For those who feel like they have not spent enough money lately, District 30 is now here to meet their needs.

The nightclub, which opened in January, is the brain child of George Karpaty. Karpaty also owns Ruby Skye, a well-known club in San Francisco.

Manager David Brattmiller, who also runs the adjacent Pizza Rock and Dive Bar, said many of the things that make Ruby Skye a respected name in the industry are also present at District 30.

“(They were designed) with the same creative imagination,” Brattmiller said.

Brattmiller referred mainly to the sound system, which is loud, to say the least. It is modeled after the one in Ruby Skye, which has won “best sound” at the prestigious Winter Music Conference, an annual summit where awards are handed out for virtually every aspect of the dance club industry.

Brattmiller is very proud of this system. He said the space was designed around it, rather than the other way around. The ceiling features “clouds” of acoustic material similar to that used in Carnegie Hall in New York City.

While District 30’s website boasts an impressively long list of sound system specifications, I did not find the result to be any better than other upscale dance clubs. The bass still pounds in your chest, just like you would expect it to.

Face-melting dance beats may be the same no matter where you go, but one area where District 30 stands out is its look. Walking down K Street toward the club, the first thing I noticed was the set of giant screens towering over the entrance. Partier and former Sacramento State student Adam Weil said the sleek facade complete with ambient blue lighting reminds him of clubs in more glamorous locations.

“I like the club atmosphere. It is very flashy,” Weil said. “I mean, the sign just screams L.A. or Miami.”

The sophisticated visual design continues inside, where busy, 3-D paintings hang above the high-backed VIP booths, and artsy chandeliers light the granite-topped bar.

On the Wednesday night I visited the club, the weeklong Mardi Gras celebration was just getting underway. The interior was well-decorated, with New Orleans-style light posts placed throughout the room, and a giant archway reading “Bourbon St.” leading to the dance floor. The club’s website claims that “over $10,000 in decorations” were used.

Brattmiller said celebrations at District 30 are “Hollywood theatrical events.”

“I do not think Sac has seen anything decorated like we do it,” he said.

While it looks good, District 30 is like the neighboring Dive Bar in that it is way too small. Customer Alyssa Davies, who said she is a veteran of Southern California club scenes, aptly described District 30 as “small and sweaty.” She said she does not like the dance floor, which is also very small.

I definitely agree with her assessment. It is hard at times to find paths through the writhing crowd to the bar. Once I got to the bar, I practically had to force my way in.

Another thing I really dislike about District 30 is that there is no real outside area. In most bars and clubs, there is a patio where partiers can get a breath of fresh air, or even just sit outside with a drink. There is no such section of District 30, with the only outdoors area being a tent covering a section of the K Street sidewalk with a couple floor-standing ashtrays. For those unfamiliar with laws concerning public alcohol consumption, this means you cannot have a drink outdoors anywhere on the premises.

That said, I had a much better experience with drinks at District 30 than at Dive Bar. The drinks themselves were strong enough, and the prices were standard for a nightclub; mixed drinks with well liquor cost $7, but a bottle of Corona ran me a laughable $5. Brattmiller said drinks cost the same at both places. It seems weird to me to charge the same for drinks at a bar and a nightclub.

Brattmiller said the cover charge is usually $15, which is comparable to other local clubs like The Park Ultra Lounge. The day I was there the combination of the special Mardi Gras event and celebrity guest DJs LMFAO ran the cover up to $20.

District 30 is not the best dance club in Sacramento, and being the new, hip place to go will only last so long. While more time and money may have been spent designing the look, it is just too small. Nothing else about it distinguishes it from the competition; I am over it.

Alex Grotewohl can be reached at [email protected]