Glasgow Nightlife
Glasgow is one of the most up and coming cities in Europe and has improved drastically over the past decade. The old Glasgow offered visitors nothing more in the way of nightlife than a snooty bar or a run-down, smoky pub. However, today Glasgow is a vibrant and exciting city that has hundreds of nightspots to suit all tastes and budgets.
These days, Glasgow has as many designer bars as it does traditional pubs and Bath Street in the centre of town has an abundance of stylish drinking establishments, including the fashion-conscious Bunker. Bars in the West End of town are catered much more for the student lifestyle and have a range of cheaper jaunts and fairly-priced restaurants.
For those still craving the old-fashioned Glasgow, the East End still has a number of traditional pubs that offer cheap drinks, in addition to well-priced food.
The old town also plays host to The Horse Shoe, an establishment that dates back to the 19th century and is said to have the longest continuous bar in the UK. However, its main attraction is its cheap food and selection of real ales. The lounge upstairs serves some of the best value three-course meals in town.
Visitors looking for a more unique nightlife experience could visit one of Glasgow's many theme bars. These include Bar Jedi – a Star Wars inspired bar and the Cooler – a prison themed venue!
The Corinthian is a popular watering hole in the city and is worth a visit if just to admire its spectacular architecture. It was originally a bank and later Glasgow's High Court. The building is also home to a trendy underground club that plays funk and club classics on Friday and Saturday nights; it also serves half-price cocktails on these days.
The Arches is one venue that should not be missed by those enjoying a night out in Glasgow. As well as being a club, this one-stop entertainment venue doubles as a theatre which showcases contemporary avant-garde productions. The Arches are underneath Glasgow Central Station and since its discovery in 1991 has become one of Europe's leading cultural venues. Last year, over 200,000 people passed through its doors.
In addition, the revenue from the club, bar, cafe and live music venue is reinvested in the company's arts programme and allows performances to be shown at a cut price.
Most Glaswegian pubs stay on until at least midnight but for those serious night owls looking for a boogie, Glasgow is not short of the odd nightclub. The majority of the clubs are situated in the centre of the main shopping area around Buchanan and Argyle Streets but there are also a number of clubs around Sauchiehall Street.
Fans of live music will not be left disappointed either, as live music is regularly played at the Barrowlands, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), the Garage, the Arena, the Plaza and the Arches. Many other pubs in the city also have live music nights.
Glasgow and its surrounding area is said to have the largest concentration of gays and lesbians in the UK outside of London so the gay nightlife scene is active in the city. Although there is no identifiable district of the city where the gay community is particularly concentrated, part of the Merchant City has been dubbed 'the gay triangle'.
Glasgow really is a city that has it all when it comes to nightlife. From the traditional watering holes in the East End, the chic bars in the west and the avant-garde image of the Arches. Whatever your choice of activity when the sun sets, Glasgow is sure not to disappoint.
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Nightlife
