Frankfurt city guide

The place to be if you want a mix of American hip hop and pop chart hits along with the hottest, newest European techno/house hits. Saturday nights at Living XXL, a 10.00 Euro cover, you’re guaranteed a fantastic mix of extremely danceable beats (house, techno, pop and “black beats” as Germans like to call hip hop/rap/r&b).

For details about the Wednesday night “after work party”, check Living’s website. FYI I’ll focus on a typical Saturday night. Clientèle is mixed. You’ll find 20- and 30-somethings on the dance floor — an assortment of university students, full-timer workers, and the occasional tourist. On the upper tiers of lounge and bar areas, the businessmen congregate to ogle the ladies on the dance floor without having to descend into the heat themselves.

Happy hour is from 22:00 – 00:00, but most people don’t arrive until between 00:00 and 01:00. Make sure to dress for clubbing – the bouncers aren’t überstrict, but (guys) if you forget to change out of your tennis shoes and aren’t wearing a nice shirt, you won’t get in. Ladies, dress up at least a bit and you won’t have trouble at the door.

(Extra tip: for those inclined to salsa dancing, free beginner lessons are offered every first Thursday of the month. Monika Bauer, a German woman, teaches these (in German), which are followed by a salsa party until late. Merengue and bachata music included!)