London Markets

You can easily do both. Spitalfield's has been jazzed up recently. Much more enclosed. Did enjoy watching the Tea Dance last year. It's on the last Friday of the month April thru September. My favorite market is Camden Lock which isn't far from your accommodation. Couple of tube stops and you're there.

We spent a week in London a few years ago and they had a quarterly guide to all the markets and which days they were on plus all the antique shows and neighborhood sales. Some of the churches have rummage sales...plus they have junque stores, too. Portobello is pretty much retail pricing...but you can get good deals on old prints. I believe Spitalfields features clothing and trendy accessories. Camden has more variety of shops that feature collectibles. South of the Thames there are several more nitty gritty street markets. Beware...if the price seems too good for the genuine shrimshaw headed cane...because it's a repo.

Thank you for your answers! Maybe we'll do a few to compare. We only have two full days in London, but I want to experience some 'local' markets.

I think in part the choice may be generational. My wife and her sisters in their 50-60s prefer Portobello while my son and his wife much prefer Camden. The shops
there just seem to have things for a younger crowd.

@and yet Arn I'm over 60 and still prefer Camden Lock. Generalizations never pay off.

If you are there on a Saturday I really like the Portobello Market, but get there early . We were there last month and it was packed, even in the rain. Fun tho.

Are you going just for fun to check out the scene, or are you looking for something specific? If it's something specific, some markets are better than others. If it's just for fun and to people watch, then all 3 mentioned will fit the bill. I disagree Portobello sells everything at retail prices. You can negotiate with vendors there as well as at the other markets. You have more leverage if you are interested in buying several items from a vendor and you are willing to haggle a bit to get a better price (there's always the price they hope to get, the price you hope to get, and the one in between you can negotiate to). Some of the markets feature horribly obvious reproductions, but some vendors have really good fakes that only someone who knows what to look for would be able to identify as a reproduction. There are also a number of vendors who sell modern jewelry, clothing, etc. - again, some of it is quality artisan stuff and some is total junk. My experience at the markets was that for every 1 vendor who sold quality items, there were at least 10 others who sold crap. But those quality vendors make the trip worth it. I have a few pieces of artisan jewelry I wear that I got at a few markets that other women will stop me on the street or in stores to ask where they can get the necklace or earrings I have on and they look so disappointed when I say "Sorry, I didn't buy it in the U.S."

Again, fabulous replies. We aren't looking for anything in particular, but I am always looking for unique and beautiful jewelry or regional/local foods. I suppose I like to wear or eat my plunder. I just read my husband all the responses, and he liked the explantion of haggling...so he pulled up a YouTube video of Monty Python's Life of Brian, in which Brian is taught to haggle! I think there are some generational differences in what people prefer, but then there are always the exceptions. Our 75 year old mothers both just bought iPads and we all iConnect or Skype...go figure.