There is a Western street in Vinh city.

The "night owl" alley

Located right in the city center, next to the walking street, and taking advantage of the space above the ditch, alley 114 Le Hong Phong (Vinh City) has a fairly wide road area. In addition, to ensure safety, the government does not allow heavy vehicles to enter the alley. The advantages of quietness and large parking space of this area become a profitable advantage in times of limited land and crowded population. These reasons make alley 114 an ideal choice for sharp minds in business.

Alley 114 Le Hong Phong (Vinh City) has many cafes with open spaces. Photo: Diep Thanh

In the past 4 years, the alley has been developed as a service complex for young people, both sides of the alley are covered with many shops and restaurants such as cafes, bars, pubs, fashion, beauty, gaming...

Before becoming “famous” for the complex of shops deep inside, Alley 114 was famous for the “sewer yogurt” brand right at the beginning of the alley. I don’t remember exactly when the “sewer yogurt” shop was established, but I only know that, more than 20 years ago, we students always favored this yogurt shop as a gathering place because it was delicious, cheap, and the uncles and aunts who sold it were always cheerful.

With rustic and sophisticated decoration, the cafes in alley 114 Le Hong Phong are very popular with young people. Photo: Diep Thanh

During the day, Alley 114 is not much different from other alleys. Perhaps the line of motorbikes of young people drinking coffee is always crowded, always neatly lined up in the middle of the road, next to the edge of the ditch. The 1996-born owner of May Cafe at the beginning of the alley introduced: “Many young people like this alley because of the friendly design of the shops, beautiful and fresh space, delicious and diverse drinks. When the number of customers for food and beverage services here increases, people think of building other business complexes to take advantage of it. Now, just coming to the alley and parking your motorbike once is enough to combine getting a haircut, getting coffee, buying clothes…”.

The biggest common point of the cafes in this alley is the open space design and the “long” opening hours. No air conditioning and no elaborate construction, the cafes here have a rather intimate and simple design with low chairs, thick tree canopies, and rustic signs. Besides, while normal cafes open from 7-8 am to 9-10 pm, in alley 114 Le Hong Phong, the cafes open from 6-7 am to 2-3 am the next morning. Because of this feature, some young people call it the “night owl” alley.

After 10pm, shops in alley 114 Le Hong Phong are still bustling with customers, motorbikes lined up neatly from the beginning to the end of the alley. Photo: Diep Thanh

If during the day, the main color tone of the rows of shops and restaurants in alley 114 is the green of the tree canopy, then at night, the main color tone will be the yellow of the walls and the light coming from the cafes, restaurants, and pubs.

According to Nguyen Thi Mai Anh - a "ghost" of the "night owl" alley, the regular customers of the cafes and pubs in the alley are mainly young people, including students and working people. Many of them are freelancers or work remotely, proactive about their time.

In addition, the alley also attracts a large number of Western customers, mainly English teachers at centers. Mai Anh said: “One special thing is that most of the customers at these shops know each other. This familiarity comes from the frequency of meeting each other regularly at a fixed time frame. Moreover, these young people are very friendly.”

Lane 114 Le Hong Phong is usually crowded and bustling from 8pm. Many shops and restaurants are open to serve customers until 2-3am. Clip: Diep Thanh

When the West and East live together in the same "house"

Normally in big cities, when the number of foreigners living and working is large enough, there will appear meeting and entertainment spots for foreign groups. If Ho Chi Minh City has Bui Vien Street, Hanoi has Ta Hien, then Vinh has Lane 114 Le Hong Phong.

Westerners socialize and chat in front of a pub in alley 114 Le Hong Phong. Photo: CSCC

Before there were pubs and bars in alley 114 Le Hong Phong, Westerners in Vinh often visited some pubs scattered on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Nguyen Van Cu streets. Pubs are known as places that sell alcoholic beverages, popular in some European countries, Australia... Not as crowded as a drinking place, not as bustling as a club, not as luxurious as a bar, pubs are fun, intimate, simple enough, suitable for the majority of people.

Among the pubs in Vinh, Hometown is popular with many foreigners. Before 10pm, the pubs are mostly Vietnamese, they come with friends, sit at small tables, sip, listen to music and chat. The sound and light here are just enough to draw customers into the space of the pub but do not lose privacy. On the walls are improvised, nostalgic paintings in Western style. Behind the bar is a shelf of beer and wine with all kinds of mixed drinks.

The highlight of Hometown pub is the sailboat model mounted on the innermost wall, very cinematic and magical. Not ostentatious, the tasteful, sophisticated decoration style and the meaning of the word “hometown” have partly helped this pub score points in the eyes of international friends.

To connect people, pubs often organize small, cozy music events. Photo: CSCC

After 11pm, a group of Western and Vietnamese guests from many parts of the city came to the restaurant one after another. It seemed like everyone knew each other, they greeted each other with handshakes - shoulder touches, hugs - kisses, and maybe an impromptu dance to the music playing... Even though it was the first time they met and didn't know who I was, they would still smile and welcome me as if I was in their "home".

These foreigners come from many countries and continents, so their appearances are very different. After greeting, these people order drinks and then separate into small groups to chat privately. At the bar, two young bartenders chat with the guests while skillfully mixing eye-catching martinis, cocktails... or pouring simple glasses of whisky and tequila.

“Not only do they mix drinks, they are also willing to listen to customers’ stories and confidences to give them a drink that suits their mood. That is why we say that bartenders are the soul of the pub. Another special feature of the pub is that everyone knows each other, they take turns chatting with each other like brothers in a family,” said Vo Manh Tuan, owner of Hometown pub.

For many Western visitors, alley 114 Le Hong Phong has become a familiar meeting place. Photo: Diep Thanh

Huynh Thanh Nhat - an English teacher from Ho Chi Minh City shared: "On special occasions like Christmas, World Cup... the atmosphere in pubs is extremely bustling. The pubs can be so crowded that there is no more space, you have to stand outside the door. Regardless of whether you are Western or Vietnamese, familiar or unfamiliar, everyone makes friends, wishes each other good health, sings with the band, sways to the music of the DJ, it's really fun". Also according to Nhat, in the fall, when the weather is cold, many young people will prefer to find a closer, cozy space of the pub...

A little strange, a little familiar, a little Western, a little Vietnamese, the pubs in the small alleys in the city center are like a special cross-section in the increasingly diverse cultural picture of Vinh city.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/co-mot-pho-tay-o-thanh-vinh-post277485.html