Nightcrawler - Johnny’s Hideaway: Here, kitty kitty ...

There are two types of people who frequent Johnny’s Hideaway — those who have a Neil Diamond CD, and those who were at his original LP release party. Yet there is an accepting air within the confines of this Atlanta landmark. Despite the veteran crowd, Johnny’s exudes a vitality that rivals any hot spot in the ATL. There is definitely something to be said about the nightly scene at this wine-cooler version of Studio 54.

“Yeah, George was here,” the suit-clad doorman boasts upon entrance into the plush red-velvet excellence that is Johnny’s decor. With the quick click of a flashlight, he illuminates a framed photograph of himself and Mr. Clooney, as if he were expecting the question. A bit to the left of the photo on this wall of fame hangs a picture of Arnold Palmer, who poses as a bastion of greatness for the “older” patrons parked stoically sipping their Maker’s-and-water in comfortably upholstered swivel chairs. Adjacent to the dance floor are two bars surrounded by a pack of wild “cougars” (cougar, kooger, noun: A large, tawny cat, Felis concolor, or an older woman who frequents clubs to score with a much younger man). A word to the wise: Cougars are now greatly reduced in number and endangered in some areas, although not at Johnny’s Hideaway. However, don’t be fooled by the fauna. Among the sea-breeze-toting ladies hidden away in the exhaled smoke of cigars and Virginia Slims are many of Atlanta’s up-and-coming youngsters dressed in their sexiest sequined tube tops and gold-buttoned navy blazers.

“Some nights I have more fun at work than I do when I go out,” chirps a pretty waitress as she places a G&T on the table in front of an attractive salt-and-pepper professional in a charcoal suit with a knowing smile. Suddenly the familiar twangy intro of “Let’s Get It On” floats out over the dance floor as if it were timed to perfection.

Like many dance clubs, Johnny’s has large mirrors on the walls to fool the eye and satiate the narcissist. Yet one can’t help but wonder if, in fact, the mirrors aren’t two-way, concealing a pensive group of behavioral psychologists observing the mating habits of the recently divorced and the restless youth who appreciate the retro lounge backdrop Johnny’s provides. The music is unparalleled, as the DJ fills in the generation gaps with everything from Sinatra to Michael Jackson.

“Let me put it this way,” an attractive, youngish investment banker confesses, bending back the straw in his sweating glass of Jack and ginger, “I don’t always hit homers, but I never strike out.” Needless to say, there is something about Johnny’s that has kept Atlanta “swingin’” for almost three decades.

Mon.-Sat., 11-3 a.m.; Sun., noon-2 a.m. 3771 Roswell Road. 404-233-8026. www.johnnyshideaway.com.