Camden Market

 

 

 

This weekend I decided to explore Camden Town and spend some time shopping at the surrounding markets and shops. Unfortunately, I don't know much about the Camden area's history, so I really have no reference for how the area has changed and whether it has always been a hub for sales and trade, or if modern-day Camden is a product of gentrification. I immediately noticed after exiting the tube station just how packed it was. In fact, I don't think I've ever been somewhere that busy this entire program. As expected, a good portion of the people there were tourists, especially since Camden is famous for its shopping and specifically its large number of souvenir shops. Another thing that stood out to me was the homeless population in that area. There were far more homeless individuals out along the streets, and they even seemed to have set up their beds and items along the sidewalk. This felt odd to me as it's hard to imagine the same thing happening on Oxford Street since there are so many big businesses located along that street and law enforcement is more likely to disturb them in order to protect the "image" of the area. This made me question why the Camden area is not similarly protected. Is it because most of the businesses there are run by independent vendors and not larger corporations? Another thing I noticed about Camden Market was that it is located on the side of a river, which added a whole other level to its appeal as a tourist location. To take advantage of the river as an economic opportunity they were offering boat rides and had at some point installed several bridges overlapping the water, the perfect photo-op for a young couple. Finally, the last thing I found surprising and quite entertaining was the presence of punk rock culture in Camden. There were flags and art installations all over commemorating rock, and it seemed to be another thing that visitors were attracted by. In addition to this, I also saw a bunch of stalls and shops selling memorabilia and merch dedicated to popular punk or rock bands, so it was an interesting aspect to Camden Market that I wasn’t expecting but seemed to be working out economically for the businesses located there.