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Brixton Market
If you want to go to the heart of Brixton than look
no further than the three hundred stalls of Europe's biggest Caribbean
food market, a place that offers bargains galore and where you can
hear it's heart beating in the form of reggae music from one of
the many stalls. If you want atmosphere, a sense of community and
a few smiles then here is where you will find it.
Brixton market started life back in the 1870's, when it was first situated along Atlantic Road and ran alongside Electric Avenue. When in the late 1940's many Afro-Caribbean's came across to Britain to help with the post war labour shortages, they made the market a strong focal point for the community. This sense of feeling expanded to make the market what it is today: vibrant, alive and bursting with all the ingredients for a good old-fashioned West Indian feast.
Although the area is called 'Brixton Market' there are really several markets that go under this collective title. There is Electric Avenue - the first street market to be lit by electricity and the very same Avenue that Eddy Grant sang about! This area along with Brixton Station Road has some of the finest exotic fruit and vegetable stalls - flying fish, breadfruit; you will find it all here! There are also the usual stalls you would find on any London community market - cheap clothing on rails, bargain records and cd's, make up and toiletries, flowers and suspect electrical goods! It is also one of the best places to buy Halal meat.
If it's raining (we are in England after all), then take shelter in the undercover markets of Granville Arcade or Market Row. Granville Arcade is a mix and match of everything, with shops specializing in fresh fish and lots of unidentifiable hunks of meat. Oddly enough you can also get a tattoo here, which seems an odd thing to do after you have bought your pigs trotters but you never know when the mood may take you! There is also a fantastic Caribbean bakery under this roof. Market Row is also a good place to go to eat and have a browse around for a bargain.
A few other places worth exploring are Reliance Avenue, which is narrow covered market that runs off Electric Avenue. This specializes in children's clothes and has a few repair shops, so if you damage your watch you can have it quickly fixed while you wait! Brixton Arts and Crafts market is a lovely place to find original works of Art, with local artists working alongside the more contemporary and you can find crafts galore! So if you want a Ghana yam, a new wig, retro items and that rare tune you have been searching for, Brixton Market is waiting for you to come and explore. Just don't expect not to buy anything!
Opening hours: The open air markets do depend on the weather, so if it's very bad don't expect too many outdoor stalls! But generally the market is open Mon-Sat from 10 a.m to sunset.
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Brixton
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