A veteran of Chicago's late-night scene, Crobar has managed to stay hip since 1991; it's even expanded to locations in New York City and Miami. The warehouse-gone-glam look and thumping sound system give the space a quintessential dance-club feel, and the booth-lined balcony overlooking the huge dance floor is a good spot for people-watching. If you're especially gorgeous -- or free-spending -- you might make it into the glass-encased VIP room. The soundtrack is mostly hip-hop and house, and the weekend DJs have a strong local following, so you might be fighting for prime dance space. The crowd is fairly mixed racially and age-wise and mostly attitude-free.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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