Milan has perhaps Italy's
best
nightlife . This
centres on two main areas:
the streets around the Brera
gallery, and the canal-side
Navigli and the adjacent
Ticinese quarter, south of
the city, where there are
any number of lively bars,
restaurants and nightclubs,
some hosting regular live
bands.
The city's clubs
are at their hippest
midweek, particularly on
Thursdays - at weekends
out-of-towners flood in and
any self-respecting Milanese
trendy either stays at home
or hits a bar. Many places
have obscure door policies,
often dependent on the whim
of the bouncer; assuming you
get in, you can expect to
pay
L20,000-30,000/10.33-15.49
entry, which usually
includes your first drink.
As for live music ,
Milan scores high on jazz,
and the rock scene is
relatively good by Italian
standards: there are regular
gigs by local bands, and the
city is a stop on the
circuit for big-name touring
bands.
If you need an antedote
to the expensive designer
side of Milan's nightlife,
check out the very healthy
alternative scene, which
revolves around the city's
many Centri Sociali .
Born out of the student
protests of the late
Sixties, these centres are
essentially squatted
buildings, where committees
organize cheap, sometimes
free, entertainment, such as
concerts and film showings.
They also contain bars and -
often good - vegetarian
restaurants, and are an
established part of the
social scene, accepted by
neighbours and even
sometimes receiving local
funding. Worth checking out
are Gargliano , in
Via Gargliano, ten minutes'
walk north of Garibaldi
Station, and Conchetta
, on Via Conchetta, five
minutes' walk south of Porta
Ticenese and the flagship, Leoncavallo
, which you can contact on
tel 02.670.5185 or csleo@tiscalinet.it
.
.
Cafes, bars and pubs
Arco della Pace , Piazzi
Sempione 2a. Located in the
arch itself, this café is a
relaxed place for a drink in
the summer when you can
spill out onto the pavement
and listen to the concerts
in the nearby park. Open
Wed-Fri. Bar Magenta ...
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Venues and clubs
Capolinea , Via Lodovico Il
Moro 119 (tel 02.8912.2024).
Founded in 1969, this place
is a jazz milestone where
all the best performers,
Italian and foreign, have
played. Named for the
terminus ( capolinea ) of
tram #19. De Sade...
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