Luga's SLT, US-China Comedy Center, and CBD's Infamous European Bar Street Bite the Dust
While many of us were wrapping presents and stuffing the turkey this Christmas, others had much less holiday cheer, preparing instead to close up shop.
The biggest closure was Luga's Villa in Sanlitun (pictured above), who announced via WeChat on Christmas Eve that Christmas Day would be their final day in business. The official reason? "Government issues," which sounds eerily familiar to the cause of the area's other biggest closure as of late: The Bookworm.
At nearly 12 years old, Luga's was one of the last remaining restaurants of Sanlitun's old vanguard on the now not so dirty Dirty Bar Street, and is survived by the likes of First Floor, and Jazz Ya tucked away in the alley across from Taikooli. The sprawling, three-story venue was popular for its weekday deals on Western pub fare and its two large street-facing terraces, perfect for lazy summer evenings. Luckily, fans of the venue will be able to drop by Luga's Dongzhimen outlet, which opened this spring.
Elsewhere, US-China Comedy Center announced (also via WeChat) that they would be vacating their Gulou courtyard, which has been home to the organization for the past three years.
Speaking to the Beijinger, Jesse Appell, founder of the US-China Comedy Center, emphasized that this was the end of the venue, not the organization, which will continue to hold events around Beijing. He added that they will stop holding shows in their current home after Chinese New Year 2020.
The center will say farewell to the space with a full day of shows, 2-11pm on New Year's Day, courtesy of some of their favorite troupes.
On the hunt for comedy in the capital? Check out our round-up of stand-up nights here.
Finally, easily the strangest closure on this list is CBD's baroque and over-the-top Swiss-themed "Tonghui International Bar Street." Built in 2011, the development with it's quaint and rustic clock towers, tiled roofs, nude Renaissance portraiture, and anachronistic religious iconography will be familiar to anyone who lives in Guomao. It also, famously, never even opened and was walled off almost immediately upon completion.
At the time we wrote: "The bar street appears to be part of the Chaoyang District Planning Commission's RMB 400 million investment in a 'Tonghui International Plaza' development to complement the nearby CCTV Tower complex – the project encompasses an area of almost 12,000sqm and includes a media complex (also currently under construction) and the 6,000sqm 'European Fashion Street.'"
Crews were seen busily demolishing the site over Christmas. We wait with bated breath to see what will eventually pop up in its place. Perhaps something a little more suited to the times, like, say, a mall?
READ: Goodbye, Mr. Chips: It's All Change at The Crib
Images: the Beijinger, Uni You
