Wangfujing Shopping Street
Wangfujing Street is one of the largest and most popular pedestrian streets in China with two large shopping malls - one each at the two ends of a pedestrian street where often hosts exhibitions and shows. There are many outdoor cafes in the summer - a nice place to take an ice-cream or frozen beer under a shady umbrella.
Wangfujing is now considered as the central heart of the city and it is really a long street. It is also home to a number of large department stores, souvenir stores, food stalls, and Chinese painting stores. If you spend 3 minutes in every chain store, it will take several days to visit them all.
In the evening, while Wangfujing street turns on all of neon advertising signs, it shows another different atmosphere. Most shops stay open till around 12pm and become an impromptu night market. See famous shopping streets in China.
Sorry i do not whether there is family at Beijing would rent their rooms for visitors. You would try to stay at some apartment service (bedroom +living room +bath room) or experience the traditional courtyard accommodation.
http://www.chinahighlights.com/hotel/beijing-hotels/free-town-apartment-hotel-of-beijing.htm
http://www.chinahighlights.com/hotel/beijing-hotels/beijing-soluxe-courtyard-hotel.htm
