Amy Winehouse was technically correct when she yelled “Camden Town ain’t burning down!” during an award acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards in February.

She was correct when she said it because the fires, by that time, had gone out. But take a walk down Chalk Farm Road and the burned-out buildings remain.

That seems to be a unifying theme in this city, which the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) called “Britain’s musical Mecca.” The fact that, in spite of events, Camden will always remain.

What remains today are relics from each important musical era in England. There were times in London’s history where Camden was the place to be if you considered yourself part of the goth subculture; or if you were a punk at heart. And, more recently, if you followed the Brit pop movement in the 90s.

Today Camden is a mixed bag of all these different scenes and cultures. That was clear the moment I exited the Camden Town tube station.

I was greeted by a rush of people filing in both directions. I had to jump into the line and move with the flow of people. Vendors and shop owners in Camden recognize this and use it to their advantage.

Proud Camden is a restaurant, art gallery and live music venue inside Camden Lock Market.
GCM photo by Ben LamotheA short, plump man with a multi-colored mohawk and multiple face piercings attempts to persuade me to get a tattoo.  A few feet later, a guy black boots and leather pants tries to give me a flier for some band.

That’s part of what makes Camden so great — everyone is different. The crown jewel of Camden Town, however, is Camden Lock Market.

At the entrance is the food section. Walking through there, you are guaranteed to be offered at least 10 styles of chicken or pork, thrust at you on toothpicks by overanxious vendors. Once you accept a piece, they’ve got you hooked.

They begin talking food choices at you before you finish chewing. I say “talking at you” because this is not a two-way conversation; it’s you chewing, nodding, and pointing. Meanwhile they’re scooping food and counting your money.

Inside the market, once you (finally) make it past the food, the vendors are all different. Whether you’re looking for clothing, jewelry, furniture or a cool poster to put on your wall — it’s all there.

It’s easy to spend good chunk of your day there. Start at the food, wind your way through the maze that is the market, stop to admire the gothic Romeo & Juliet couple in matching shiny pleather outfits, five-inch flats, and faux-cat contact lenses navigate the crowd, and suddenly you realize that four hours have passed.

Camden Town is my favorite place in London because, no matter how many times I go, every time will be different. I like that.

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