If there's any place that lives life on the street, it's Hanoi, Vietnam. People around the city seem to inch everything closer and closer to the side of the street.
Through business, food, and social life, Vietnam presents a much more acute definition of what it means to live on the street. Throughout the Western world, sitting roadside is shunned, maybe even illegal in some places.
In Vietnam, it's a way of life.
I've determined that in a city characterized by an everlasting flow of motorbike traffic, catching someone's attention by displaying things as close to the street as possible (or even on it) is the necessary micro-advantage for generating that sale. Edging closer and closer to where the people are could be a pivotal move in the competition.
Note: For travelers considering joining that flow of traffic, Go Backpacking recently published a guide to buying a motorbike in Hanoi without getting ripped off.
In the Old Quarter of Hanoi, businesses spread their goods out onto the front or outdoor sidewalk of their stores, using the inside as more of a storage space than a sales floor.
The overflow of products does not particularly cater to the passing pedestrian, though it tends to be quite an effective sales strategy.
When someone is walking down the street and encounters a rack of shoes blocking the middle of the sidewalk, there are 3 possible reactions: to get angry and frustrated, to enjoy that this is life in Vietnam, or to think, "I might actually need that!" The genius of Hanoi's street marketers banks on the latter option.
Along with businesses and products, food is the quintessential example of taking to the streets in Hanoi.
Produce markets and vendors line the edge of the street side, accurately accounting for mere centimeters of distance between their vegetables and the roaring tires of motorbikes.
Take-away food hawkers compete to see who can get the closest to the side of the road (even in the road), presuming more motorcycles whizzing past will halt to purchase their products.
Bread sellers plop their baked goods in the street for maximum exposure, forcing traffic to weave around them.
Participating in the always-amazing street-food dining scene is no different. It seems that at some of the more popular street restaurants, customers will sacrifice themselves to get that tasty dish, even at the mercy of the road.
In this case, I can completely understand that some foods are just worth the risk! The more the merrier, and customers are never turned down, just relegated to another plastic stool, maybe in a more vulnerable position.
Drinking coffee plays a large role as a social and leisure activity in Vietnam. There is an abundance of street coffee shops throughout Hanoi.
Sitting indoors is like locking yourself up in a jail cell. Why not take in the bustling scenery and listen to the screaming traffic by stepping to the side of the street to enjoy your beverage?
Sitting on the street, relaxing on the street, eating on the street, napping on the street, shopping on the street, fixing your bike in the middle of the street, or a selection of anything else you can imagine on the street, is what makes Hanoi such a joyous and continually entertaining city.
Sit for long enough, and you might find yourself shopping while relaxing and drinking, all at the same time!
Flimsy plastic stools are stocked at nearly all restaurants and coffee shops in Hanoi, making it convenient to pop a squat and socialize or marvel at the turbo-speed of everything that goes past.
Grab a coffee or a beer, situate yourself on a plastic stool, and take to the streets of Hanoi as you watch everyone else conduct their lives on the side of the street!
