Anyone who tells you this place is anything other than a den of filth is lying to your face.
The shops are standard fare which are not anything special. Why anyone would feel inclined to buy a lot of the hippie-inspired crafts and clothes is beyond me -- but hey, different strokes. The market is rather crowded on certain days, incredibly shady and dangerous at night, and dead on Sundays.
If you're from out of town and don't know anyone in the area, leave before midnight; this minimises your chances of stumbling into the wrong alleyway or parking lot. I'm dead serious.
This is the type of place hipsters come to feel worldly and different. They get in touch with an admitted charm that the free lifestyles of the rougher residents presents. However, this lasts for only a limited time once they almost all clear out after the drug users and homeless drunks congregate in Kensington Park.
Just go to the beach or something instead. Two stars for Roach-A-Rama's patio.