No Roads Lead to Starbucks
One of the oddest things about Beijing is its bizarre scale. You can’t walk anywhere. One block is about a kilometer long. Housing complexes expand over dozens of acres. Coming from Brooklyn, where anything you want is a five-minute walk, Beijing is bizarro world.
And one of the cornerstones of Beijing’s madness is the lack of crosswalks. Presumably to–ahem–encourage Beijingers to follow the strict street designs put in place, there are metal barriers on virtually all streets. There are options, but they increase the length of already-long walks considerably: over- and under- passes. If fact, if you want to cross Gongtibei Lu (a major avenue) from my apartment I have to walk several hundred meters in either direction.
So when a new Starbucks opened just across the road I, and most of my neighbors looked at it as some sort of distant exotic hang-out for people on the other side of the street. Surely no sane person would take the time to walk all the way around and over just for the honor of spending five bucks on a milk-tainted latte.
So imagine my surprise when a traffic light went up on my corner during the Paralympics. Part of the barrier was knocked down and a crosswalk was installed. Suddenly there was an easy pathway so that my neighbors and I could–well spend five bucks on milk-tainted lattes. Nonetheless, it was a major victory. Not just for us, but for self-righteous yuppies everywhere who decry the chain as they google all of the bad things Starbucks does (on the free wireless they provide!)
Imagine, I could cross the street in under 20 minutes. What a victory! What a short-lived victory!
By this weekend, a mere two days after the Paralympics ended, the crosswalk was gone. The traffic lights had been uprooted. The gate re-installed. Was it all just a wonderful, wonderful dream?
Apparently the crosswalk was only for participants of the Games who would have had a hard time going up and down the stairs. It never occurred to planners that maybe some people who actually live here have groceries, bikes or baby carriages, as one of my friends who discovered that the crosswalk had been eliminated did.
And once again, we are reminded the the Olympics and Paralympics had nothing to do with the people who live in Beijing. And certainly they had nothing to do with businesses in the city.
Falen responds:
Posted: September 22nd, 2008 at 8:09 pm →
I am not sure if you’ve ever lived in any of the West Coast cities but “crossing the street” means staring down cars at 80 MPH.
twentyseven responds:
Posted: September 23rd, 2008 at 10:22 am →
Good article.
@Falen
What’s your f**king point?
Dave responds:
Posted: September 23rd, 2008 at 2:53 pm →
Is it gone, really? Shit, I had seen that a few weeks ago and now that I am working from home a lot more, I was soooo looking forward to Starbucks a couple times a week!
Perhaps Starbucks could solve this problem by opening a shop on the NORTH side of Gongti…
Janus responds:
Posted: September 23rd, 2008 at 8:28 pm →
This is why I’ve always preferred European and cities of the northeastern United States–pedestrian-friendliness is key. Perhaps the only measurement rubric by which Philadelphia can be considered a great city…
nanheyangrouchuan responds:
Posted: September 28th, 2008 at 11:31 pm →
So much for China’s “green” planning.
Richard responds:
Posted: October 4th, 2008 at 10:54 am →
Think of it this way — this way you can empathize with Sarah Palin’s knowledge of Russia, which she can view across the sea from an Alaskan island (on a clear day) just as you have a knowledge of Starbucks because you can view it from across the street (on a clear day).
michael responds:
Posted: October 10th, 2008 at 12:41 am →
Damn, we must live crazy close to each other. I’m just around the corner… keep an eye out for me on the street!