The Gare district south of the Pétrusse is the city's transport hub and historically its working-class quarter — built up rapidly after the railway arrived in 1859. Today it is the most cosmopolitan part of town: Portuguese and Cape Verdean grocers, Lebanese bakeries, cheap eateries, and a long-running red-light strip along Rue de Strasbourg.
The square in front of the station is being remodelled around the tram and has improved a great deal in recent years. The Gare is the place to come for cheap, varied food, late-night bars near Hollerich, and the gritty texture that the Haute Ville lacks. The station itself, a 1907 Wilhelmine Renaissance building, is worth a look.