Both Alfalfa and Alameda are the hub of Seville´s nightlife. Alfalfa is a narrow street chock-a-block with bars and cheap tapas places. It kicks off about 11 o´clock at night and is stuffed with natives and foreigners alike. Bar Robotica is worth a view if only for the comic-book wallpaper and litre-sized drinks, and Bar Berlin is guaranteed to be open until the wee hours. Look out for the old man with a multi-coloured afro and a battered pair of rollerskates.
Alameda, despite the fact it is currently being reconstructed into what can only be described as a giant sand-pit, is still fun, lively and slightly more bohemian. In particular check out Cafe Central, one of the most popular joints, with the punters spilling out on the side walk, and the odd spontaneous flamenco clapping. The majority of punters there are local Sevillianas, and are all too happy to take the hapless foreigner under their wing, and direct them to the next venue. Don't expect to be in bed before 7 o'clock the following morning though!
Both areas are in the centre. Alfalfa is no more than 5 minutes’ walk from the cathedral, and Alameda is about 5-10 minutes’ walk north from there. Cafe Central is in the top left hand corner of the square. The subway is still in the process of being built, however any local or taxi driver would be able to point you in the right direction.
We were in Alameda end June (07) and area has been repaved and masses of trees planted. It looks great (if still only 95% complete). The "far" end (Cafe Central) is, I agree, a little "bohemian" but the "town" end has many family places, several "designer/trendy" bars and tapas joints, plus an excellent icecream parlour and even a small cinema.
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Oh and it's true that the Alameda looks like a huge sandpit, with a big hole in the middle (that was going to be a metro station about 30 years ago, when they first started building it...until they realised that the Alameda is built on an underground river). The building work going on is part of the construction of the metro. Approximate finish date: 2007!