The northern central London district and the rail central point located in King’s Cross was once a neglected area, with decaying industrial buildings and a dark atmosphere. In the last 20 years, this region was popular for its warehouse parties and red-light districts, has experienced an entirely new look.
In the shadow of King’s Cross and St Pancras International stations, which are situated on the former railway lands is London’s biggest urban renewal scheme: a vibrant, mixed-use area that was designed by a number of prominent architects. It is home to the principal college that is Central Saint Martins art school and is brimming with fashionable shops, restaurants and drinking establishments.
In the wake of the popularity of its transformation, King’s Cross has emerged as the capital’s most thriving technology hub and has become a hotspot for the city’s young and wealthy workforce. It’s also the location of Google’s London headquarters, which is in the process of being expanded, as are Facebook as well as Instagram owners Meta’s 2 London offices.
Boundaries
King’s Cross is a small region that lies situated between Islington and Camden and just north of Bloomsbury. Caledonian Road, Euston Road and Judd Street form its eastern edge. Tavistock Square, Euston Road, Midland Road and the railway lines constitute the western part of its boundary. Tavistock Place lies along its southern edge, while railway lines make up its northern border.
The local agents refer to the boundaries of King’s Cross as “fluid,” meaning that some of the areas of the above mentioned areas can be found within the areas surrounding Bloomsbury or Islington.
Price Band
King’s Cross prices roughly range from around £700 (US$874) for a square foot up to £1,200 per square foot. This includes everything from former government housing up to high-end penthouses.
King’s Cross covers the postcodes of N1 NC1 as well as WC1. These comprise areas from Camden, Islington and Westminster. From the year 2015 until this May, prices in these postcodes have risen from £994,217 and £1.25 million, according to data put together by the data analyst LonRes in conjunction with Mansion Global.
Housing Stock
King’s Cross Central will be the master-planned, regenerated part of King’s Cross that comprises about 2,000 new homes that are nearing the point of completion. It is mostly a block of apartments as well as townhouses constructed in a modern design.
The area is situated upon 67 hectares of railway land The area is home to a number of industrial developments, like the Gasholders which are an interlocking trio of gasholders constructed in the 1860s and later renovated as apartment buildings by WilkinsonEyre.
Residential block that is mixed use Capella is the last residential section that is part of King’s Cross Central, offering 120 studio one, twothree-bedroom and one-bedroom apartments as well as customized townhouses, priced beginning at just £650,000.
The Gothic revival St Pancras Chambers is one of the most striking King’s Cross structures. It was built as hotel facilities in the hands of George Gilbert Scott in the Victorian time period. Alongside hosting it’s Marriott Renaissance Hotel The restored building also houses 50 private residences, which are decorated with original styles and impressive ceilings.
King’s Cross also has some beautiful townhouses built in the period to the south of Euston Road, on Cartwright Gardens and Thanet Road.
What is it that makes it different?
King’s Cross has become a residential neighborhood, a tourism destination, and an important hub for bio-medical research, technology and education in the arts, and more.
It is housed in the elegant Granary Building It is also the principal campus of Central Saint Martins art school that is located in a public plaza that is surrounded by water features. The campus is surrounded by new green spaces, including Gasholder Park, set within the grounds of a Grade II listed gasholder, many food markets, offering a wide range of cuisine and baked goods, as well as The Word on the Water floating canal bookshop for boats. It is awash with grand Victorian industrial heritage and includes its own Regent’s Canal towpath and historic churches.
There aren’t many locations in London that are more accessible as King’s Cross. It includes a railway station, which offers national rail services that go to cities like Edinburgh, Leeds and Newcastle; Crossrail and Tube stations as well as there is the St Pancras Eurostar terminal, that provides services to Europe. It is also located within walking distance from West End. West End and close to other transportation hubs like Euston as well as Paddington.
Luxurious Amenities
King’s Cross is packed with exciting places to eat, shop and drink, and is full of spots to soak in the art and culture.
There are many opportunities to discover new or established artists in The House of Illustration, an art gallery devoted to graphic and illustration, situated just from Granary Square; the Central Saint Martins Lethaby Gallery; and the Pangolin London sculpture gallery, which is located on York Way.
The most sought-after library for readers and bibliophiles, the British Library is a vast research library located on Euston Road that teams with students. It is home to numerous reading rooms as well as public exhibits. It is housed within an impressive modernist redbrick structure with a huge outdoor terrace.
In close proximity to Granary Square lies the Coal Drops Yard shopping centre, built by the architect Thomas Heatherwick, which has exclusive cult brand boutiques, including clothing brands A.P.C, Sacred Gold jewellery and Cubitts eyewear and lighting stores from British fashion designer Tom Dixon. There are dining options as well which include the Spanish tapas restaurant Barrafina and Hiden the Japanese Curry Lab.
Another popular restaurant is the German gym on King’s Boulevard, which has an elegant cafe serving “Mitteleuropa” food items, such as Schnitzel in the midst of huge ceiling arches. Within the Granary Building it is home to the Indian restaurant Dishoom and Caravan, which offers a soft, industrial dining area that offers an all-day casual dining experience and a decent cocktail menu. It also has the Lighterman gastropub that is popular for post-work drinks. In addition, Saint Pancras by Searcys is an upscale brasserie located at Eurostar terminal, which has the longest champagne bar in Europe.
The region includes the Francis Crick Institute, the U.K.’s most renowned medical research institute and is near the nation’s most prestigious universities which include LSE (London School of Economics) and King’s College London.
Who lives there?
King’s Cross residents include many successful tech industry professionals and business people who travel both nationally as well as internationally. King’s Cross is also home to international students who attend the numerous universities within the area.Outlook
In the late 2010s, King’s Cross saw a surge in off-plan sales when the new developments were introduced to the market. In 2016, after Brexit was declared and the market stagnated and capital values fell by 25 percent. Investors who bought several flats to flip had trouble to sell them. Some were forced to sell their investment and this, lost their deposits however, over the last few years, these apartments have been sold.
In accordance with the LonRes information, properties in NC1, N1 and WC1 postcodes will take the average time of 229 calendar days to sell by 2022. This is down from 246 days in 2020. Between 2020 and 2021, sales volume increased from 14 percent to 54 percent. This was due in large part the rush of home buyers to sell their homes before the expiration on the holiday for stamps which increased the demand.
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