Southampton City Centre
Continue down The Avenue and you will eventually arrive at the top of town (about 25 minutes walk). Just off the main high street on Commercial Road you will find the City Art Gallery, which boasts a collection of over 2700 works of art, spanning six centuries. The gallery is accessed through the same entrance as the city library. Just around the corner, in the same complex of buildings, is the Guildhall, which is the city's major venue for rock, pop and classical concerts. A five minute walk away, following down Commercial Road, is the Mayflower Theatre, the main venue for great musicals, ballets and opera. Just behind the theater is the Gantry Arts Centre, which holds numerous live musical, theatrical and comedy performances. Walk back to the main high street and carry on into the center of town, past the busy shopping precinct, and you will come across the historical Bargate, one of the surviving gateways to the city. Look up when you are walking through and you may see the damage caused by trams, which attempted to pass through the middle until 1949 and sometimes didn't quite make it. Carry on down the high street and you may want to stop off for a drink at The Dolphin Hotel, which was a popular place to stay during the 18th century, when Southampton was a very popular spa. Famous guests include Jane Austen, who is said to have danced there. A couple of minutes walk away is another historical place to stop off for a drink or bite to eat - the Red Lion, which is the oldest pub in Southampton and still retains its 14th Century vaults.Nightlife
Attractions
Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre
Quays Swimming and Diving Complex
Restaurants
Hotels
