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In case anyone is interested, some photos in the link below showing the changes in the area, which is part of an exhibition.
https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/...t-b959845.html
As someone who left London in 2003 and remembers KC from that time the changes are quite an eye-opener.
I lived there for a while in 2000 and had only been to the station a few times since. I was at a meeting there a fortnight ago and wandered around the areas in the photos. I couldn't believe the difference.
I worked in Angel until 2015 and it didn't look like that then!
I cycle up their many times as it is a good starting/ending point for partially completing the tow path along the Regents Canal, either to Maida Vale or Limehouse, depending on direction.
On a nice sunny day, grab yourself a beer and a sarnie from the Waitrose in Coal Drops Yard and sit on the artificial grass lined steps down to the canal. It is very pleasant indeed.
More "trendy" areas.
Personally I prefer it as it was.
They are just ripping the character out of everything around London and making identikit areas. You can't tell one from the other.
It's called progress. The alternative would surely be Victorian slums still existing?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
Having worked in Kings Cross between 2006 and 2020 I think its a far nicer place now.
One of my mates bought a house on Keystone Crescent as a student back in 1993.
When we came back from the pub there were often prostitutes in-action next to the windows of the subbasement, right next to the front door steps.
He'S a bit happier with it now.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-pr...stone+Crescent
I think it went from £120,000 to 1.2 million
I have a lot of sympathy with this view, surely it could have been developed keeping the character of the place. I was quite shocked when I visited earlier in the year to meet up for a transaction with another member. As nice as it is you could be anywhere.
But yes rose tinted spectacles and being a student around there in the late 80's...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
Back in my younger days one of the sayings in regard to the cross was “ a fifty bob tom” i bet like the property the prices have gone up.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Doc
Done a lot of work in and around Kings Cross (piling) from the 80's through to 2015 and seen huge changes to the surrounding architecture and people who frequent the place. Think the biggest attraction back in the 80's was the Flying Scotsman :)
Oh to have invested way way back when, hindsight is a wonderful thing
I have to say I agree, rather like Shoreditch, Hoxton et al. It used to be a bit of a challenge having an evening out there 20 years ago, now, not so much (if at all) ....Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
The Flying Scotsman was still the place to grab a couple of pints, cover your shoes in sawdust and wonder why women in quarter-cup bras and barely there panties were collecting coins in a beer glass at lunchtime when I worked in Kings Cross through the nineties into the early noughties. I have fond memories of the area, particularly club nights at Bagleys and The Cross, after work drinks at the Dun-na-ri bar and easy routes to some great nights out north and south of the river.Quote:
Originally Posted by LRB255
Remember walking back to my hotel there once and getting asked where to score a few times in a couple of minutes.
Did I look that worse for wear?
Back in the day I once got asked if I was looking for business outside the old WH Smiths whilst waiting for a friend. I was amused given it was 5pm on a weekday.
I like what they’ve done with Coal Drop Yard now some neat shops there.
What an improvement but has some good nights out there in bagleys.
Sent from my SM-T510 using TZ-UK mobile app
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
Ridiculous, nobody mentioned slums.Quote:
Originally Posted by TaketheCannoli
There are plenty of lovely old Victorian buildings in London that have been renovated rather than being smashed down into ultra modern trendy places.
The only challenge now is making sure you don't get knocked over by bearded tattooed men riding fixies. :witless:Quote:
Originally Posted by notnowkato
Kings Cross/York Way is far a better place than it was in the late 70's to the early 90's (prostitution, muggings, drugs taking, drunks, gangs).
My mum, brother, sister and myself use to walk to Camden Town via Goodsway, Camley Street and through St Pancras Gardens always in the day time and never via the Regents canal.
They have renovated the warehouses very well, you wouldn't know there was a Waitrose until you see the store entrance, they turned the gas works into housing and gardens whilst keeping the structure, I think the majority of people born and brought up around there would say it is much nicer and safe, especially walking down the canal in the evening which made national news in 1996 (gang rape of a tourist).
Did a lot of piling works over the years in and around Kings Cross area, St Pancras/Kings Cross rail, York bridge, Granary, last being gas holder. Seen a lot of good changes, mind you b+b’s we’re a nightmare back in the day, not a very desirable area :)Quote:
Originally Posted by classics
2007 wants it’s style trope back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
More likely to be bumped by some foodie blogger/influencer taking a selfie.
Used to pick up lighting rental equipment from the goods yard in the 90’s, went back with my 5x4 camera to shoot black and white images of the gas-holders, it was quite grimy round there.
Anyone go to the church? I heard lots about it at the time but the blacked out windows put me off!
Well most of where the development is was waste ground, with rough sleepers, drug addicts and all their detritus (including the odd dead body from overdoses), plus a couple of heavy goods yards. The canal was chock a block with rubbish and old scrap.Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
There was the cobbled entrance to the back of the station where you went to collect your Red Star pick-ups where you'd get accosted by all sorts of low life, either begging for money or offering you anything you required.
It was somewhere you definitely never went at night, not because of the scrotes, but because there was nothing there to go to.
Oh yes, the much missed character has certainly been ripped out of it...much to everyones delight.
Got to agree. Used to play snooker there quite regularly back in the day, and it was a filthy mess populated by the homeless, drug addicts and hookers. Infinitely better now, thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by steptoe
I went to the Church a few times late 80's early 90's. Absolutely mental! Great fun if I could remember much of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrSmith
The last thing Kings Cross Central is, is "identikit".Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
From the incredible University of Arts London redevelopment to Granary Square and the canal steps to the Coal Drops retail area its very different what you'd normally see in any city centre.
Yes there's still lots familiar names and offices but that's necessary to fund the changes and improvements.
I used to go clubbing there in the 1990's and have good memories (kind of) of the venues which have disappeared but those kind of venues will move elsewhere and our kids will still enjoy them just in a different postcode.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
I don't know what you're saying, are developers ripping out character, or renovating lovely old Victorian buildings?Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
In the case of Cold Drops Yard, a bit of both, which is infinitely better than the Kings Cross of the past. Unless of course, you were a prostitute or crack addict, then I can understand why you preferred it before.
https://d3h1lg3ksw6i6b.cloudfront.ne...ops+yard+1.jpg
https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/20...o-1704x959.jpg
What I am saying is that there are some and some.Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisparker
In some places sympathetic renovation has take place, in others the whole place has been pretty much bulldozed.