New Schaumburg nightclub takes flight

Raven Nightclub aims to attract club goers that would normally seek out a city spot by bringing in top musical acts and celebrity guests. But the Schaumburg nightclub offers much more than the convenience of bypassing Chicago traffic. Since opening in Heat's former space Dec. 31, the club has managed to bring in crowds while avoiding all of the hassle normally associated with clubbing, offering plenty of seats, easy access to bartenders and affordable drinks.

Motif: The first floor features three bars and a large dance floor, which is covered with spinning strobe lights and periodic gusts of fog. Other illumination comes from large, old-fashioned chandelier-like lamps and dangling wires with lights at the ends. Decorations fit the club's name, with parts of the walls painted white with black raven feathers. Cushioned benches and curved booths in cream and brown offer comfortable seating in front of small candlelit tables. The second floor opens up when the place starts to get hopping and features three more bars and a glass balcony that provides a view of all the action below. The upstairs area is popular with parties and celebrities and their entourages, with a closed-off VIP room and couches where people can see and be seen by the rest of the club. Scantily dressed go-go dancers perform on a small stage downstairs and behind glass in one of the upstairs bars once it opens. A catwalk features a giant sign with the club's name, with LED panels that make the letters constantly change colors and project light outside, so it's impossible to miss the club from the road.

Crowd: Raven brings in a young, stylishly dressed crowd. When I was there around 11 p.m. Saturday, the dance floor was busy, though the people on it were doing more mingling than moving. Parties have already been booking up months in advance for nights with big-name entertainers.

Service: Everyone was polite or friendly, from the bouncers on. The place is very well-staffed, so we didn't have to wait long for a drink. As an added bonus, the attractive female bartenders are prone to burst out dancing and clapping to the music when they're not chatting with customers.

Liquid consumption: You can find all the standard cocktails mixed well and strong at the fully stocked bars. Drinks are reasonably priced for a club, with $6 cocktails and $7 bombs. Bottle service is also available, with bottles brought out in glow-in-the-dark buckets by sparkler-carrying servers.

Music: DJs spin dance and house music every night. The music from the club's state-of-the-art sound system is so loud you can feel it vibrating in your seat. The bar also plans to bring in monthly live acts, with singer Mia Martina performing Saturday, Feb. 12.

Bathrooms: Restrooms are staffed by attendants and stocked with breath mints, antacids, hair spray and just about anything else you might need to freshen up.

Parking: There are plenty of free spots, plus $5 valet parking.

Overall: Clubbers can easily transition between moving to hot beats on the dance floor and lounging on a couch with a drink in hand at this stylish new club.

<b>Raven Nightclub</b>

616 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg, (847) 885-2222, <a href="http://www.theravenclub.com" target="_blank">theravenclub.com</a>

<b>Hours:</b> 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday