Camden Town, often shortened to Camden (a term also used for the entire borough), is a district of northwest London.
It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Camden and identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London.
Laid out as a residential district from 1791 and originally part of the manor of Kentish Town and the parish of St Pancras, Camden Town became an important location during the early development of the railways, which reinforced its position on the London canal network.
The area’s industrial economic base has been replaced by service industries such as retail, tourism and entertainment.
The area now hosts street markets and music venues that are strongly associated with alternative culture.
Camden is well known for its markets which date from 1974 except for Inverness Street market, for over a century a small food market serving the local community.
Camden Lock market started in a former timber yard in 1973, and is now surrounded by five more markets: Buck Street market, Stables Market, Camden Lock village, and an indoor market in the Electric Ballroom. The markets are a major tourist attraction at weekends, selling goods of all types, including fashion, lifestyle, books, food, junk/antiques and more bizarre items; they and the surrounding shops are popular with young people, in particular those searching for “alternative” clothing. While originally open on Sundays only, market activity later extended throughout the week, though concentrating on weekends.
