There is quite a resurgence in street photography, driven by the growth in small quiet cameras; but a lot of people are very nervous about it. Not only are you afraid of peoples reactions but in todays more security paranoid world, someone with a camera is treated with suspicion.
Events are a good place to start, people expect photographers at events.
The above shot was taken at the monthly farmers market in Lincoln, its a more interesting picture because its taken from behind the counter. Shot on my little Leica M4 film camera, the people in it are busy with their shopping and are not noticing me.