War Ruins - New York Times - Partying Amid Cold
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All this partying doesn�t exactly bode well for studying. An academic zone of six universities built in the �60s and �70s, it�s a place where graffiti-covered housing blocks crumble, rusted fences line overgrown fields, and Soviet-made cars decay on cracked sidewalks. And nowhere is this more apparent that in Studentski Grad, where cheap rents, lax zoning rules and young residents mean that clubs and bars are opening everywhere, from vacant lots to active dormitories. But the focus is on the stage, where rock bands jam most weekends, and fellow students sing Whitney Houston and Judas Priest tunes during the Monday karaoke nights that last till 5 a.m. Crisp blue-and-gold European Union flags do little to sway the impression of a bleak wasteland. Flight and hotelFlight, hotel and carHotel and carFlight and carLeaving from: Departing: Morn.Noon.Eve.Going to: Returning: Morn.Noon.Eve. For live music, there�s Maskata (Block 19; 359-2-868-8079), a cavernous club on the ground floor of an active student dormitory. In one corner, portraits of Bulgaria�s former Communist leaders are cheekily on display. Spurred by Bulgaria�s accession into the European Union this year, the capital city of Sofia is experiencing a night-life boom. The crowd comes to drink Zagorka beers (1.50 leva, or about $1 at 1.49 leva to the dollar), listen to post-Nirvana rock and play the Pamela Anderson pinball machine. The restaurant scene in Studentski Grad is starting to show life, too. Until recently, the district had three choices: drab student cafeterias, pizzerias and kebab stands.