{image1}Guy Becker had a dream to transition his bar and restaurant, Shangrila, into a new venture. Then, three months ago, his vision came to fruition when he opened the doors of Dream Lounge (1013 N. Old World Third St.) to restless Milwaukeeans thirsty for nightlife.

"He (Becker) did a complete 180," says bar manager Drew Duester. "But that's who he is: always wanting to change and try something new."

Despite the name, Dreams' décor isn't a sleepy mix of muted colors, instead, it's a rich array of fertile earth tones, solid oak tables and a juke box cranking CDs ranging from new rock to oldies to Sinatra to country and western.

"This is a great pace to go before a Bradley Center event as an alternative to Water Street," says Duester. "It's a relaxed, nice atmosphere."

But if you don't want to get too relaxed, Dreams offers an extensive drink menu, including fueling coffee drinks, frozen blended drinks and a selection of more than 20 beers.

{image2}Duester was previously the manager of Rain Nightclub and an employee of The Have A Nice Day Café.

"This is my first low-key, lounge experience and I like it. It's a nice change from nightclub life," he says.

Dreams' clientel is diverse, including an overflow of Water Street's college crowd, hipsters and upscalers of all ages. Wednesday nights is "Ladies Night" and there will be a variety of drink specials on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Live music and DJs are also in the works for the future, but unlike the somewhat dubious Shangrila, hip-hop isn't on the music menu.

"We're going for more of a Taylor's kind of atmosphere," says Duester.

Dreams Lounge is open six days a week, Monday-Saturday, from 7 p.m. until bar time. For more information, call (414) 276-4444.