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Originally intended to be a middle class suburb in the 1800s, Camden Town became a "shabby and run down" mix of residential and industrial uses by the 1910s. With the subsequent decline of industry in London, the neighbourhood deteriorated further, only to be rescued, as is often the case, by creative entrepreneurial types starting in the 1960s. The launch of Camden Market in 1974 — which provided a mix of music, fashion, and arts and crafts (and still does) — greatly improved the neighbourhood's economic prospects, in particular.

Long a hotbed of "alternative culture" including hippies, punks, goths, and hackers, travelgasm.com easily could have gotten away with saying Camden Town was one of our "7 Things Tourists Don't Do in London, but You Should" 15 or 20 years ago. It's still not on the London tour bus route — and it attracts a younger and more independent crowd as a result — but it is definitely on the tourist trail these days with as many as 28 million visitors a year.

Unfortunately, as also is often the case, the increase in attention has pushed up rents in the area and some of the independent retailers and restaurants on Camden High Street have been replaced by chain stores and generic fast food. The oldest street market in the area — The Inverness Street Market — which used to cater to residents in the neighbourhood with fruits, vegetables, and daily necessities now exclusively sells tourist junk, for example.

Not all is lost, though. Camden High Street has wider sidewalks than it used to — complete with trees in some places — so it's a much nicer walk now. Many of the street markets still have a unique vibe, as well.

In particular, the Camden Lock Market still sells street food inspired by cultures around the world. From Caribbean to Cantonese, Mexican to Moroccan, and Italian to Indian, it's a great melting pot of diverse flavours at reasonable prices. Likewise, the Horse Stable Market has hundreds of stalls of unique — and sometimes even locally designed — clothing and jewelry targeted toward the young and young at heart. Be sure to not miss the massive Cyberdog clothing store tucked away in the corner of the Horse Stable Market, especially, because it is about as Camden Town as it gets.

In the evenings, the neighbourhood's live music scene screeches to life, with famous venues like Electric Ballroom, The Roundhouse, Dingwalls, The Underworld, and The Jazz Cafe pumping out hot beats of one type or another as they have for decades. There also is a well-reviewed — and inexpensive — evening pub crawl tour of Camden Town that visitors to London have found to be a good value compared to paying for cover charges and drinks at individual venues. You might find it worthwhile, as well.

Whether it's for markets or music, Camden Town is one of our favourite neighbourhoods in London. Even if Camden Town is not as "indie" as it once was, it definitely remains a must see.

How to Get Here: Take the Northern (Black) line to Camden Town Station. Take the Camden High Street Exit to your right when exiting the turnstiles. The "heart" of Camden Town is again to your right after exiting the station.

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