Nitespots: Purgatory

The only thing about downtown Dallas' newest multilevel club that might be considered hellish is the fact that you will inevitably get lost. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing -- with fully stocked bars around every corner and dance floors on almost every level, there's always something fabulous happening, no matter where you end up. If Hell (the real one) is as glitzy and glamorous as Purgatory (the club), sign me up for an eternity.

(PRWEB) November 16, 2004 -- The only thing about downtown Dallas' newest multilevel club that might be considered hellish is the fact that you will inevitably get lost. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing -- with fully stocked bars around every corner and dance floors on almost every level, there's always something fabulous happening, no matter where you end up. If Hell (the real one) is as glitzy and glamorous as Purgatory (the club), sign me up for an eternity.

The night I visited, the place wasn't entirely finished. The lowest levels were still under construction, but enough had been accomplished that I could see where the design was headed. The top floors were nearly complete, with just a few random fixes needed here and there.

Details

Purgatory

2208 Main St.

214-651-8850

The nightclub has multiple levels: Hell, Purgatory, Heaven and Upper Heaven. And just like in theology, the higher up you try to go, the more restricted the access.

The bottom level, Hell, is a tiered basement dance club with a balcony overlooking the lowest area (the Pit). Voyeurism plays a huge role in the design of the club -- there are windows and balconies and ledges everywhere, making it oh-so-easy to observe your prey from a distance before swooping in for the attack. Since this level wasn't quite finished, I only got a cursory glance at it. But I saw the potential.

The next level, Purgatory, features a martini bar and a private ladies' lounge. I discovered the ladies' lounge by accident: My date wandered in, hypnotized by the flat-panel TVs and the plethora of women sitting around relaxing without any men to bother them. He had almost made it back to the powder-room area (where women working for a liquor promotional team were changing clothes) before a bouncer -- yes, girls, this area has its own bouncer -- grabbed him and tossed him out. Now, for him, Heaven is not the upper level of the club -- the ladies' lounge on the Purgatory level is. To roughly 50% of the population, it is the most exclusive VIP room on the planet. To the rest of us, it is the most brilliant concept in nightclubs yet. Girls, think about how many times you've had to stumble over to a bathroom in a nightclub, only to spend 10 to 15 minutes sobering up in a line for one teensy-tiny stall? Hell hath no fury like a woman forced to stand in line in stilettos. Wel! l, no more -- Purgatory's lounge even has its own bar and bartender.

The top two floors, Heaven and Upper Heaven, are drenched in shimmery whites, with heavy-duty spotlights shining everywhere. There's a dance floor in the middle, which those in Upper Heaven can peer down on, and a VIP room to one side. Upper Heaven itself is a ring of curtained VIP booths that big spenders can reserve (and you don't even have to sell your soul).

I'm excited to return to Purgatory (OK, that just sounds odd) now that it's fully complete. The design really is amazing -- they've made a conscious effort to avoid pitchfork and halo imagery, depending instead on vivid colors and lighting to evoke the essence of Heaven and Hell. In a place that's all about seeing and being seen, such a beautiful backdrop is a must.

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