NANJINGNOW

Still fun?

There are a lot of funny or interesting posts on this site. Looking at the responses to articles, you can find random advice, jobs, listings, lots of posts from Cloudtrapezer, and maybe even something useful. However, the other day something interesting caught my eye under the Little Scarlet review. The post is as follows:

“i have been small scralet pretty much times n surely enjoyed a lot but now a days it seems like its going to be chinese bar the one small dance floor where people could free themselves is took off n tables r filled in so i hate that .whoever thought of that is a jerk he ruined the real quality the small scralet had . so i dont go there often ……………… guys bet u ………….u will enjoy more if u go to castle bar…………..”

What I found particularly interesting in this post was not the writer’s opinion. It pretty much agreed with the review, which was quite negative. The thing that intrigued me most was that he mentioned it was good before, but has since gone seriously downhill. This is something that I failed to mention in my review, and would like to thank this reader for contributing. There is no denying that Little Scarlet has changed. Previously, there was a large dance floor, free of tables and with much more open space. Now, there is little room to dance, and plenty of room to bump into people. But this is not just happening there.

On a larger scale, the changes in Little Scarlet seem to be mirrored in many other bars in 1912, namely the shrinking dance floors and general “Chinese-ification” of the whole area. This leads to the question, how exactly has 1912’s atmosphere changed over the last few years? Has it begun to cater to different tastes and attitudes? Are you, as a foreigner/expat/exchange student better off going to Castle Bar on the weekends? On the whole, I would say yes. It happened slowly and gradually, but 1912 has been completely transformed.

Personally, I am not exactly sure what first brought about this change. Perhaps it was club managers’ decisions. More tables means more people sitting down and drinking; a larger dance floor means more people standing around for free not paying money. Maybe a more crowded, less dance oriented bar is more appealing to Chinese patrons, though there is really no way to quantify this statement. Either way, clubs and bars which were formerly quite open have become tight to the point of being claustrophobic, and I am not just referring to Scarlet. Mazzo, A8, and many others all have shrank their dance floors and put in more tables. If you look at a bar like Soho, you can see that there is no dance floor at all, just seating and standing areas.

The overall effect is a sort of strange hybrid lounge-bar which has taken over the entire area. Now, this in and of itself is nothing to be worried about. After all, lounges are popular in America, and many people prefer them to clubs. What makes no sense to me is the fact that these lounge-bars still hold on to all the vestiges of a club, like flashing lights, disco balls, dry-ice smoke machines, and music so loud that you really cannot understand what is being said around you. For that sort of experience, I expect a dance floor; certainly not to be jostled by people while sitting in an area where the dance floor used to be. The lounge-bar-club hybrid is simply not fun.

Nanjing is not Shanghai or Beijing, so there is no way that a foreigner can come here and expect to get all the same sort of Western style bar experiences that can be found in those places. But, outside of 1912 there is still a wide variety of nightlife that can be found. A major misconception of many people who are new to the city is that 1912 is the one and only place to party. There is a lot of promise in places like Jeep and Castle, if someone is looking for a club experience. For those who want a lounge, there are Planta and Nail Bar, and people who prefer live music can find it at Jidi 77 and Latin Bar (soon to be reviewed). Simple bar experiences, ranging from ritzy to understated can be found at places like Secco (also soon to be reviewed) and Estaminet. There are many, many places to go, most of which are better than 1912.

Why are these places better than 1912? The answer is simple: these bars know exactly what they are and how to better cater to their customer’s needs. For instance, Planta is a lounge. There is music, but it is not so loud that you cannot talk over it. Castle is a club. There is a clearly defined dance floor, and a lot of space in the back to hang out with friends. Jidi 77 has live music, and does not pretend to pass itself off as a place where you can go to dance. Many bars in 1912 seem to have the attitude that if customers keep going, then they must fit as many people, music, effects, performances, and other miscellaneous items in as possible. The result is a mess.

For a night out, there is really very little reason for you to go to 1912. It is really that simple; there is a better time to be had in clubs and bars outside scattered all over the city. The ambience is better, the bars more defined, and the experience more fun. The next time you have a night out, try something new. Maybe in a little while, people will start to say “1912? Hell, no one goes there anymore.”