Camden Town

When you step out of an Underground station in London it can easily feel as if you stepped into another dimension. I got on the tube at St. Paul's Cathedral today and got off at Camden Town. The world that I started my tube ride on could not have been different from the world that I arrived at. As I walked to the tube at St. Paul's there were about a dozen workers cleaning the grounds of the cathedral as families clambered around to get a picture in front of the spectacular example of English Baroque architecture. When I reached the top of the underground escalator in Camden the first thing that made me realize that I was in a new place was the ever present aroma of marijuana and incense.

Camden is London's bohemian neighborhood and it is one of the coolest places in London. As you walk down Camden High Street (which is appropriately named) you make your way through the throngs of people wearing homemade clothes, sporting tattoos, and multiple piercings. The town is buzzing with a different vibe than most of London. Everywhere else in London it seems people have a place to go but in Camden it seems everyone is already at their destination. Camden is home to a zillion little shops that all connect in a huge spider's web of market places. It is easy to get lost as I was captivated by every little unique feature. The homemade t-shirts have great messages on them. One of my favorites was, "Fuck Google, ask me." There was an endless array of lude comment laden garments. Obviously grandma wouldn't shop here.

The common folk here have dreadlocks and nose piercings, so I didn't exactly feel like a local, but everyone was really nice and there are some of the best international eateries in London there. The food shops are small and close together, like a food court at the mall only all the workers in Camden are yelling at you and shoving free samples in your face then saying "ok, now you buy meal!" All of the food is fresh made in front of you and fairly cheap. Camden is my favorite nook of London. London has an awful lot of character, but Camden just has a crazy way about it that is just crazy enough to be alluring and not overwhelming. If you can get over the pot smell and kids who looked like their mothers didn't hug them enough and see the friendly area for what it is, it can be very charming. Of course I didn't take my hand off of my wallet the whole time I was there. As nice as a kid with a chain hanging from his nose to his ear can be, I still have my paranoid tourist game on.