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Beyond the bouncer, velvet rope, and metallic doors is a rare Uptown breed: a scrappy bump-and-grind club with an unusually diverse following. Up front, the exposed brick and padded leather walls are flanked by a bar that serves up shoddily mixed drinks . An incongruous flat-screen TV hangs from the ceiling at the mid-point between the bar area and the real action: a dance floor where the fluorescent spotlights, smoke machine, and dangling disco ball recall a high school gym formal. Unlike the multipurpose auditoriums of yore, though, there are dancers in sexy go-go get-up on the elevated stage, and eclectic touches including stylish leather banquettes with wavy backs, funky sun-shaped mirrors, even a few tribal masks. The dancing can be electrifying, especially on Latin Thursdays when hair-gelled couples swivel and spin to the beats of salsa and merengue. Weekends bring dance music and a mainstream mix. But there’s always one constant: smooth talkers on the prowl for partners on and off the floor. — Kate Appleton

Vudu Potion, $10

Dress Code
No athletic gear, construction boots