Camden Market
In the heart of London is Camden Market. It started out about thirty five years ago as a small row of eclectic vendor stalls by Camden Lockand now stretches all the way from Camden Town tube station to Chalk Farm Tube Station. The area is now gentrified and specialty shops now also line this famous shopping district. There are now over 1000 stalls and most of them are open every single day of the year, except for Christmas.
The market area is actually so big that it now consists of subdivided markets know as the Inverness Market, Buck Street Market, the Lock Market, Canal Market and Stables market.
The Camden Lock Market is the original market that was established in 1975. It is an area that sells everything from music to board games to vintage clothing to hand-crafted eye-glasses.
The Stables Market consists of about 700 shops and vendors and it is where people go to pick up vintage clothing and furniture. There is an interesting area called the Catacombs beneath the Camden bridge where shops are tucked into ancient Victorians.
The Buck Market is a newer offshoot and is a jumble of 200 stalls that you can find in narrow alleyways off Camden High Street and along Chalk Farm Road.
The Inverness Market specializes more in food. You can find fresh fruit, meat and vegetables from all over the world in this district.
As has been true of this market for decades you will find a bit of everything including crafts, candles, incense, bags, jewellery and other goods. There are many very famous vintage clothing tors in the area including The Electric Ballroom at the Stables Market and Modern Age Vintage on Chalk Farm Road.
The market is also known as the place where all the Goths hang out. There are many Goth hairdressers and clothing vendors in the area. High Street in Camden Market is home to the famous Resurrection Records in the High Street. It also has its own Gothic Tavern and Goth friendly bars such as the Devonshire Arms on Kentish Town Road.
You can also find just about every type of cuisine in Camden Market including Japanese, Caribbean, Indian an Argentinean. There is a big eating area consisting of communal tables right by the canal.
Before the seventies this used to be quite a rough area but now there are many plans to keep expanding and revitalizing this interesting and treasured area of London.