It’s not entirely clear when I first heard of Houhai, a neighborhood in Beijing that surrounds a lake of the same name. All I know is that my wife told me about the place well before we had even considered living in Beijing a possibility. In college, she came here as part of a summer study abroad program. One night, she and a few of her friends ventured out to the Houhai neighborhood of the Chinese capital. That was nearly 17 years ago.

Back then, it was known as a nightlife hotspot. It was where expats and young Beijingers went for a night of drinking and dancing—a Beijing version of DC’s Adams Morgan or Dupont Circle. As things go in Beijing, however, the area isn’t as hip as it once was. The new chic area of town moved further east, down to Sanlitun.

But bars and restaurants aren’t the only reason folks end up in Houhai. It’s a tourist destination, too. There are three connected lakes with walking paths around each one. On warmer days, locals and a smattering of expats can be found strolling along the paths or taking rickshaws around the neighborhood. In the winter, when the lakes have frozen, those same groups can be seen ice skating or scooting around on the ice with their friends and family.

On the first weekend of March, I ventured out there. Driven by my own curiosity to see a new part of the city and a desire to continue working on my photography skills. If this place was such a magnate for locals and expats alike, I could snap some good street shots.

As my Didi slowly made its way through the streets around Houhai and at the foot of Beijing’s Drum Tower, itself a tourist hotspot, I figured I had made a pretty good choice. Lighting-wise, however, my timing could have been slightly better. It was a bit too bright, and the sky was cloudless. But as I strolled through a hutong on the northern side of Houhai’s Imperial Lake–the largest of the three lakes- I knew I would be able to snap some good shots.

Once I hit the lakeside, I decided to walk around the lake first to get a good feel for the place. I was looking for where I could find the best frames and lighting. The paths were busy but not overcrowded, with primarily local foot traffic.

I saw, rather than heard, a series of ping-pong matches. The tables were set up inside a fenced-off space, and blankets were fastened to the highest portions of the fence to block the slight wind that made its presence felt along the lake.

A handful of older men were training for the polar bear plunge. Well, they were actually swimming laps, so plunge isn’t the ideal term. They were doing far more than that. I considered snapping photos of them, but the angles weren’t there.

I snapped my usual shot of traditional buildings with the Central Business District in the background. The interplay between traditional and modern fascinates me and can be found nearly everywhere in Beijing.

But as I made my way around the southern side of the lake, I didn’t see anything resembling a hot spot for nightlife. I was starting to get disappointed. Then, as I got closer to where the big lake connects to a much smaller one, I could hear music and the murmurs of heavy foot traffic.

Local restaurants had hired musicians to sing in empty bars, hoping passersby would stop for a drink. In the few hours I walked along the south side of the lakes, I didn’t see many patrons convinced to stick around.

But folks had congregated there on the opposite bank in the full sun of that unseasonably warm winter afternoon. It did seem, however, that there was a little more going on in the space between where I was and the Drum Tower.

I didn’t explore, though, because I was interested in making my way to Slowboat’s newest brewpub. That took me further south along the western edge of Qianhai, the second largest of the three lakes. I knew that they had included a rooftop area for a scenic pint. Unfortunately, it wasn’t open. The views from the second-floor windows were fantastic. Such a pity.

During my nearly three hours exploring Houhai, I didn’t walk away disappointed. Instead, I had a different experience than I expected. There weren’t nearly as many expats, and it wasn’t as bustling as I was led to believe. However, it provided some unique insights into how the city has changed and how modern elements interact with more traditional characteristics. And I was pleasantly surprised to find some awesome hutongs.

Those things come through in most of my photos. Nevertheless, I will head back during the summer to capture the lake in full bloom, both with tourists and flowers. And take a deeper dive into the hutongs.