Camden Lock isn't just a shopping district. It offers regular entertainment events, festivals, workshops, and classes to complement its stores, restaurants, clubs, and cafes. This combination of shopping and programming has made it one of the busiest markets in London, a city with no shortage of places to spend money. It’s a constantly changing and creative place that serves as a community gathering point for Londoners and tourists alike.

The market is open seven days a week, and while it may be tough to push through the crowds during peak hours, visitors during quiet times will have an opportunity to talk with the artists and designers about their work while enjoying a vibrant atmosphere--the “buzz” of Camden Town. Due to a lack of parking in surrounding neighborhoods the market is difficult to visit by car; however, it is remarkably accessible by public transit, including subway, train, bus, and waterbus.

Since its founding in 1972, Camden Lock has grown from a few stalls and sheds to become one of London’s top attractions. Set on the Regents Canal north of the city, the market offers an extensive range of goods from designer clothes to hand-made arts and crafts. Many of the items sold in the market are made in on-site studios, so it offers an opportunity for shoppers to watch their goods being made from start to finish. The market also drove major investment and changes in the surrounding district, which has become a haven for artists and alternative culture. The construction of a glass-roofed Victorian-style Market Hall in 1991 gave the market a permanent center, which has since expanded.

Image credits: Matt Bradley, Grim23 via Wikimedia Commons, Matt Bradley

Website: www.camdenlockmarket.com/

Twitter: @CamdenMarket