“Come in, We’re (Very) Open (Minded)”. This saying can be found inscribed on an overarching black sign at the entrance of the Camden Market. As a shopper explores this market and the surrounding area, they will find the motto to be true. Located in what could only be described as an “alternative” neighborhood in north London, Camden Market is a cesspool for “open minded” youths.
Young locals and tourists flood the streets leading up to the market, each appearing more unique than the last. No doubt these ones are attracted to the 3D storefronts and products geared specifically toward millennials who believe themselves to be trendsetters. Pushy vendors line the streets with their knock-off brand attire, attempting to sell their wares to the gullible young people. Each has a sign in front of their shop claiming to have “authentic, well-made clothing from designers like Nike, Adidas, and Supreme for the best deal in the market”. However, many times this is completely false. If a shopper is looking for durable, long-lasting attire, these vendors are not the place to be purchasing from. Tourist shops filled with T-shirts, snow globes, magnets, and other London themed products also are popular within this section of the market. To some, this adds an element of commercialism that discredits the market’s motto, but as with other markets, these places attract tourists and business. Walking the streets allows the shopper to see how the youths of London thrive, while adults typically seem anxious, confused, uncomfortable, or a mixture of all three.
Stepping into Camden Market itself is like entering another place entirely. The youth infested streets turn into a quaint set-up of trinket dealers and art sellers. Most of the items in the market are handmade by the sellers themselves. A few interesting sights to behold within the market are wooden earrings carved with intricate designs, wind chimes made from blown glass, and paintings of London scenery. A few vendors sell clothing from their native cultures such as African tribal attire and Japanese kimonos. Music is also a major focus of the market. Several sellers had vintage records an CDs available for purchase. Food options are also available within the market, although the selection is not as expansive as others.
Camden Market is not for everyone. The atmosphere is alternative and funky. Adults often seem out of place with their “outdated” fashion sense and youths run wild. Some vendors use this as an advantage as they persuade unsupervised young people to purchase their wares. However, the main market is much more sophisticated and eclectic. The art, jewelry, and other products cater more to the traditional market shopper. Although a shopper may be skeptical to visit Camden Town, it is worth the trip to have a completely different market shopping experience.
- Emilie Booth
"Come In, We're Open!" is the first thing you see when you actually enter Camden Market, though nowadays it's been hand-edited to say "Come In, We're Very Open-Minded" and truly, that's the best summary of Camden Town. Walking up the market, you pass gay bars and tattoo shops aplenty, and it has even more to offer around the area before the market's even visible, comic and record shops clearly popular in the area. Camden is the obvious hub for "alt lifestyles" Like the LGBT community and the Punk community, happily mingling together.
The community of Camden Market is clear in the atmosphere as you enter, vendors happily talking with customers and each other, something that becomes especially clear when you enter the area of food stalls, where every once in awhile you'll see heads peeking out, leaning over walls to share a joke with another stall. People like being there, and even though this is a common sight in London markets, the happily flown queer flags spread throughout Camden Town makes it feel a different sort of welcome, and it truly does have some of the most interesting variety. A Japanese waffle stand sits next to Argentinian steak, and this is one of the friendliest markets for people who look for vegetarian and vegan options.
If it's food, Camden has something. Souvenirs, there are plenty of places leading to the market. Tattoos and records also border the market. There's something for everyone there. And a place for everyone there.
- Marius Black
While I am admiring a small raspberry leaning against a sliver of white chocolate, I hear someone else's thoughts on this tiny object, “Cupcakes are already mini cakes, why do you need mini cupcakes.” But there lies the secret of Camden town’s hipster market maze: nothing is needed, it’s all ridiculous, and that makes it fun. Camden Market with its bridge across the Lock, the winding tunnels, rickety stairs, wrap-around balconies, and wood smelling basements woven with little corridors all add to the vibe of this historically artsy area. It is a hipster place and that’s okay. The weird and open-minded people bring together niche markets and the oddities add a certain flare that makes it a wormhole of expensive fun.
From the Camden Town Underground, one walks along Camden High Street until arriving at the entrance sign that introduces the mood of the market by adding two small words “WE ARE very OPEN minded.” Once inside the market area, it’s lively and fun to explore. With bridges, hallways, nooks, and crannies all made of brick or wood or some new material that looks old, it’s a maze with a complication. It has many routes, dead-ends, and unlike normal mazes, multiple centers. Each time one finds the best part with the weirdest trinkets, there is another best part around the corner. There is an excitement that comes from exploring it. If it was empty it would be terrifying, but since there are people, the whole thing becomes alive; even the deep tunnels and cold stone walls seem alive and warm, beating from the arty heart of passion and fun.
There is never a dull moment around here and everything is unique. Wooden floorboards slant across floors and send visitors sliding through stone jewelry, fur coats, and 1990s sportswear. After seeing a live concert, eating a meter long sausage, and drinking a swift gin and tonic, one can visit the store that only sells legitimate 1990s athletic attire. Another specific fashion store, this one perhaps more sustainable is JEKKAH. Which sells handmade, African inspired street clothes from The Gambia. The market has everything: vegan tacos, coconut pancakes, and people with piercings, tight pants and beards. It also has history and next to the hand-carved wooden bowties, are plaques from the 1854 horse hospital and stables. The mix of old, current, and future ideas comes together to make a fabulous blend that makes London the city it is. From 10am-late, Camden Market is a great place to wander and explore, a place to take in the history and imagine where the future may take us.
- Sam Normington
Camden is not just a market, or a district, it’s an experience. When you get off the tube at Camden, you are immediately confronted with a street entirely lined with what appear to be Hot Topics on steroids that have a skewed focus on London tourist junk and angsty pop-culture prints. But as you stroll past the vendors screaming at you to walk in and buy everything, you’ll eventually approach the actual Camden Market. While a few of the stalls also sell tourists goods, they have a much more artistic and intriguing approach, having prints and figurines made by local artists instead of that made-in-china crap in the stores just before it; but that is barely a handful of the hundreds of vendors that make up this massive market, which seems to offer the widest range of products of any market in the city — most of which falling in vastly different price ranges (from a £8 ceramic mug to a £45 leaf-leather trifold wallet).
And there are just as many food stalls, with the same rate of diversity. As you stroll through the more hipster food section you are provided quite eclectic options, each stall offering a different cuisine, if not completely different foods altogether; there’s another enclosed area offering more mall foodcourt-esque meals, but it’d be best to walk straight past those and explore the other stands that are scattered throughout the rest of the market. Though as you wander about this immense, multi-level, multi-sectioned market, make sure you at least try to keep track of where you were and where you are going; its organic setup making it far too easy to get lost as you turn down rows and cut through alleyways. But hey, getting lost in Camden Market isn’t the worst thing that could happen to you…maybe just your wallet.
- Emerald Stewart
A man in his mid-50s kneels outside the entrance of Camden Market. He wears a denim jacket and black hat to mask him from the cold. Beside him lays a black leather bag with a piece of cardboard sticking out that reads “gratitude.” Pieces of chalk in all different colors are sprawled out on the ground, one in his hand. “I feel like writing on the ground,” he begins. “To create a vibration while making no sound.” People gather. Some walk by without giving the words a second thought. Others snap photos and keep walking.
Inside, oranges hang from a tent on a vine that encompasses the parameter. A woman makes orange juice behind the counter with the four large boxes of oranges that are behind her. A dozen cartons lounge on the counter, ready to be sold, except no one is lining up to buy any.
A river surrounds the market’s food stalls. The locals call it Regent’s Canal. Faded boats, the color of sand, float parallel to one another. A small bridge arches over the water. The willow tree at the left end tries to extend its branches to the other side but fails miserably. People eat crepes and make conversation, and no one notices the leaves dangling centimeters above the water.
An iron horse head posts above a stall that sells tattered books and out-dated clothing. The doors, rusted iron, have black bolts nailed into it every few inches. An open lock hangs from a latch. Everything is black except for the walls and the skin of people who enter. A young girl pulls on the hem of her mother’s shirt and points to the colt as they pass by. There is no hesitation in the woman’s stride, only the child’s wrist in her hand.
- Cortney Lesovoy
Camden Market is easy to find, a large number of stalls and shops covering a wide spread of land pretty much ensures that someone can’t miss it. From winding, dungeon-like caverns to the charming outdoor patios, this market is truly the most egalitarian of them all. That is to say, there is something for everyone at Camden. Are you looking to find the newest, hottest, Cyber Goth fashions to debut at the local rave? Trying to find a new corset for your Vampire the Masquerade game? Attempting to procure a working camera from 1933? Camden can get you all these things and more, which is what I would argue is its main appeal. Aside from ridiculous subculture finds, you can also find your standard jewelry and antique shops, vintage clothing shops as well as sweet little cake shops and food stalls.
Camden also houses plenty of brand names such as The Moomin Shoppe, a Dr. Martens storefront, Collectif, and a Havaianas. These shops intertwine easily with the mixture of carefully curated boutiques, indie artists and mom and pop stalls all lined up next to one another. If you’re looking for the culmination of London Market culture all in one stop, Camden would be my go-to.
What to Check Out: Yumchaa tea shop is amazing, the cakes are delicious and they have an amazing selection of tea in jars just waiting for you to sample. Another cool thing about Camden is that it is littered with tattoo parlours, if you’re looking to get inked on the trip, checking out some of the local shops would be a good bet.
- R Hettinger
Camden Market is a collection of some of the most fascinating and oddball finds in London. Local artists sell live flowers in glass pendants, soaps shaped like cake slices, and hand-knit scarves. Across the bridge over the grey water are rows and rows of bright stalls serving a selection of different foods, mostly comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese and hamburgers. Not the best place for vegans or those watching their cholesterol, but perfectly filling for a drizzly Saturday. Overall, Camden is the perfect place for those looking for a more unorthodox day out.
However, one must be careful when planning a trip to Camden Market. The market itself is surrounded by shops ranging from charming to seedy, and if one is, in particular, a naïve foreigner, there are a few rules to keep in mind. Do not, for example, agree to meet a green-haired Northern girl at the market on a first date, then let her lead you hither and yon deep into the bowels of Camden until you are well and truly lost. Do not enter a storefront flanked by silver Anubis statues and wander down into the basement, which appears to be a sex dungeon from Battlestar Galactica. Do not, as a joke, turn on one of the horrendous tentacle-shaped dildos on display at the counter, because you will not be able to turn it off. You will, in fact, stand there with a writhing silicone tentacle vibrating in your hand, trying to find the “Off” button and wishing for the sweet relief of death as the Northern girl laughs at you.
All you need to do in Camden Market is follow the golden rule: Do not wander off. If possible, bring some string to unravel as you go and guide you back to the Tube station. And if you see any silver Anubis statues, do take care to run in the opposite direction.
- Kaley Whipple
Young locals and tourists flood the streets leading up to the market, each appearing more unique than the last. No doubt these ones are attracted to the 3D storefronts and products geared specifically toward millennials who believe themselves to be trendsetters. Pushy vendors line the streets with their knock-off brand attire, attempting to sell their wares to the gullible young people. Each has a sign in front of their shop claiming to have “authentic, well-made clothing from designers like Nike, Adidas, and Supreme for the best deal in the market”. However, many times this is completely false. If a shopper is looking for durable, long-lasting attire, these vendors are not the place to be purchasing from. Tourist shops filled with T-shirts, snow globes, magnets, and other London themed products also are popular within this section of the market. To some, this adds an element of commercialism that discredits the market’s motto, but as with other markets, these places attract tourists and business. Walking the streets allows the shopper to see how the youths of London thrive, while adults typically seem anxious, confused, uncomfortable, or a mixture of all three.
Stepping into Camden Market itself is like entering another place entirely. The youth infested streets turn into a quaint set-up of trinket dealers and art sellers. Most of the items in the market are handmade by the sellers themselves. A few interesting sights to behold within the market are wooden earrings carved with intricate designs, wind chimes made from blown glass, and paintings of London scenery. A few vendors sell clothing from their native cultures such as African tribal attire and Japanese kimonos. Music is also a major focus of the market. Several sellers had vintage records an CDs available for purchase. Food options are also available within the market, although the selection is not as expansive as others.
Camden Market is not for everyone. The atmosphere is alternative and funky. Adults often seem out of place with their “outdated” fashion sense and youths run wild. Some vendors use this as an advantage as they persuade unsupervised young people to purchase their wares. However, the main market is much more sophisticated and eclectic. The art, jewelry, and other products cater more to the traditional market shopper. Although a shopper may be skeptical to visit Camden Town, it is worth the trip to have a completely different market shopping experience.
- Emilie Booth
"Come In, We're Open!" is the first thing you see when you actually enter Camden Market, though nowadays it's been hand-edited to say "Come In, We're Very Open-Minded" and truly, that's the best summary of Camden Town. Walking up the market, you pass gay bars and tattoo shops aplenty, and it has even more to offer around the area before the market's even visible, comic and record shops clearly popular in the area. Camden is the obvious hub for "alt lifestyles" Like the LGBT community and the Punk community, happily mingling together.
The community of Camden Market is clear in the atmosphere as you enter, vendors happily talking with customers and each other, something that becomes especially clear when you enter the area of food stalls, where every once in awhile you'll see heads peeking out, leaning over walls to share a joke with another stall. People like being there, and even though this is a common sight in London markets, the happily flown queer flags spread throughout Camden Town makes it feel a different sort of welcome, and it truly does have some of the most interesting variety. A Japanese waffle stand sits next to Argentinian steak, and this is one of the friendliest markets for people who look for vegetarian and vegan options.
If it's food, Camden has something. Souvenirs, there are plenty of places leading to the market. Tattoos and records also border the market. There's something for everyone there. And a place for everyone there.
- Marius Black
While I am admiring a small raspberry leaning against a sliver of white chocolate, I hear someone else's thoughts on this tiny object, “Cupcakes are already mini cakes, why do you need mini cupcakes.” But there lies the secret of Camden town’s hipster market maze: nothing is needed, it’s all ridiculous, and that makes it fun. Camden Market with its bridge across the Lock, the winding tunnels, rickety stairs, wrap-around balconies, and wood smelling basements woven with little corridors all add to the vibe of this historically artsy area. It is a hipster place and that’s okay. The weird and open-minded people bring together niche markets and the oddities add a certain flare that makes it a wormhole of expensive fun.
From the Camden Town Underground, one walks along Camden High Street until arriving at the entrance sign that introduces the mood of the market by adding two small words “WE ARE very OPEN minded.” Once inside the market area, it’s lively and fun to explore. With bridges, hallways, nooks, and crannies all made of brick or wood or some new material that looks old, it’s a maze with a complication. It has many routes, dead-ends, and unlike normal mazes, multiple centers. Each time one finds the best part with the weirdest trinkets, there is another best part around the corner. There is an excitement that comes from exploring it. If it was empty it would be terrifying, but since there are people, the whole thing becomes alive; even the deep tunnels and cold stone walls seem alive and warm, beating from the arty heart of passion and fun.
There is never a dull moment around here and everything is unique. Wooden floorboards slant across floors and send visitors sliding through stone jewelry, fur coats, and 1990s sportswear. After seeing a live concert, eating a meter long sausage, and drinking a swift gin and tonic, one can visit the store that only sells legitimate 1990s athletic attire. Another specific fashion store, this one perhaps more sustainable is JEKKAH. Which sells handmade, African inspired street clothes from The Gambia. The market has everything: vegan tacos, coconut pancakes, and people with piercings, tight pants and beards. It also has history and next to the hand-carved wooden bowties, are plaques from the 1854 horse hospital and stables. The mix of old, current, and future ideas comes together to make a fabulous blend that makes London the city it is. From 10am-late, Camden Market is a great place to wander and explore, a place to take in the history and imagine where the future may take us.
- Sam Normington
Camden is not just a market, or a district, it’s an experience. When you get off the tube at Camden, you are immediately confronted with a street entirely lined with what appear to be Hot Topics on steroids that have a skewed focus on London tourist junk and angsty pop-culture prints. But as you stroll past the vendors screaming at you to walk in and buy everything, you’ll eventually approach the actual Camden Market. While a few of the stalls also sell tourists goods, they have a much more artistic and intriguing approach, having prints and figurines made by local artists instead of that made-in-china crap in the stores just before it; but that is barely a handful of the hundreds of vendors that make up this massive market, which seems to offer the widest range of products of any market in the city — most of which falling in vastly different price ranges (from a £8 ceramic mug to a £45 leaf-leather trifold wallet).
And there are just as many food stalls, with the same rate of diversity. As you stroll through the more hipster food section you are provided quite eclectic options, each stall offering a different cuisine, if not completely different foods altogether; there’s another enclosed area offering more mall foodcourt-esque meals, but it’d be best to walk straight past those and explore the other stands that are scattered throughout the rest of the market. Though as you wander about this immense, multi-level, multi-sectioned market, make sure you at least try to keep track of where you were and where you are going; its organic setup making it far too easy to get lost as you turn down rows and cut through alleyways. But hey, getting lost in Camden Market isn’t the worst thing that could happen to you…maybe just your wallet.
- Emerald Stewart
A man in his mid-50s kneels outside the entrance of Camden Market. He wears a denim jacket and black hat to mask him from the cold. Beside him lays a black leather bag with a piece of cardboard sticking out that reads “gratitude.” Pieces of chalk in all different colors are sprawled out on the ground, one in his hand. “I feel like writing on the ground,” he begins. “To create a vibration while making no sound.” People gather. Some walk by without giving the words a second thought. Others snap photos and keep walking.
Inside, oranges hang from a tent on a vine that encompasses the parameter. A woman makes orange juice behind the counter with the four large boxes of oranges that are behind her. A dozen cartons lounge on the counter, ready to be sold, except no one is lining up to buy any.
A river surrounds the market’s food stalls. The locals call it Regent’s Canal. Faded boats, the color of sand, float parallel to one another. A small bridge arches over the water. The willow tree at the left end tries to extend its branches to the other side but fails miserably. People eat crepes and make conversation, and no one notices the leaves dangling centimeters above the water.
An iron horse head posts above a stall that sells tattered books and out-dated clothing. The doors, rusted iron, have black bolts nailed into it every few inches. An open lock hangs from a latch. Everything is black except for the walls and the skin of people who enter. A young girl pulls on the hem of her mother’s shirt and points to the colt as they pass by. There is no hesitation in the woman’s stride, only the child’s wrist in her hand.
- Cortney Lesovoy
Camden Market is easy to find, a large number of stalls and shops covering a wide spread of land pretty much ensures that someone can’t miss it. From winding, dungeon-like caverns to the charming outdoor patios, this market is truly the most egalitarian of them all. That is to say, there is something for everyone at Camden. Are you looking to find the newest, hottest, Cyber Goth fashions to debut at the local rave? Trying to find a new corset for your Vampire the Masquerade game? Attempting to procure a working camera from 1933? Camden can get you all these things and more, which is what I would argue is its main appeal. Aside from ridiculous subculture finds, you can also find your standard jewelry and antique shops, vintage clothing shops as well as sweet little cake shops and food stalls.
Camden also houses plenty of brand names such as The Moomin Shoppe, a Dr. Martens storefront, Collectif, and a Havaianas. These shops intertwine easily with the mixture of carefully curated boutiques, indie artists and mom and pop stalls all lined up next to one another. If you’re looking for the culmination of London Market culture all in one stop, Camden would be my go-to.
What to Check Out: Yumchaa tea shop is amazing, the cakes are delicious and they have an amazing selection of tea in jars just waiting for you to sample. Another cool thing about Camden is that it is littered with tattoo parlours, if you’re looking to get inked on the trip, checking out some of the local shops would be a good bet.
- R Hettinger
Camden Market is a collection of some of the most fascinating and oddball finds in London. Local artists sell live flowers in glass pendants, soaps shaped like cake slices, and hand-knit scarves. Across the bridge over the grey water are rows and rows of bright stalls serving a selection of different foods, mostly comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese and hamburgers. Not the best place for vegans or those watching their cholesterol, but perfectly filling for a drizzly Saturday. Overall, Camden is the perfect place for those looking for a more unorthodox day out.
However, one must be careful when planning a trip to Camden Market. The market itself is surrounded by shops ranging from charming to seedy, and if one is, in particular, a naïve foreigner, there are a few rules to keep in mind. Do not, for example, agree to meet a green-haired Northern girl at the market on a first date, then let her lead you hither and yon deep into the bowels of Camden until you are well and truly lost. Do not enter a storefront flanked by silver Anubis statues and wander down into the basement, which appears to be a sex dungeon from Battlestar Galactica. Do not, as a joke, turn on one of the horrendous tentacle-shaped dildos on display at the counter, because you will not be able to turn it off. You will, in fact, stand there with a writhing silicone tentacle vibrating in your hand, trying to find the “Off” button and wishing for the sweet relief of death as the Northern girl laughs at you.
All you need to do in Camden Market is follow the golden rule: Do not wander off. If possible, bring some string to unravel as you go and guide you back to the Tube station. And if you see any silver Anubis statues, do take care to run in the opposite direction.
- Kaley Whipple