Results tagged “tongrenlu”

Speaking of Tongren Lu, one of the few classier establishments on that strip is now shutting its doors. Blue Frog, which has occupied its spot there for the last five or six years, has decided not to renew its lease. They didn't give us a specific reason why they're closing up shop, but they will be throwing a goodbye party on Friday. Guess we'll stop by to dry our tears on some of those delicious burgers and reminisce about how they hosted one of our first happy hours ever.

Back when we first heard the story of ladies-of-the-night feeding drugged candy to expat men in order to steal their things, we squealed in schadenfreudetastic glee. Little did we know that there was an even more salacious twist yet to come: The ladies were actually men!

We're hearing rumors that Shanghai's premier street of sleaze may have finally gotten the red stamp. A tipster rode by Tongren Lu earlier today and found that a big Expo wall had been put up in front of it. Simple renovations or did the Jing'an authorities decide that ladies of the night weren't what they wanted the city to sling - even if it's always been a big hit with the foreigners? UPDATE: We went to check it out ourselves last night. It seems that the strip is still alive and well - the Expo work is happening to the building next to it.

   

Trying to separate yourself from the mass of red and blue lights on Tongren Lu is not an easy task. First time goers will inevitably pass by the likes of Blue Angel, Manhattan and Ecstasy Club while looking for the address of our dining location this time, Red Beat, which allows for some time for some not-so-nice preconceptions.

• That pilot scheme for becoming a "real Shanghainese" home-stay guest in time for the World Expo is now kicking off in the Zhabei District. [Shanghai Daily]
• But will this help reverse the trend of less tourists visiting the city thanks to the financial downturn? Who knows! [Shanghai Daily
• If you're a fan of the Simply Life brand, Just a heads up in case you've been eyeing that ceramic dining set - they're hosting sales to celebrate their 10th Anniversary between July 4 and August 2. [Urbanatomy]

Scared of AIDS? You should be. HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death in China last year compared with other infectious diseases, claiming almost 7000 people's lives in the first nine months of 2008. China's Ministry of Health said that until three years ago, fewer than 8000 people altogether had died from HIV/AIDS. Now the total has risen to five times that many. The main cause of transmission has switched from needle use to unsafe sex. Something to think about next time you watch your friend have one too many drinks on Tong Ren Lu. Source: BBC

We just got off the phone with a very upset American Steak & Eggs employee who confirmed the diner's forced closure until August 6. They said it was because the teams playing in the USA Basketball International Challenge are training in Jing'an Stadium, which houses the restaurant. "There's lots of security outside right now," she said. "It's really bad." She said Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, also in the building, was also forced to close. This is all quite strange to us — wouldn't the members of Team USA, who we hear are staying at the Portman Ritz-Carlton next door, enjoy some American steak and eggs? Also read: Tongren Lu to close for the Olympics?

A reader forwarded us this email supposedly sent out by the Red Beat Bar on Tongren Lu:

The local authorities have request, that due to the Olympics, that from August1st to August 5th Tong Ren Lu is essentially closed. However, bars may be able to operate between 1 am to 8 am.

Continue reading "Tongren Lu to close for the Olympics?"

HAPPY DRINKING!

No injuries or deaths were reported¹, surprisingly, but then again we left before it was all over (got tired of getting hit by shrapnel). The video starts sometime before midnight and ends sometime after. And yes, our ears are still ringing.

Is the Blues Room going to change its entire concept because they've decided this live music stuff doesn't make enough money? Or maybe they have other ideas about how to go about it. We don't know what the place has in mind, but what is confirmed is that they are cutting off drummer and bandleader Al Gordon and organist Bill Heid's performance contract a few months earlier than they were originally signed up for, which means the duo's last day performing there will be tomorrow, Thursday, January 31 instead of the end of April as originally agreed.

Living up to its name, the decor is predominantly red, including red lighting, red sofas, red walls, red backed chairs and even a red surfaced pool table. There's a corner lounge with its own small screen TV, a bar with seating for about eight amply-built foreigners, one nice sturdy table that seats about seven, then there is a lot of small tables for couples or small groups, with some tables on a split level higher than everyone else, apart from the band. The pool table is unfortunately positioned very close to the seats at the bar. Better hope the owners have insurance for flying pool ball-caused injuries — it's a matter of when, not if. There are also some screens for watching sports broadcasts and music videos, including a pull-down screen in front of the stage, another one near the bar and the small TV facing the corner lounge suite. Apparently, USD300,000 was spent on renovating the place and taking care of all the proper licensing fees.

This may get to you too late (unfortunately we have a 9 to 5 and can't blog on demand), but tonight, instead of sitting on your ass in front of the computer, stop by The Shelter and witness their first experiment with a four-piece (or more) band. Angry Jerks (last seen playing in Shanghai in March of 2007) from Nanjing, one of the tightest punk outfits this side of the Pacific, will be joined by those always pleasant Boys Climbing Ropes (we hear they like to climb ropes because of that special tingling sensation they get in their pants).

Here, Shanghai, were your favourite stories for the year 2007:

Spearheaded by drummer Al Gordon, this new club is the latest addition to the Shanghai live jazz and blues scene. It’s a funky little club, literally one room, but it’s a great space and the band is solid. As the name implies, the place is not trying to be another jazz venue; rather they are concentrating on blues, funk, and soul music–and are starting and ending much later than most other venues. Most nights the club will have live music starting around 11pm, with sets running through till 4am. Al has joining him on guitar Eddie Goltz, who also is a great singer, and Peter Phillips from New York on the keyboards. They are encouraging musicians to join them for jam sessions, which is why they intentionally start the gig so late.

Closing Dish: Cafe Transat fought the good fight with its relaxing terrace and inviting happy hours. Unfortunately, it appears that not even a Shanghaiist endorsement was enough for it to sustain the business that this high-rent district demands. We were taking a break at Bellagio on Taicang Lu over the weekend when we noticed that Cafe Transat across the street had closed shop (picture of the storefront on the left). According to the Bellagio staff, the restaurant stopped operating around two weeks ago.

Shanghaiist has been hearing a lot of rumours of late of dodgy, well, more dodgy behaviour along the Tongren Lu bar strip south of Nanjing Road. This morning, Shanghaiist was forwarded an email by our golf-enthralled editor via one of his trusted acquaintances. The email contained details regarding the assault of two expat males on Tongren Lu this week.

We're a little late on this, but we're sad to report Shanghai has lost one of its better dining options: 239. Shanghai-Eats had the scoop last week:

Mr. Ma, toy bicycle maker

Good

Photo from theshanghaieye.

Photo from theshanghaieye.

No, Shanghaiist isn't talking about xanadu or China's “rediscovered” Shangri-La. And, we are definitely not referring to the Tongren Lu establishment that just opened (no offense, but Tongren sucks!). Anyone who reads Danwei (or China Daily) knows that "lala" is a synonym for lesbians. So, welcome to the long-awaited post on Shanghai’s lala land.

We SMSed a member of Shanghai's Gaelic football team -- they were known to frequent the Spot Bar -- to get the lowdown on what happened. His take: "There's an old building behind it, they wanted a garden front to it so they ripped it down." Indeed, tearing down the building that housed the restaurant and bar exposes a really nice old villa that we hadn't noticed before. While the house likely doesn't have a bar (and if they did have a bar, they probably wouldn't allow drunk Irish guys to dance on top of it), we have to admit the house is a little more aesthetically pleasing than the Spot Bar was. But our guess is that they will probably block it from street view with a concrete wall of some kind.

We weren't expecting much -- just maybe to hear these guys play their dueling guitars, spy on some hipster chicks and down a few Xinjiang Black Beers. What we got was one of the worst cover bands we have seen in China (that is saying a lot) and a crowd that looked like we had perhaps happened upon the 25-year reunion of the Shanghai International School. (There actually was a party there, we think. We saw a sign that said "Belgium, Second Floor.")

How many times have you found yourself sitting around your living room just itching to attend a local expo? Didn't think so. Well, for those out there who are interested, get those reading glasses ready. If the previously mentioned Sex Expo ("Sexpo"?) isn't quite your cup of naughty tea, then perhaps this might better suit your uptight needs. As reported last week in Shanghai Daily, the 2006 Shanghai Book Fair will be held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center (the former site of Jewish millionaire Silas Hardoon's Old Shanghai garden estate) from August 5 to 11.

GigShanghai: Noisy Sundays, females unite, and free BEP tickets!

... take his word. Jarrett Wrisley, who wrote for Shanghaiist for about 20 minutes last summer, has highlighted tomorrow's event in his "New & Noted" column in SH:

Here's the lineup for the concert:

We're not sure if it is actually the latest fashion development, but it's the first time we saw them. Could be because we rarely venture out in the rain. It was threatening rain yesterday when we saw this on the corner of Nanjing Xi Lu and Tongren Lu. It wasn't exactly cold out, either -- we had shorts on. So this outfit couldn't have been very comfortable. But "civilized" street crossings are worth it!