hype of 2000 (West Quay)

Member Name: emah

Product:	West Quay
Date:	02/02/02 (265 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: centrally located, disabled access, o.k parking

Disadvantages: too spread out, lack of toilets, lack of food seating

If like me you are a shop aholic and spend your weekends exploring new places to spend your over draft and max your credit card, West Quay is something of a disappointment. True that before West Quay the shopping areas in Soton were all but non existant but it hasn't got that much better. The biggest downfall of it being built is that it's an eye saw and it has left the high street shops deserted and borded up. However I guess it's central location is somewhat of a God send when one looks to other shopping centres like Blue Water which is stuck out in the middle of no where.
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The centre itself, built on a quarry site is spread sparcely over two levels with the first floor being kept exclusively as a food court. The main idea was that John Lewis and Mark's and Spencers would be the two pinnacles of the centre each built on opposite sides. The rest of the shop are what one would expect to see on any large town's high street with the exception of Jane Norman and very large Gap and Benneton stores. Most of the stores are clothinhg stores like pilot, oasis, monsoon, New Look, Eissennegger, and the various arcadia grp stores which are conveniently huddled together. Other shops include jewelly shops, tower records, Dicksons, the Gadget Shop and Waterstones.
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The place isn't so much big as it is tall, you could easily get round in a couple of hours. It has a very airy feeling with high suspension beams and glass ceilings. The decor is nice but a little OTT prehaps. Two attractive features of the complex are an integral car park and also an on site creche. Interactive copmputer stations are dotted around top guide rouind and tell you other info like jobs that are available, though impressive to a novice, the excitement soon wares off.
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The food court offers a vast array of choice from restaura
nts like McDonald's, KFC, potato bake house, Haargen Daaz, giardinos, costa coffee, thai cuisine and other such reputable establishments. Seating however is not always readily available especially during busy periods.
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Disabled access would appear good at first but a couple of shops have their own inbuilt second floor that there is no lift access too, such as Pilot for example. The centre can provide motorised scooters if requested and there are a reasonable amount of seating areas. The toilet fascilities however very clean and respectable are few and far between. The toilets can be found on the far left side of the food court or on the lower ground car parking area. If you're in between and desperate to go you're buggered.
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The biggest disappointment is it's limited opening times just the regular
9-6 Mon to Wed and Fri & Sat
9-8 Thurs
11-5 Sun.

Summary: