An anecdote:

Recently at Sanlitun my friends and I sat and watched the madness unfold on a Friday night.

A group of super-attractive local fashionistas staggered down the street before eventually arriving at a trench that separated them from their destination: another quotidian bar blaring rebarbative techno music from tinny speakers.

Some fellows were puttering away down there - their heads barely at street level.

Crossing the trench, one of the girls – in high-heels – accidentally caved in a bit of the wall. Dirt and debris rained down on the heads of the unfortunate workers.

She was oblivious, but the workers weren’t. They just laughed.

There’s symbolism to be extracted, somewhere…

Best nightlife district? Gulou by a landslide. Can't go wrong with Yu Gong Yi Shan, Mao Livehouse and the Passby Bar; as well as a smattering of hip little restaurants.

(I'm on the right.)