Proud Camden

Camden Town / Islington, London – Proud Camden couples the flair of a contemporary art gallery with the pulsing rhythm of a dedicated concert space, leaving slack-jawed tourists and artsy Camden Towners to wonder how a one-time horse hospital could be transformed into such a vibrant cultural gathering place.

In homage to the building’s equestrian roots, the club’s long central walkway leads hipster concert-goers and scenester tourists past stables that have been turned into group seating areas, each with its own amenities and décor.

These semi-private enclosures allow one set of ale-fueled partiers to groove to beat-mixing DJs under a haze of silver lamps while their neighboring revelers might be enjoying a built-in stripper pole or partying like imaginary rock stars thanks to a PlayStation and a complimentary copy of Rock Band.

Photo enthusiasts can gaze at revolving exhibits of modern prints in the cavernous white-walled gallery, as their more well-off brethren pony up the £1000+ required to take one of these iconic images home.

More photographs – primarily of rock stars like Jagger and Hendrix – line the Gig Room, an intimate and noisy concert space that plays host to many of London’s hottest up-and-coming bands like Dirty Pretty Things and the Arctic Monkeys.

Thirsty locals tired of the clamor and eager for a smoke can head to the rooftop terrace, a location as chill and chilly as an early London evening, where winded partiers lounge on plush banquettes, savoring pints and taking in panoramic views of their gritty surroundings.

An experience that combines top-flight musical entertainment and world class art in a one-of-a-kind historical setting, Proud Camden offers traveling photography buffs and hip locals a reason to take pride in Camden Town – and then take to the dance floor.    ← read less