St. Georg, the district immediately east of the main railway station, is the centre of Hamburg's gay scene and one of the most diverse small neighbourhoods in the city. The main strip, Lange Reihe, is a relaxed kilometre of cafés, bookshops, second-hand record stores and restaurants from a dozen cuisines, running between Steindamm and the Aussenalster.
The neighbourhood is a study in contrasts. Steindamm to the west is one of the city's main red-light strips and noticeably rougher; lakeside Aussenalster villas to the east are the city's most expensive real estate. Lange Reihe slots between them and is the place to spend an afternoon eating, drinking and people-watching. The Mariahilfkapelle, the Russian-Orthodox St. Prokopios chapel and the Long Bar at the Hotel Atlantic are all worth a brief look.