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Netherlands Information · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 20 Home Country: netherlands

NIGHTLIFE IN NETHERLANDS (OTHER PLACES)

ROTTERDAM

The world-class Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra plays at De Doelen concert hall, at Kruisstraat 2 (tel. 010/217-1717). If you want to see a global pop star, take a ride to Ahoy, Zuiderparkweg 20 (tel. 0900/235-2469). Megastars perform here to capacity audiences of 10,000.

You can try your luck at Holland Casino Rotterdam, Plaza Complex, Weena 624 (tel. 010/206-8206; Metro: Centraal Station). There's roulette, blackjack, punto banco, fruit machines, and more. The dress code here is "correct" (collar and tie for men), and the minimum age is 18. You need your passport to get in. The casino is open daily (except May 4, Dec 31) from 1:30pm to 3am. Admission is 4€ ($5).

After nightfall a multitude of establishments in Rotterdam come alive with guests eager to eat, drink, and be merry. Along with drinking and dancing, late-night dining is on the menu in the 50m-long (164-ft.) tunnel called De Blauwe Vis, Weena Zuid 33 (tel. 010/213-4243). The close-by Baja Beach Club Discotheque, Karel Doormanstraat 12 (tel. 010/213-0534), guarantees a sunny ambience even when it rains, and the tanned, muscular bar staff effortlessly slip into the role of entertainers. A younger crowd frequents Nighttown, West-Kruiskade 26 (tel. 010/436-1210), for dancing and lounging and for hard-core and mellow music, both live and recorded.

If it can be played on a piano, you might hear it at Crazy Pianos, Maasboulevard 300 (tel. 010/280-0238), whose gaudy neon signs attract revelers under the ramp leading up Willemsbrug. The formula, which includes eating, drinking, and dancing, appeals to patrons of all ages.

Jazz cats should make their way to Dizzy, 's Gravendijkwal 127 (tel. 010/477-3014; www.dizzy.nl), an informal, long-established cafe where live music is the name of the game. Maastheater, Boompjes 751 (tel. 010/413-4091), a waterside disco where DJs dictate the music styles, is popular with students. Some nights are hosted by Rotterdam's party organizer, Ted Langenbach, who also is associated with the ultra-cool Now and Wow Club, Lloydstraat 30 (tel. 010/476-2452).

Though Amsterdam's gay population is many times larger, Rotterdam has its homosexual haunts. One place where the gay scene parties the nights away is the Gay Palace, Schiedamsesingel 139 (tel. 010/414-1486).

THE HAGUE

There's nearly always something going on culturally. The monthly publication The Hague Agenda, available at the VVV offices and many hotels and restaurants, lists up-and-coming concerts and other cultural events. Spui, just behind Centraal Station, is the city's modern cultural square. Here you find Dr. Anton Philips Concert Hall, Spui 150 (tel. 070/360-9810), home to the Residentie Orchestra; and the AT&T Dance Theater, Spui 152 (tel. 070/360-4930), where the three companies of the renowned Netherlands Dance Theater perform their virtuoso contemporary productions. If you're more into jazz and pop music, check out 't Paard, Prinsengracht 12 (tel. 070/360-1618).

The Hague doesn't have a big student population, and the city's natural formality subdues its nightlife somewhat, but there is a thriving bar and cafe culture. The Plein, a large square in front of the Tweede Kamer (lower house of Parliament), is a favorite for recess with politicians and civil servants. If you want to combine eating and drinking, and hide from the masses in a quiet walled garden, head for close-by Schlemmer, Lange Houtstraat 17 (tel. 070/360-9000). The Grote Markt square is lined with busy bars and restaurants, ranging from traditional brown cafes to trendy designer spots. De Zwarte Ruiter, Grote Markt 27 (tel. 070/364-9549), is a popular drinking and eating place that makes a good starting point. Another lively area is the narrow Maliestraat, just off Denneweg, behind the Hotel Des Indes, where you find great bars such as Ca l'Emile, De Maliestraat 16 (tel. 070/365-5400), in which a more mature but lively professional crowd likes to greet the evening. One of The Hague's oldest lesbian and gay bars, Cafe De Landman, Denneweg 48 (tel. 070/346-7727), also is close by.

For a casino and other nightspots, head to nearby Scheveningen.