Anything about London shopping- esp street markets?

Question

This question is directed to locals or tourists who have been to London, I wish to go there and want to know more about the shopping, especially the street markets.

As a guideline, it would be good if you could tell me the opening hours/ when's the best day to visit, what the place sells, price range, location, and what you personally like about it and stuff, especially if you could give examples of nice things that you bought there (:

I'm interested in female clothing and accessories (both new and vintage) as well as little knickknacks and fun little things. No big designer brands such as Gucci or anything, though.

Please don't copy anything from Wikipedia or any other websites and paste it here, I want to know what YOU think.

Thank you for your help :D

Answer 1

My three favorite London Markets -

First there’s Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill.  To get there you have a choice of two underground stations: Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City Lines) or Notting Hill Gate, which is on the Central, Circle and District lines.  At either station there are many signs to guide you to the market.  Here’s the website for more detailed info http://www.portobelloroad.co.uk/index.as...

Though many of the stands are open 6 days a week, you definitely want to hit this market on a Saturday when everything is open.  The market is open from 8:00am until 6:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 8:00am to 1:00pm on Thursday and 8:00am to 6:30pm on Saturdays.  The market is best known for its antiques and knick knacks, but don’t let this reputation fool you.  On a Saturday you can find just about anything in the world here.  There are stands selling souvenirs, clothes, fresh produce, candy, nuts, antiques, collectables, jewelry and much much more.  The prices vary from stand to stand so it’s nice to look around before you buy.  The market is massive and very crowded on Saturdays so get there early and give yourself a few hours.  You can not only find the items you were looking for at this market, but you can also get some fresh produce and make some cheap lunches to stretch your travel budget.  I like this market because of the variety of items sold and the potential for good bargains.  I also like to explore the Notting Hill area while I’m at the market and visit local coffee shops, fish and chip places and bookstores.  It’s a great part of the city.

Second I would recommend Camden Lock Market in Camden Town, which is open 7 days a week from 10am to 6pm.  To get here take the Northern Line to Camden Town. I was always told that Monday is a great day for this market, though I’ve been a few times on different days and didn’t notice a huge difference. http://www.camdenlockmarket.com is a great resource for information on the market and the dealers.  I really like this market because it is so eccentric!  Camden Town can be a bit intimidating if you’re a conservative tourist, but it’s still a must see.  Big things sold here are clothing, accessories, home décor items, souvenirs, art and music/movies.

Finally there’s Petticoat Lane Market, which is likely your best stop for clothes.  This market is located at Middlesex Street and Wentworth Street and can be reached by either Aldgate East, Aldgate or Liverpool Street tube stations.  The market is open Mon-Fri 10am-2:30pm and Sunday 9am-2pm.

For any other shopping needs just take the tube to Oxford Circus or Bank Street and walk along the many different shops of Oxford Street!  There’s everything there from posh designer shops to cheesy cheep souvenir shops.

Cheers!