Student Life In London – A Guide To King’s Cross

9th April 2018 Joe Graham London Life

Situated near some of the city’s best transport links, King’s Cross is the heart of the city. Whether you want culture or a place to party, there’s always something to do. Here’s our guide to King’s Cross.

Places to visit near King’s Cross

These are some ‘must sees’ during your time in London… and they’re all on your doorstep!

The British Library

The perfect place to study, research and work, the British Library is a reference-only library meaning you can’t withdraw the books. Reading rooms and study carrels are set up for you to use the books inside the building. Aside from this, the library has exhibitions, events, talks and lectures for you to get involved in. You never know, there might just be one that suits your course perfectly!

Location: 96 Euston Rd, London, NW1 2DB

The Regent’s Park

It’s difficult finding an English country garden in the middle of a busy city… unless you know where to look. The Regent’s Park, named after Prince Regent (who later became King George IV) is one of London’s eight Royal Parks covering 395 acres of land. Within it, you’ll find a boating lake, over 12,000 roses in Queen Mary’s Gardens and rows of flowerbeds in the Avenue Gardens. Don’t forget to check out what’s on at the Open Air Theatre in summer.

Location: Chester Rd, London, NW1 4NR

ZSL London Zoo

Also situated in The Regent’s Park is ZSL London Zoo. Step into the land of the lions with their new enclosure that takes you through an Indian-themed landscape and see the lions in a habitat similar to one they’d experience in their homeland. The zoo also has the UK’s first ever walk-through spider exhibit where you get up close and personal with spiders if you dare! You can also see lemurs up close at the ‘In with the lemurs’ exhibit. Don’t forget to visit the gorillas, penguins, giraffes, tigers and birds among hundreds of other species.

Location: The Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY

Camden Market

This market began life as an arts and crafts fair in 1974. Today it’s ‘a diverse community of creative sellers, street food traders and independent stores next to the Regent’s canal’. You’ll find things here that you won’t find anywhere else in the world, so it really is a special place. There are events on every week including live music, food and drink events.

Location: Camden Lock Pl, Camden Town, London, NW1 8AF

Museums near King’s Cross

We couldn’t ignore museums in our guide to King’s Cross, as the area boasts plenty to see. If you fancy soaking up some historical culture, you don’t have to look very far.

Wellcome Collection

This museum was established under the will of Sir Henry Wellcome in 1936. The pharmacist collected many artefacts over the years that explore the links between science, medicine, life and art. In the museum, you’ll see medical objects from all over the world, showing how we practised medicine over 150 years ago right up to today. Great for medical students or those with an interest in the curious.

Location: 183 Euston Rd, Kings Cross, London, NW1 2BE

The British Museum

With perhaps one of the most impressive foyers in the whole of London, this free admission museum is worth going in just for a wander around the Great Court. Once you get past this, however, you’ll find over 70 rooms filled with sculptures, artwork, artefacts and even a tomb. The museum is massive, so if you want to cover all of it make sure you’ve got a good few hours to do it properly! It’s the perfect way to spend a rainy day.

Location: Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

Jewish Museum London

This museum says that their mission is to ‘is to surprise, delight and engage all people, irrespective of background or faith, in the history, identity and culture of Jews in Britain’. There are permanent exhibitions including Judaism: A Living Faith which celebrates rare ceremonial art objects from Jewish culture and The Holocaust Gallery which looks at the horrors of Auschwitz through the story of one British-born survivor. You’ll also find temporary exhibitions which change regularly, covering different aspects of Jewish culture.

Location: Raymond Burton House, 129-131 Albert St, Camden Town, London, NW1 7NB

Charles Dickens Museum

One for the literary students or those who just love the great man, the Charles Dickens Museum highlights the life and work of one of Britain’s most celebrated authors… in his London home. Step into the house where Oliver Twist was written and see the rooms that could have inspired Nicholas Nickleby. There are over 100,000 articles to view including manuscripts, rare editions of his books, paintings and some of Dickens’ personal items.

Location: 48 Doughty St, London, WC1N 2LX

Theatres & entertainment venues near King’s Cross

Last on our guide to King’s Cross is must-see entertainment. Let your hair down with some fabulous entertainment that you can walk home from.

Sadler’s Wells

This world-famous organisation is dedicated to every style of dance. It shows touring productions of troupes from all over the globe in addition to supporting up-and-coming talent from here in the UK. You don’t have to be a dancer to appreciate dance, so why not get out of your comfort zone and be inspired by these performers? From ballet and tango to contemporary, there’s something new every week.

Location: Rosebery Ave, Clerkenwell, London, EC1R 4TN

Roundhouse

Performing arts lovers, look no further. The Roundhouse describes itself as ‘a hub of inspiration where artists and emerging talent create extraordinary work and where young people can grow creatively as individuals’. There are spoken word performances, circus acts, singer-songwriters and cabaret shows. This is also the venue that hosts BBC Music Introducing, who first discovered Florence and The Machine, London Grammar and George Ezra among others.

Location: Chalk Farm Rd, Camden Town, London NW1 8EH

Koko

Charlie Chaplin once performed in this venue which was then known as The Camden Hippodrome. More recent celebs to play this venue have been Kanye West, Ed Sheeran, The Killers and Red Hot Chili Peppers. You’ll often find artists doing secret gigs here or giving debut performances of songs from albums that aren’t released yet. You might just discover the next big thing in this former-theatre.

Location: 1A Camden High St, London, NW1 7JE

O2 Academy Islington

If you’re a music lover, you’re probably already familiar with O2 Academy venues. If you fancy seeing some live music almost any night of the week, this is the place to be. It helps that it’s just a mile away from Urbanest King’s Cross! From new bands to established artists and weekly club nights, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Grab a bunch of your friends and head down for an evening of music and dancing.

Location: 16 Parkfield St, London, N1 0PS

We hope you enjoyed our whistle-stop guide to King’s Cross London. Visit our King’s Cross page for more information.