Nightlife continues to grow on the East Side and downtown. A lot is happening on the local bar scene this month. A new bar opens, a few shut down and a third gets a name change and makeover.

We're going to cover all those stories, but first up is the new bar, redroom, 1875 N. Humboldt Ave. They opened their doors earlier this month at the corner of Humboldt Ave. and E. Kane Pl., a few blocks north of E. Brady St.

For starters, it's a great location. The recent condo boom in the city has brought a large number of people to that area, with new buildings aligning both sides of the Milwaukee River east of downtown.

The bar is a welcome addition to the area, and should appeal to anyone looking for something a little mellower than the typical nightspot.

The outside resembles a building you'd find at summer camp. It's sort of long and narrow, with copper siding, and hardly looks like a bar.

But the interior is the main attraction here. And the redroom certainly is red. A deep, relatively dark red. All of the walls are painted this color and they are completely bare. It adds a strong sense of atmosphere. The look is unique for Milwaukee.

There isn't room for a lot of people, which can be good or bad, depending on what kind of crowds you prefer. In addition to a small bar, there are a few tables in the front, as well as the only windows in the place (it's on the dark side).

In the back are booths on both sides of the walls and tables in between. With the acid jazz and house music in the background, it's perfect for good conversation and chilling out, which probably explains the abundance of couples.

Overall, redroom is an impressive establishment and hopefully it will stick around for a while. They are open daily from 5 p.m. until bar time and a daily happy hour runs from 5-7 p.m. For more information call (414) 224-7666.