King's Cross - events, photos, news, Coal Drops Yard and redevelopment

[editor]

Review here: diamond geezer

Fundamentally it's a shopping mall, albeit a particularly smart one, in two halves with a canyoned piazza inbetween. Visitors swoosh in from Granary Square, or descend the steps from the unfinished corner by the gasholders, or walk through an arch direct from the Regent's Canal towpath. Security guards linger here and there to make sure nobody does anything too unruly. Hoardings declare CDY's purpose as STORES DINING CULTURE, but the website prefers to go with SHOP EAT DRINK, which is more to the point.

The first visitors were already perched on barstools downing bespoke caffeine, or nosing through doorways to check out a handful of handbags, or eyeing up collections of high-end trainers, or perusing a limited range of quilted gilets, or mulling over the viability of having heritage corn tortillas for lunch, or fully occupied lining up inaugural photographs, or peering through the glass of one of the many units which aren't yet open. I never stumbled upon the Visitor Centre, but eventually found my way to the toilets, which was more like slipping into the gents at a voguish restaurant.

One brightly-lit retail unit appeared to contain nothing more than two racks of jackets, eight pairs of socks and some cacti, these advertised in the window as "excellent essentials, mindfully sourced". But nothing about Coal Drops Yard is essential, it's more a magnet for the over-moneyed to enjoy consuming the unnecessary.

Coal Drops Yard looks fabulous, and I can imagine Time Out getting quite masturbatory about the place, for it ticks many boxes. I am not target audience, so don't envisage spending pounds here, but am delighted to have discovered a new location where I can spend a penny.

Good quote: "...it's more a magnet for the over-moneyed to enjoy consuming the unnecessary"

 

[jimbarkanoodle]

Anything that has turned into a shopping district rather than what it was in the late 90's early 00's, annoys me too.

 

[editor]

Spot on

 

[Cloo]

I was quite interested to see Coal Drops Yard when it opened – working in built environment media I’d heard a lot about it so was keen to see what it turned out like.

The space looks good, but feels horrid IMO. Has all the problems of ‘private public space’ – went on a hot day and it had loads of empty space, but no one hanging out as you can’t drink outside of designated spaces. Was with kids, hoping to find some ice-cream and it felt very family-unfriendly – one nicely-positioned bar space didn’t allow kids in, tried a coffee place hoping it would do at least smoothies or juices or something – no dice, it Only Did Coffee, Thank You Very Much. The whole thing would have been more polite to have a ‘no children allowed’ sign, rather than passive aggressively not catering, and we literally didn’t even get to have a juice (ice cream vans on Granary Square were sold out – beware of trying to find icecream in Kings X!).

Shops were nice to look at but super pricey – felt like they were all aimed at those non-existent wealthy 30-somethings you see on hoardings for new developments called things like ‘Unity’.

I predict them ending up filling central space with lots of little pop up stalls and stuff before falling into a financial black hole within a few years because I can’t see this place has a sustainable market. The undead spirits of Bagley's and The Cross etc will have their revenge.

 

[editor]

I was quite interested to see Coal Drops Yard when it opened – working in built environment media I’d heard a lot about it so was keen to see what it turned out like.

The space looks good, but feels horrid IMO. Has all the problems of ‘private public space’ – went on a hot day and it had loads of empty space, but no one hanging out as you can’t drink outside of designated spaces. Was with kids, hoping to find some ice-cream and it felt very family-unfriendly – one nicely-positioned bar space didn’t allow kids in, tried a coffee place hoping it would do at least smoothies or juices or something – no dice, it Only Did Coffee, Thank You Very Much. The whole thing would have been more polite to have a ‘no children allowed’ sign, rather than passive aggressively not catering, and we literally didn’t even get to have a juice (ice cream vans on Granary Square were sold out – beware of trying to find icecream in Kings X!).

Shops were nice to look at but super pricey – felt like they were all aimed at those non-existent wealthy 30-somethings you see on hoardings for new developments called things like ‘Unity’.

I predict them ending up filling central space with lots of little pop up stalls and stuff before falling into a financial black hole within a few years because I can’t see this place has a sustainable market. The undead spirits of Bagley's and The Cross etc will have their revenge.

There's already a thread on this so I've got a-mergin'

 

[marty21]

I was quite interested to see Coal Drops Yard when it opened – working in built environment media I’d heard a lot about it so was keen to see what it turned out like.

The space looks good, but feels horrid IMO. Has all the problems of ‘private public space’ – went on a hot day and it had loads of empty space, but no one hanging out as you can’t drink outside of designated spaces. Was with kids, hoping to find some ice-cream and it felt very family-unfriendly – one nicely-positioned bar space didn’t allow kids in, tried a coffee place hoping it would do at least smoothies or juices or something – no dice, it Only Did Coffee, Thank You Very Much. The whole thing would have been more polite to have a ‘no children allowed’ sign, rather than passive aggressively not catering, and we literally didn’t even get to have a juice (ice cream vans on Granary Square were sold out – beware of trying to find icecream in Kings X!).

Shops were nice to look at but super pricey – felt like they were all aimed at those non-existent wealthy 30-somethings you see on hoardings for new developments called things like ‘Unity’.

I predict them ending up filling central space with lots of little pop up stalls and stuff before falling into a financial black hole within a few years because I can’t see this place has a sustainable market. The undead spirits of Bagley's and The Cross etc will have their revenge.

Went there last summer to meet a mate (her suggestion) found it a bit soulless , had a drink in a Mexican-y bar - a bottle of beer that was brewed in Greenwich cost about £7 ffs - we didn't linger found somewhere else in Kings X proper.

 

[Badgers]

Went there last summer to meet a mate (her suggestion) found it a bit soulless , had a drink in a Mexican-y bar - a bottle of beer that was brewed in Greenwich cost about £7 ffs - we didn't linger found somewhere else in Kings X proper.

McGlynns?

 

[maomao]

- a bottle of beer that was brewed in Greenwich cost about £7 ffs

Meantime? They saw you coming. It was 3 quid a pint at the Havering show this year.

 

[ska invita]

I totally understand all of the arguments about pseudo public space. However Granary Square actually works better as a public space than some genuinely public spaces. I saw this in effect this summer when the fountains are on and people came from all over the city treating as a bit of mini day out by the (not) seaside.

Yeah, mainly families from Somers Town with their kids. Central St Martins tried to ban them doing this but gave up quickly. Best bit about the development. The canal is a nicer walk these days too

 

[skyscraper101]

West for a meal there with some ex colleagues. Agree its a horrid soulless empty looking corporate space with barely anything interesting worth going down there for.

Load of bollocks.

 

[Pickman's model]

West for a meal there with some ex colleagues. Agree its a horrid soulless empty looking corporate space with barely anything interesting worth going down there for.

Load of bollocks.

when i've been down there i have always found leaving the place a great pleasure and almost worth a trip there to experience

 

[marty21]

Meantime? They saw you coming. It was 3 quid a pint at the Havering show this year.

no, it had a Mexican-y name

could have been Meantime Tijuana Pale Ale I guess

 

[marty21]

McGlynns?

We ended up at The Betjiman in St Pancras Station

 

[Cloo]

Granary Square is ok as at least it is accessible and is fun for kids in summer, and you don't feel like you have to spend lots of money to justify being there. It feels like it is actually used by local community too.

 

[editor]

It was nowhere near as bad as I thought but that's probably because it was almost empty.

King’s Cross Coal Drop Yards, The Lighthouse and Regent’s Canal: fifty photos -

Given that it's one of those privately owned faux 'public' spaces with security guards lurking in every doorway, I wasn't expecting to enjoy my trip to Coal Drops Yard, a large, shiny new shopping complex at the back of Kings Cross station. But it turned out to be quite a pleasant trip. The Coal...

www.urban75.org

 

[equationgirl]

Visual dogs dinner sounds about right editor judging from the photos (which are great as always).

 

[FridgeMagnet]

That whole area has some slightly interesting architecture and layout, even if it's a bit try-hard tbh, but always felt locked down and uncomfortable to me (I suspect the opposite of what they want you to feel, but then I'm probably not typical of the target audience, despite being a middle class tech guy). Every time I did any street photography I felt evils from the security, though I was only actually challenged once - I was messing with a pinhole camera in Gasholder Park and some guy asked me if I was shooting professionally It wasn't a comfortable vibe.

I went to Coal Drops Yard a few times when I worked in Camden as I used to walk down the canal at lunchtimes, but I didn't go very often as why would I? None of the shops were relevant to anything I might want and while some of the side stairs and multiple levels are quite fun to walk around, it's not something you'd do regularly. They do, or did, put on some art exhibitions there, which I think was the only reason I went past the initial see-what-this-is visit.

 

[editor]

That whole area has some slightly interesting architecture and layout, even if it's a bit try-hard tbh, but always felt locked down and uncomfortable to me (I suspect the opposite of what they want you to feel, but then I'm probably not typical of the target audience, despite being a middle class tech guy). Every time I did any street photography I felt evils from the security, though I was only actually challenged once - I was messing with a pinhole camera in Gasholder Park and some guy asked me if I was shooting professionally It wasn't a comfortable vibe.

I went to Coal Drops Yard a few times when I worked in Camden as I used to walk down the canal at lunchtimes, but I didn't go very often as why would I? None of the shops were relevant to anything I might want and while some of the side stairs and multiple levels are quite fun to walk around, it's not something you'd do regularly. They do, or did, put on some art exhibitions there, which I think was the only reason I went past the initial see-what-this-is visit.

I had zero interest in the shops but I liked the amount of 'unbranded' open space there so you could bring in your own sandwiches without hassle (presumably).

 

[tim]

That roof is really gimmicky.

Gimmicky in a gimcrack way, it waa designed by the vastly overrated and overcommsioned Thomas Heatherwick who has also given us the vile sweatbox "New Routemaster"; the aborted London Garden Bridge; and the "B in the Bang"; the amazingly expensive "B of the Bang" sculpture which started shedding Mancunian implaling spikes even before it was officially opened.

He is also known for the 2012 Olympic Cauldron in which he creatively adapted other designers ideas, which was probably just as well as a pure Heatherwick involving flames in a packed stadium doesn't bear thinking about.

 

[Sue]

I went to Coal Drops Yard a few times when I worked in Camden as I used to walk down the canal at lunchtimes, but I didn't go very often as why would I? None of the shops were relevant to anything I might want and while some of the side stairs and multiple levels are quite fun to walk around, it's not something you'd do regularly. They do, or did, put on some art exhibitions there, which I think was the only reason I went past the initial see-what-this-is visit.

For the coffee obvs!

Should every cup of coffee cost £15?

Alain Ducasse’s ‘perfect’ cup comes from a Yemeni war zone. But, post-Brexit, even instant coffee will see a price hike

www.theguardian.com

'Damn fine': Grace Dent reviews Alain Ducasse’s £15 cup of coffee

The Yemeni brew in the Michelin-starred chef’s London cafe costs about £1.50 a sip. Is it worth it? Our restaurant critic gets a special caffeine fix

www.theguardian.com

 

[MrSki]

The Lighthouse looks good but St Pancras Lock seems to have lost its nature reserve appeal. Used to be my favourite spot to go & read/chill back in the day. Still everything changes. Apart from when the trains went past you couldn't here a thing (apart from nature) there. It was tranquility but I doubt it is now.

 

[editor]

I liked this exhibition in the tunnel and outside

Check out the Face To Face exhibition in the King’s Cross Tunnel, London – runs until Sunday, 29th Nov 2020 -

Divided across an open air space and in the adjacent King's Cross Tunnel, Face to Face is a compelling exhibition of social documentary photography curated by Ekow Eshun, in partnership with the Fund for Global Human Rights. Located in the midst of the swanky King's Cross redevelopment scheme...

www.urban75.org

 

[editor]

*merge

 

[ska invita]

King's Cross Station: Then & Now
Monday, 09 November
Exploring the history of London's passenger terminus.

My5

www.my5.tv

 

[editor]

King's Cross Station: Then & Now
Monday, 09 November
Exploring the history of London's passenger terminus.

My5

www.my5.tv

I watched it but thought it was a bit, well, 'light.'

 

[ska invita]

I watched it but thought it was a bit, well, 'light.'

about to watch it in bed
its the older bits im interested in seeing really

 

[editor]

about to watch it in bed
its the older bits im interested in seeing really

You'll see a few clips repeated again and again!

 

[ska invita]

You'll see a few clips repeated again and again!

Come in Channel 5!!

Some smokey 60s-80s footage would be welcome too

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Some smokey 60s-80s footage would be welcome too

will this do for now?

 

[toblerone3]

Mutoid Waste in Granary Square in 2016 were good. Their connection with Kings Cross goes way back to the acid house days.