This venerated dance club housed in Metro’s basement received a makeover in 2006, slicking up the looks significantly and bringing back a vibrant crowd…

This basement club in the River North gallery district has had the deep, underground techno sound on lock for some time now. It still has the illicit feel of an after-hours spot and premium sound for the big-name house, techno and electro DJs who visit weekly.

Chicago nightlife impresario Billy Dec unveiled this bomb-shelter-themed spot to no shortage of hype in 2007. With populist hip-hop and house remixes, the sleek, dark, militaristic space comes alive. Celebrity command performances might not always be A-list…

This slick, modern, multilevel Euro-style club in River North opened to much fanfare in 2004 and has kept clubbers busy ever since. On weekends, resident DJs, costumed dancers and powerful sound create a spectacular scene in the multiroom venue…

This spot may have changed names more than any other venue in town, but it’s become an unlikely young hipster hangout thanks to long-standing weekend dance parties hosted by local jocks Zebo, Pr3 frosh, Popstatic and Konsept.

Channeling the spirit of the late, great Fela Kuti, this South Loop night spot serves as an ideal place of worship for music heads and lovers of everything from house to hip-hop and soul to Afrobeat…

This freak-friendly dance destination in Lakeview built its reputation back in the mid-’80s with a mix of German new-wave music, art installations and transvestite shows. These days, it’s still quirky but more retro, with Madonna-tribute, disco and ’80s nostalgia nights…

The vivid colors and exotic look of this cozy establishment have weathered to ridiculous kitsch, but the spirit at the venerable venue is strong. Weekends are jammed with crunkers, sitters and sippers. Midweek, Top 40 hip-hoppers and underground R&B divas sometimes drop in for live sets.

An oasis in the otherwise warehouse-filled Goose Island area, Hearts is the latest club from the team that's brought the city Crescendo, Sound-Bar and Y Bar. Gothic with its dominant black interior and red chandeliers, the space is the new home for quality house in Chicago…

One of the most versatile venues in town, the Mid combines traditional venue options with the bottle-popping club world. Two stories allow for dancing and drinking on weekends, but smaller nights see just the main floor used for everything from indie bands to up-and-coming DJ talent…