Markets are an enduring element of London street life, and the sound of local stallholders hawking their wares in piercing Cockney accents is a distinctive feature of the city’s soundtrack. Old- fashioned markets abound, such as the archetypal Walthamstow Market, the longest outdoor market in Europe, and the colorful Columbia Road Flower Market, where endless lines of potted plants add a horticultural flourish to inner-city Shoreditch.
Some of the the city’s old fish, fruit, vegetable, and meat markets have been transformed into must- do shopping experiences. While Greenwich Market has become a major source of upmarket collectibles including fine art, antiques, and arts and crafts, the most spectacular transformation is that of Borough Market, where an elegantly restored Victorian wrought-iron market building hosts myriad stalls serving up a fabulous array of gastronomic delights.
Finally, Camden Market’s sprawling cornucopia of the weird, wonderful, and downright tacky ensures that it remains the market haunt of choice for the capital’s mohican-sporting punks, black- frocked Goths, and other alternative fashionistas.