Everything you know if you live in Camden

You hate us ’cause you ain’t us


Camden is one of those places in London you’ve always considered to be cool. You’d heard rumours of the market, of the canal and of the shops with massive shoes sticking out of them, and now you live there you’ve discovered the reality including all the pros and all the cons.

Camden Market is the busiest place on Earth

All you want to do is your weekly food shop and all of a sudden you’re swept up amongst 16 year old indie kids and wannabe singer-slash-songwriters. How long can they stand outside Camden Town tube station singing Coldplay covers? It wouldn’t be Camden if you didn’t get accosted by drug dealers or amateur hip hop artists, but who doesn’t love a free mixtape on your way back from Sainsbury’s?

That said, when you’re hungover, there’s no better place than Camden market, complete with free food samples every other step you take. And if greasy food isn’t your thing then maybe ‘hair of the dog’ is, with pubs on each corner of the high street, and a pint for only £5 (it’s a bargain really…), so head down to what was Amy Winehouse’s favourite spot at The Hawley Arms to immediately up your cool status.

It’s home to the classiest Wetherspoons

The Ice Wharf is the ultimate Wetherspoons experience. Forget your hometown haunt with its cheap drinks and dingy interior, the old alcoholic locals have nothing on our Camden socialites. Nothing tops a ‘Porn Star’ pitcher in the summer, sitting on Camden lock, gazing into the sunset. So what if the water is littered with trash, or the occasional crazy guy interrupts your glass of cheap wine? We get to live 5 minutes from the classiest Wetherspoons in the country, so nothing else matters.

If you know you know

Koko is our pride and joy

It’s a love hate relationship when it comes to Koko: during freshers it was our home away from home, but as we matured, we grew out of the expensive drinks and crappy DJs. It was great while it lasted, dancing on the upper balcony, being crushed in a mosh pit downstairs; this is all part of the Koko experience. It’s grimy as hell, your shoes will get ruined on a night out there, but isn’t that worth it?

Club NME is an essential part of any London fresher’s experience and living in Camden just makes it all the better. You can rock up at half 1 after a five hour long pre drinks and still expect a good few hours of indie/house mashups. Just don’t get sassy with the bouncers, you’ll end up getting banned or escorted home by the police (trust me on that). It’s no longer shrouded in that first year glow, but Koko, we will always love you.

Cheesy chips from Woody Grill are a staple

Woody grill is our homeland. You stumble home after a mad night out at Koko craving a kebab or a burger and chips, and there it is, a woody beacon. Not only does it act as a warm stop off on the way home, but after ten or so visits you essentially become part of the Woody Grill family. Hop off the bus at Mornington Crescent and you know you’re just a few meters away from the best cheesy chips of your life. Thank me later.

Heaven on earth <3

It’s super convenient for uni

Uni can be depressing and you don’t want to be too close. That said TfL love charging us obscene amounts of money for travel so you don’t want to be too far either. That’s where Camden comes in – a half hour walk might seem like a task but it’s beaut for waking you up in the morning and you save a fortune on travel.

You can’t help but love it

All jokes and complaints aside, Camden really does have so much to offer. You can walk to Camley Street Park and escape the inner city vibes, or embrace your inner 14 year old and take selfies on the lock. You’re a walk away from Regents Park and constant gigs at Barfly and Camden Roundhouse. There’s a reason why it’s a student favourite, who wouldn’t want to live here?