Night Life: Chiado, Prncipe Real, Bairro Alto and Chiado Lisbon's most elegant and trendy neighborhood,

Chiado, is where everyone meets for coffee, shopping, or before dinner and a night out inBairroAlto. Most of the buildings are from the 18th century (many of them renovated in the 1990s by architect lvaro Siza Vieira after their destruction by a devastating fire in 1988) but the neighborhood is a flashback to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the "Belle poque" when writers such as Fernando Pessoa and Ea de Queiroz used to write at the now-historic cafs. This is also the neighborhood of theaters, charming old bookshops, local fashion designers and major international brands, giving it a lively cosmopolitan ambience at any time of the day Bairro Alto is a place that truly changes from night to day. In daylight this bohemian district is a sleepy place, hungover from the previous night, with not much going on except for the trendy shops down Rua do Norte. When the sun sets a new life begins, with restaurants opening their doors and crowds showing up to spend their bar-hopping night. The bars are small, forcing everyone to spill out onto the streets and creating a street party atmosphere. Rua da Atalaia, Rua do Dirio de Noticias, and Rua da Barroca become filled with caipirinha-sipping crowds, most under 40, but mixing preppies with rockers and goths, gay and straight. It's a place inhabited by old ladies and young artsy hipsters, giving it a vibe that is simultaneously old-fashioned and avant-garde, a shabby-chic neighborhood that really needs no name. It's simply the "bairro," the neighborhood where everything happens -- at night. This attractive neighborhood (named "Royal Prince", Prncipe Real, in honor of Queen Maria II's first born) extends north of Bairro Alto and although it was once only known for its antique shops and gay bars, it's now slowly becoming a serious shopping area. Despite that, it remains essentially a residential district, filled with gardens, a couple of the city's most tranquil squares, and colorful mansions. The abundant charm has turned it into one of the most sought-after areas to live in the city, and real estate companies have taken notice. Old buildings are being renovated, a young population is moving in, and there's talk of gentrification similar to that of Georgetown in Washington DC after the company that turned that district into the American capital's hippest began acquiring buildings here. Down the hill is the small neighborhood of So Bento, known for the neoclassical Parliament building and more antique shops down Rua de So Bento.

Sodr is the name of a 15th century family with businesses in this neighborhood which has always been linked with the maritime trade. Over time the entire area from the riverfront to the two blocks north of it became known as "Cais do Sodr." The "Wharf of Sodr" is a terminal of the ferries that link Lisbon to Cacilhas and Almada across the river, and is also a train and metro station as well as a major bus stop. Across the station is Praa Duque da Terceira, a square named after the Duke of Terceira whose bronze statue stands in the center. To the west of the square is a huge dome under which stands the city's main food market,Mercado da Ribeira, and next to it is another square, Praa de Dom Luis. It is filled with palms and other trees, and is overlooked by a 19th century statue of the Marquis of S da Bandeira. Rua Nova do Carvalho behind the market was for decades known as the city's "red light district" with bars named after northern European capitals to attract their sailors who stepped off their boats here. It's now a seedy-chic street lined with hip bars and clubs that become especially crowded after 2AM when the bars in Bairro Alto start to close.