. A lot of this goes on here.
Kids love this stuff
Apparently they keep snipers up on the roof or something.
This is heading to the Bar Street area, where there are outrageously expensive bars and cafés.
Who'da thunk bamboo lamps were so deady?!?
There's a Ferrari dealer on the right there. Richy-rich types need their luxury cars.
Chaoyang park has a beautiful little lake, which was perfectly still today.
I don't know why, but this is my favourite picture evar. The look on the girl's face is fantastic.
"Wow, 8$ beers really DO taste better!"
These guards were totally bored and horsing around big time.
This is some new All-Star bar or something.
This is where they make the peasants and retarded foreigners who can't (or won't) afford a car park their loser-mobiles.
Christmas is coming!
Decorations are going up everywhere!
I'll come back here in maybe 6 months when everything has really opened.