night life vs recreation

night life and recreation both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
night life	Yes	No	No	No
recreation	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, recreation is a hypernym of night life; that is, recreation is a word with a broader meaning than night life:

night life: the activity of people seeking nighttime diversion (as at the theater, a nightclub, etc.)
recreation: an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates

Other hypernyms of night life include diversion.

night life (noun)	recreation (noun)
the activity of people seeking nighttime diversion (as at the theater, a nightclub, etc.)	an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
the entertainment available to people seeking nighttime diversion	activity that refreshes and recreates; activity that renews your health and spirits by enjoyment and relaxation