Since opening May 2005 with a DJ set by Tiesto, this decadent Downtown club has lured in Usher, Missy Elliot, Sean Paul and members of the Black Eyed Peas. But unlike the exclusive boites in Hollywood, clubbers don't need to have their name on the A-list to bypass the velvet rope: Fashionable attire and a good attitude will do.

When owner Ralph Verdugo first found the building that would house Club 740, it was rat-infested and generally trashed: The previous owners had used it for raves. But the intricate details on the exterior reminded Verdugo of the old-school glamor the three-story venue had in its original incarnation as the Orion Theatre when founded in 1913. With more than a million dollars and a lot of elbow grease, he and his construction crew erased the black and silver paint covering the intricate gold fixtures, repainted the walls red, added bars to every level, put in glass walls, and installed a Kyrogenic jet-blast system (a popular device used in Miami clubs to occasionally cool off the crowd). He also turned the box seats into VIP lounges, each with their own hosts, guards and waitresses. The venue continues to bring in international DJ talent like Derrick Carter to its decks on Friday nights; Jumbo from Club Nit takes over on Saturdays with hip-hop, Latin vibe, Top 40 and catchy indie rock to a young, trendy, tireless crowd. On off-nights, Verdugo plans to turn Club 740 into a concert venue like Avalon. —Alexandra Le Tellier