It’s like walking down the hall in your old high school and everyone is whispering. Did you hear about Gold Room? For a girl who’s not from this side of the tracks, a California girl at heart but transplanted to this hip, young city, I didn’t know a thing about the notorious Gold Club. Here’s the low down. Once one of the country’s most successful and high profile strip clubs, in 2001 it became the object of federal investigation. Not a short while later, the feds shut it down and arrested the owners for fraud and racketeering.

But Jonathan L. Clay and John Frasier of F&C Buckhead, Inc., aren’t trying to focus on the past. They see the world through a gilded lens, and rightly so! Clay and Frasier have played all their cards right. They launched an official press campaign early fall and attracted some of Atlanta’s finest to Gold Room's re-opening, in mid November and grand opening in December.

Talk about the party of the year. The grand opening was a haven for PR mavens, celebrities, Atlanta artists, media hotshots and of course, the stylish Atlantan night scene.  Guests were entertained by fire acts and aerial performers as they spouted fire, hung from ropes in the ceiling and skirted their way around the dance floor.  Kudos to the Hot Toddies Flaming Cabaret, Melissa Coffey and Sadie Hawkins of Blast of Burlesque.

However, it wasn’t an easy task to get this all together. After Gold Club shut down, the spot became home to a Christmas tree lot. Tinsel and gold hung from the chimney, but as soon as the holiday season was over the lot was left without a care. That’s when F&C Buckhead, Inc. moved in for business. In the beginning of 2009, they bought the lot and gutted the whole thing.

Clay and Frasier designed the new space at Gold Room leaving no detail unattended. The walls are lined with gold mosaics and the couches are black plush velvet. But the center of attention is called to the massive main bar and five screen state-of-the-art video system, cultivated by Creative Voltage and designed by Integrated Visions Productions. Powered by the “Starship Enterprise of all DJ booths,” as Steven Quinn, the techie, likes to call it, the system is one of the highest powered in the city.

Gold Room has an impressive dance floor, top notch video, sound and lighting systems, and a luxurious bar. But what about the crowd who just wants to chill on a Friday night? The upstairs, dubbed Gold Lounge, is a sanctuary. The lounge is lined with noise-absorbent glass, so you can see all the action on the dance floor with only half the noise. Every couch has a roll-out drawer to hold your purse, and you can enjoy a delectable drink from the Champaigne Bar with fresh fruit from around the state. Clay and Frasier really thought of everything; they even made sure to place a “beer holder” in the restrooms.

People now days’ throw around phrases like “in this economy” and “economic downturn,” but the best way to gauge the health of an economy is to look at the value of gold. In Atlanta, gold is easy to find. “As members of the Buckhead community, it is our mission to contribute to the economic growth of the area and actively participate in making it a world class work, live and play environment appealing to locals and travelers alike,” says Frasier. Take that to the bank.