This formerly post-industrial neighbourhood, which fell on hard times post-WWII, is now an up-and-coming trendy area. New developments are underway all the time, and new coffee shops and restaurants are opening seemingly every day to serve the residents of new high-rise and residential/commercial buildings. Kings Cross is also gaining a reputation for being a new spot for artists.
Still a place that a lot of people just pass through, the ingredients for a strong community are all there, and we'd bet on a real neighbourhood feel developing here as more people come to think of Kings Cross as home.
Those who would still avoid Kings Cross are working with outdated information, much like the ageing former Manhattanites who won't venture into Times Square because they remember it as it was in the 1970s. It's still an area some might describe as 'gritty', but not at all dangerous. The crime rate is lower than the borough average, and only slightly higher than London as a whole.
Parking is difficult and can be costly. There are numerous very busy roads in this area. Few people in this area own cars.
Trendy wine bars aplenty, but also the rest of central London on your doorstep and easily traveled to at all hours of the day.
Perhaps too busy and noisy, Kings Cross is not especially family friendly. However, the percentage of children in the area is between the borough and London percentages. It's more popular with young arts and media singles and couples. Most schools are judged 'good' by Ofsted, but there is a higher than average intake of pupils learning English. Regent's Park and the canal are not far for some open space and places to play.
More inner city than other parts of London, and therefore less pet friendly, but Regent's Park and the canal are not terribly far for some open space.
It doesn't get more connected than Kings Cross. With the station on the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Piccadilly, Northern, and Victoria Lines and several rail services, and the Eurostar to Paris at St Pancras, you can get anywhere you need to go by train. There are also many all-hours buses serving this area. Many of London's major attractions within a short walk or cycle, and you are at the heart of the action in this neighbourhood.