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by 45ure
1725 days ago
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You are labelling these locations as a 'shithole' without offering any real perspective. The urban regeneration, around the Google site and Kings X has changed the area considerably to shed its gritty image, even if it still lacks some soul. The transport links might be the key factor, but it is also situated in proximity to world leading universities and academic institutions (UCL/Birkbeck/SOAS/UoW/LSE), notwithstanding The British Library. You would be hard-pressed not to find exciting places, teeming with vibrant culture, within a mile radius. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/01/google-su... |
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My issue is this, Kings Cross is basically what someone thinks a "tech hub" should feel like, rather than what will naturally pop up over time. My company is moving from Soho, which is a nice vibrant (now sadly diminished) cultural center, to kings cross.
Everything is private land in kingscross, which means that the local council has no real control over what happens there. This means no real chance for markets, or passion shops that only have a tiny amount of capital to start up. Soho has three market pitches, shoreditch has at least 2.
Kingscross has none, and if they did, they would be charging eye watering pitch fees. This means that there is almost no chance of new local stall popping up and building out a presence. (Unless mummy & daddy provide cash) Which means that all the shops are both expensive and "boutique"
Shoreditch on the other hand was a working class, vibrant community. Most of the locals, barring the oldies who have council houses have left. When industry started leaving, and the artists started moving in, there was a time of creativity(90s early 2000s). Things looked scummy because there was no money, not because it was the USP of the area. The USP was it was cheap.
Now there is loads of money, a decimated local community, but everything is kept in a state of shabbiness because people think that's what made shoreditch special. Its a zoo for people to pretend to be working class and or cool, when in practice they are neither.