Best Clubs in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis, Minnesota

No one thinks of a Warehouse District as being the hotbed of nightclubs and entertainment, but in Minneapolis, you can find more than enough to do to fill an evening or two. Remember When it comes to the Warehouse District in Minneapolis, all is not what it would first appear to be.

The City boasts the Warehouse District as being hotspot, both night and day.

It's even referred to as glamorous, certainly not a term used for most warehouses. What you'll find here is a mixture of the old and new, the finest historical Minneapolis sites couple with intricate architecture of the 20th century to make for an eclectic, electric mix of fun. Whether you feel like dressing up and doing the night up right or just going casual after a day of exploring, you'll find a nightclub to suit your mood.

A Good place to spot for an overview and to get good deals on current events (some free) is: www.mplswarehouse.com. You'll get maps, as well as the opportunity to sign up for the special deals such as free covers to many of the nightclubs. That alone makes it worth getting on the mailing list.
Here are some of the Nightclubs in the Warehouse District worth your time (not in any particular order):

Bootleggers, 323 First Ave., N. (Phone: 612-338-4555). http://www.bootleggersmpls.com
Bootleggers isn't one of the glamorous nightclubs; in fact, it boasts the fact that it is one of the no-nonsense, just plain fun clubs. There are no red velvet ropes or VIP lines, just good music, good atmosphere and fun. It thinks of itself of a modern day speakeasy-as if the name Bootleggers wouldn't give you a clue.

Can't get enough of the club or if you want to keep up to date on what's going to happen? Bootleggers has pages on Myspace, Twitter and Facebook.

Spin Nightclub, 10 S. 5th St. (612-333-5055)

A spotlight of this club is a 20 foot waterfall. It's open Thursdays through Sundays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., located in the Lumber Exchange Building.

Aqua Nightclub & Lounge, 400 First Ave., N. (612-232-3232) www.aquampls.com

Aqua bills itself as a hip hop/rock/tech club with multi levels on which to party. There are giveaways galore, including trips to Vegas. (Note this is always subject to change as promotions change on a regular basis.) This one falls into the more upscale range with VIP activities. Dress is casual chic. Check out their Web site for dressing options. For example, they don't allow baseball caps or sandals.

3 Degrees, 113 N. 5th St. (612-781-8488) http://www.3degreesministries. com
As with Aqua, Club 3 Degrees features multi levels (3). The niche on this club is that 3 Degrees is smoke and alcohol free. The club features live music covering the various genres Thurs.-Sat. night. Late Sat. night the club has a DJ. You can play pool, sports and nosh at the caf when you're not dancing.

Envy Nightclub, 400 First Ave., N., (612-673-9694) http://www.envympls.com.
The Envy Nightclub has a lot of angles. On Mondays, when most of the party world shuts down, the club features a night dedicated to service workers. If you bring proof of employment, the cover is $3, and if it's your birthday or even the month of your Zodiac sign, cocktails are $3.

Every night has a sort of theme, so check the Web site before you go. As with Aqua, there's a dress code that's strictly enforced, and you can make VIP reservations.

The Lounge Nightclub, 411 Second Ave., N. (612-333-8800)
The Lounge Nightclub is billed as covering international music and the underground electronic music scene. So, if standard fare is not your idea of a night out, the Lounge should be on your list to check out.

There are also Adult Entertainment Clubs including upscale clubs: Choice Gentlemen's Club on 2nd Ave (upscale with white tablecloths) as well as the Seville Club on Glenwood Ave. Two other adult clubs, Dj Vu on Washington Ave. and Dream Girls on 5th St. are more of a low-key atmosphere.

Gay Oriented Clubs

The Jetset Bar, located on 1st street is located in the Northloop. On Thursdays, there's karaoke, and on Fridays and Saturdays, local DJs provide the music.

Gay Nineties, on Hennepin Ave., bills itself as a gay, but straight-friendly, bar. It hosts a Vegas-style drag show with female impersonators, includes seven bars and is open 365 days a year.