An American Student in London: Camden Town and the Hawley Arms

"I wasn't prepared for this at all," he said, throwing another newspaper on top of the pile.

"Maybe we're just less intense about it because we have more celebrities. I mean, Beckham and all live in L.A. anyway."

"Maybe...maybe their celebrities are just better. Or crazier or something." A pause. "Let's go to the Hawley."

London's practically addicted to stargazing, exemplfied best by the free tabloids shoved into pedestrians' hands every evening. Maybe the obsession has something to do with its singularity as an English galmour spot; after all, nobody gets whisked away for decadent weekends in spectacular Birmingham. No matter the cause, if the urge to starhunt greets you with an equally strong urge to drink, don't fight it. Instead, head north to the neighborhood of Camden Town, and specifically the Hawley Arms.

Camden's probably worth a visit even without those two particular urges. It's a world unto itself, described by a friend of mine as "a combination of Morocco and Hot Topic." During the day, it's known for its quirky markets, populated by various "ethnic" food stands, independent designers, and goth apparel stores. It's a trip that TimeOut London once called the city's "scruffy, stoned but affable adolescent cousin." Plans to renovate the area are underway though, sparking fears that Camden Town will soon lose its genial wierdness. Wander the markets on a Saturday while you still have the chance if you want to see a very different side of stodgy old England.

At night, this island for misfit shopkeepers becomes one of London's nightlife hotspots. Soho's more famous and Notting Hill's swankier, but Camden offers nearly everything a late night boozer could ask for: a friendly pub (The Elephant's Head), a slick cocktail bar (The Cuban), and a popular live music spot (The Dublin Castle) - and more than one of each at that. A hardcore dance club might be the one thing you'll be hard-pressed to find, so for that you might want to go elsewhere. Drinks in Camden can get as expensive as anywhere else, but luckily the crowd is almost without exception young and drunk. Even buildings that seem like "old man pubs" get thronged with twenty-somethings and Jager-bombs come Friday and Saturday night. Just as importantly, the daytime vibe helps keep pretension to a minimum.

Which seems to contradict the celebrity antics that the neighborhood's become most well-known for lately. The neighborhoods surrounding Camden are all very rich, and the stars seem to gravitate in unusually high volume to its Doc-worn streets. The Hawley Arms on Castlehaven Road in particular has gained a reputation as a mecca for stargazing. As a pub it's not bad, with prices, patrons and an overall personality generally par for Camden's course, but two factors set it apart. First, there's that aforementioned reputation, particularly regarding one Amy Winehouse, the undisputed queen of London's tabloids. If you want to watch a drunk starlet in action, this would be a great place to start. The second is the huge crowd that that reputation fuels. If you plan on going to the Hawley, plan on either getting there very early or being very cool and attractive. Everyone who gets there before the Hawley fills up gets in, but on a weekend night the place will most definitely do just that well before midnight. After that you'll just have to wait outside or be desireable enough that the bouncers can't bring themselves to turn you down.

You can see stars in other neighborhoods too, Notting Hill especially, but they probably won't be as drunk, rebellious or hip. The Hawley, if you get there early enough, can stand alone all those nights that nobody puking in the bathroom has recorded a gold record. And Camden deserves your every attention anyway. Go during the day and you can even get some slick black leather, knee-high, studded, platform boots to pull your nighttime outfit together.