Clubland

(Credit: Sun-Sentinel/Rhonda Vanover)

As sweat trickles down their foreheads, young women in short-shorts wipe mascara from under their eyes while young men with spiky, gelled hair tuck baseball caps inside their baggy jeans, sneaking them past bouncer and dress-code enforcer Chris Wang.

It's after 10 p.m. on a Wednesday, better known as Teen Night at Pulse Ultra Lounge in Boca Raton.

The air is filled with humidity, anticipation and body odor as about 100 teenagers push up against the Bank of America building's sliding doors, which occasionally open to offer a rush of cold air and a glimpse of the club's lobby entrance.

Formerly known as Club Boca, a spot with something of a bad-boy image, the dance club underwent a slight renovation and was reborn as Pulse Ultra Lounge.

Despite its face-lift, the club hasn't changed what's worked: a loyal teen following. The Teen Nights offered randomly throughout the year become weekly (sometimes twice-weekly) during the summer.

Ironically, after all that waiting to get in, most of the teens initially just stand around, looking to others for guidance as the DJ spins top hip-hop favorites.

West Boca High School student Tasherra Perry has been a regular for two years, never arriving without her four closest girlfriends who can hardly contain themselves from dancing when Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar" begins.

"I like the guys here 'cause they're cute," Tasherra says with a bashful giggle. "It's fun because I know almost everyone here, and they play the newest music that's out. We'll always spend the whole night on the dance floor!"

At midnight the place is packed and the tops of the closed bars (no booze, remember?) serve as an extended dance floor. But, no alcohol doesn't translate into a cheap night: There's a $20 cover charge, and sodas and Rockstar energy drinks are $3-$5 a pop, even $1 for a cup of water.

With his long, curly locks neatly pulled back, Israel Conley is dressed to make that killer first impression. Often, Israel shows up solo, something he says is all too common.

"What's cool about this place is there aren't a lot of overly sensitive people. Most people are from Boca High, but other schools are here, too. Nobody really says what high school they go to; they just come to the club," Israel says. "Everyone gets along, and I always meet cool, new people. So far, I've met maybe 25 people, and it's only my fifth time here."

Though he claims not to be looking, Israel offers his list of what he wants out of a girl, including the obligatory "sense of humor." The most important quality? "My father has to like her!" he states with a huge grin.

Now, that's one pickup line you don't hear everyday.

Heather C. McCalla is a freelance writer for Sun-Sentinel.

Pulse Ultra Lounge
7000 W. Palmetto Park Road
Boca Raton
561-392-3747
pulseultralounge.net