What are some good London markets?

Question

I'm going to London soon and I was just curious on what shops/markets were good. Which ones are budget friendly (haha)? I have a list of some markets, but tell me which ones you recommend to go.

*Spitilfields Market

*Greenwich Market

*Portobello Road Market

*Camden Market

*SOHO

*Charing Cross Road

*Regent Street

*Oxford Street

*Knightsbridge, Kensington, and Chelsea

Oh and BTW, I'm a clothes, jewelry, purse kinda gal and I'll be going in the spring. Hopefully all these details will help narrow down the choices.

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. I’ve gotten some of my favorite unique purses here.

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 market 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 clothes specifically take the tube to Oxford Circus or Bank Street and walk along the many different shops of Oxford Street! Right off of Oxford Circus tube there is a H&M and a TopShop, 2 of my favorite clothing stores with good and inexpensive clothes and accessories.  But all along Oxford Street, there’s everything there from posh designer shops to cheesy cheep souvenir shops, definitely worth a good look.

I didn't really fancy the Greenwich Market, it's small and mostly antiques and over priced used jewelry.  Knightbridge, Kensington and Chelsea are too posh and expensive for my tastes. Cheers!

Answer 2

Camden Market used to be really edgy and cool, but now it's full of fourteen-year-old scene kids on their first trip to London- probably because they stopped being allowed to sell shrooms on the street- and so you're left witht he market stuff that, lets face it, was always c**p in the first place and no atmosphere to make it worthwhile. I wouldn't bother.

Answer 3

Congratulations. You have successfully named the 9 most likely places to get ripped of in London.

Ian M

Answer 4

Out of your list I'd say Greenwich and Portobello Markets are the better ones.

But a little known market on a saturday at Roman Road in East London is worth a look.

Answer 5

Oxford Street is department stores (mostly good quality, especially when the sales are on), high street stores and tourist traps ... Regent Street is similar ... Knightsbridge, Kensington and Chelsea tends to have designer shops and up-market things, a great area to browse around but leave your credit cards at home, and be aware that if it doesn't have a price on it in the window then you probably can't afford it ... Soho is a mix of good ethnic (especially Italian) food stores and seedy s*x shops, with a few other good speciality shops thrown in ... Charing Cross Road is famous for bookshops ... Camden Market is eclectic, everything from home-made African and Asian cuisine, to nick-nacks from all around the world, Gothic gear, DM boots, a great place for browsing, you can get some really unusual stuff ... Portobello Road runs from antiques and vintage fashion in the south, right up to fruit and veg in the north, again a lovely place for browsing ... Greenwich I've never been to, sorry

unfortunately any place that attracts a huge amount of shoppers (which all of the places on your list do) is going to attract people who want to rip you off, but not everywhere is a rip-off and there are some really genuine good quality articles on sale ... keep your common sense and don't be too easily parted from your money