A streak of Brooklyn in Beijing

Many of Beijing's ancient hutong - alleys formed by the outer wall of courtyard homes - have been erased from the cityscape to make way for new roads and high rises in recent years, much - to preservationists' dismay. The hutong that have been spared are celebrated as retaining the charm of residential life, with alleys filled with vegetable stalls, kebab stands and tiny shops, and the hidden courtyards occupied by families who have called them home for generations.

The hutong between the Lama Temple and the Drum and Bell towers have largely escaped the wrecking ball but have undergone a dramatic shift nonetheless. Old-timers have been joined by a new breed of Chinese and expatriate residents clad in skinny jeans riding fixed-gear bikes, a loyal customer base for restaurants that offer locavore menu options and bars that serve drinks such as Pabst Blue Ribbon. In this corner of Beijing, the traditional hutong has been overrun not by a large-scale development, but by a very Brooklyn sensibility.

"Beijing's a very big, monotonous place, but for me the Gulou area is like an oasis in the desert," says Hu Xiaodi, 22, using the Chinese name for the neighborhood around the Drum and Bell towers. She lives in the hutong despite a 40-minute commute by bike (or an hour by subway) to work: "Every day's an adventure." She is the target audience for Natooke (19-1 Wudaoying Hutong), a fixed-gear bike store that doubles as, yes, a juggling shop that opened in 2009. Nearby, Serk (40-2 Beixinqiao San Tiao), a bike shop, cafe and bar, opened in June and sells everything from $240 commuters to $8,000 race bikes. Both shops organize rides in and around the city, which, despite the smog, is one of the best in the world for cycling, flat and easy to navigate.