Clubbing in the deep heart of West London has changed with the arrival of Neighbourhood. Taking over the old and dingy premises of Subterania club, Ben Watt (Everything But The Girl, Lazy Dogs and Buzzin' Fly) has converted it into a fantastic new 600 capacity with a good sound system, spacious and polished wooden dance floor and a nice mezzanine level to hang out. Already successful with his smaller venture Cherry Jam located just down the road, Neighbourhood's already packing in the crowds since it first opened its doors a few months ago.
DJ Lottie and her mate Caroline has moved their very glamorous
Missdemeanours nights from AKA to Neighbourhood and is fast gaining the name as THE party to head to on Thursday nights. With a stellar DJ roster that has seen Parisian David Guetta, Yousef and more to come in the next ensuing months, it's no wonder that off-duty DJs, record label owners and promoters are usually seen grooving side-to-side with the clubbers.
Ben's own weekly One Starry Night and fortnightly Buzzin' Fly sessions are luring not just the hippy chic West Londoners. He has inherited a strong following from some several die-hard Lazy Dogs fans -- some East Londoners as well as those living in the South hardly miss his sets. Going from strength to strength, the Sunday Buzzin' Fly parties are known for pushing the deeper, more soulful, jazzier and mellower side of house music. Ben's own signature set when he plays is laced with his usual Afro-Latin infusion while Groove Armada's Lovebox that happens once a month has their usual funk and disco elements. Already the club's known for bringing in quality house DJs. In the last weeks, Sir Piers, Marques Wyatt, King Britt and Jay J just to name a few, have paid homage to this establishment. This is definitely a welcoming and much-
needed change from the usual clubs in the West End that espouse pounding techno, progressive house, trance, R&B or some cheesy top 40s tunes.
Located in the trendy Portobello area with Notting Hill nearby, Neighbourhood's a lot more spacious than sister club Cherry Jam but is still small enough to retain that intimacy. That's what I like best for I always feel as though I'm in a huge house party. The interior isn't too dark so you're still able to see and observe the many beautiful and fashionable people that characterize the up-for-it crowd in Neighbourhood. The vibes and ambience is amazing. People are out to have fun and enjoy themselves and the constant party atmosphere creates a good energy. Even the DJs go around and do their thing on the dance floor and sometimes stop to chat. The toilets are clean and nice. And the bouncers are friendly, such a refreshing change from those surly ones in most clubs here! And the best bit? It doesn't cost much to party in Neighbourhood! Some of us are already disillusioned with big clubs charging monstrous fees that don't always guarantee good nights. Standing in lines kills the mood too. Worst, some of the bouncers can be rude that it spoils your night. So it looks like Neighbourhood's set to be the hot spot around the vicinity. Since I live in W2, I'm glad I'm in the Neighbourhood!
Neighbourhood is located @ 12 Acklam Road, Ladbroke Grove, London W10.