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Myself and two friends are traveling to Sydney from the US for 5 days at the end of November on the last leg of our Oz tour. Right now we are trying to put together some sort of agenda for those days and need help deciding where to stay. We are all 23 and a little over a year out of college so we want to be close to the nightlife but also want easy access to all the must sees of Sydney. I have done some research and feel like Kings Cross is the area for us; however, I am getting some mixed opinions. Some reviews talk about the abundant nightlife while others only mention the dangers. We live in the city and are used to crowded streets and the weekend noise associated with a large bar/club scene. We also know there are areas / times you shouldn't be out walking alone. Is this similar to Kings Cross? If Kings Cross is a no go what other areas would you suggest? We will be staying in hostels so any suggestions there would be greatly appreciated. Finally I hear that Bondi Beach is a must see for visitors. Would Bondi be worth a night stay or is it close enough to visit only for the day and then head back towards the CBD? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Myself and two friends are traveling to Sydney from the US for 5 days at the end of November on the last leg of our Oz tour. Right now we are trying to put together some sort of agenda for those days and need help deciding where to stay. We are all 23 and a little over a year out of college so we want to be close to the nightlife but also want easy access to all the must sees of Sydney. I have done some research and feel like Kings Cross is the area for us; however, I am getting some mixed opinions. Some reviews talk about the abundant nightlife while others only mention the dangers. We live in the city and are used to crowded streets and the weekend noise associated with a large bar/club scene. We also know there are areas / times you shouldn't be out walking alone. Is this similar to Kings Cross? If Kings Cross is a no go what other areas would you suggest? We will be staying in hostels so any suggestions there would be greatly appreciated. Finally I hear that Bondi Beach is a must see for visitors. Would Bondi be worth a night stay or is it close enough to visit only for the day and then head back towards the CBD? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Drew
Kings Cross is safe as long as you are in a group, I have not been there since the mid-90's - but it could not have changed that much.
There are brothels, and brothel owners trying to lure you into strip shows etc, but they are nuisance value only. The drug subculture is there, but not obvious unless you are into drugs.
There are plenty of well known night spots in "the Cross", and generally plenty of activity and good cheer - with sports stars etc frequenting the area.
Kings Cross is safe as long as you are in a group, I have not been there since the mid-90's - but it could not have changed that much.
It's changed massively since the mid-90s, I think the Royal Commission into police corruption ended the cozy relationship between the drug dealers and the police and so they moved out. It's hard to even call it a red light district now, most of the brothels are gone and in their place are bars and cafes. There are still street walkers etc but it really is nothing like what it used to be. It can get a little rough after midnight on a Thursday/Friday/Saturday night but otherwise it's pretty safe. I've walked through there at 3am and haven't felt particularly unsafe.
I'm with Artemis though, I probably wouldn't stay in the X if it was my choice, but you are on a fairly short time frame and it is very centrally located.
Bondi is about 30-40 minutes on public transport from the X. It's not far and certainly not an overnight trip.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Originally Posted by BCC_1
It's changed massively since the mid-90s, I think the Royal Commission into police corruption ended the cozy relationship between the drug dealers and the police and so they moved out. It's hard to even call it a red light district now, most of the brothels are gone and in their place are bars and cafes. There are still street walkers etc but it really is nothing like what it used to be. It can get a little rough after midnight on a Thursday/Friday/Saturday night but otherwise it's pretty safe. I've walked through there at 3am and haven't felt particularly unsafe.
I'm with Artemis though, I probably wouldn't stay in the X if it was my choice, but you are on a fairly short time frame and it is very centrally located.
Bondi is about 30-40 minutes on public transport from the X. It's not far and certainly not an overnight trip.
My first experience of the Cross was in 2000 and it was already changing then. It still feels seedy, but now it's more tourist-friendly. There are lots of budget backpacker's, but alot of them are old, cramped, and noisy. Not ideal if you plan on getting any sleep. I would personally prefer to pay a bit more and stay in a more decent hostel in the city. If you're a large party it might be better to just stay in a hotel or even a short-term apartment.
My first experience of the Cross was in 2000 and it was already changing then. It still feels seedy, but now it's more tourist-friendly. There are lots of budget backpacker's, but alot of them are old, cramped, and noisy. Not ideal if you plan on getting any sleep. I would personally prefer to pay a bit more and stay in a more decent hostel in the city. If you're a large party it might be better to just stay in a hotel or even a short-term apartment.
My experience with the cross was probably 2001/2002, had booked a hostel there and one I got to the neighborhood, I cancelled the reservation and found a Rydges Hotel by the main railway station. Neighborhood felt much better and I liked being closer to Chinatown for good grub.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by minibrings
My experience with the cross was probably 2001/2002, had booked a hostel there and one I got to the neighborhood, I cancelled the reservation and found a Rydges Hotel by the main railway station. Neighborhood felt much better and I liked being closer to Chinatown for good grub.
It wasn't the Boomerang hostel was it? In 2009 I drove from Melbourne to Sydney with a very long detour with a German fella. The original plan was to stop in Canberra, but he kept insisting that we go straight through to Sydney. Anyway we get to Sydney around midnight and the hostel just after midnight. It was the noisiest hostel I've ever stayed at, which was to be expected since the windows were wide open and we were in the middle of Kings Cross.
It wasn't the Boomerang hostel was it? In 2009 I drove from Melbourne to Sydney with a very long detour with a German fella. The original plan was to stop in Canberra, but he kept insisting that we go straight through to Sydney. Anyway we get to Sydney around midnight and the hostel just after midnight. It was the noisiest hostel I've ever stayed at, which was to be expected since the windows were wide open and we were in the middle of Kings Cross.
OMG I think so..and it was dirty as well... ugh. I never went back to the Cross after that. The Rydges was a nice splurge, including a rooftop pool. Ahhh..
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by minibrings
OMG I think so..and it was dirty as well... ugh. I never went back to the Cross after that. The Rydges was a nice splurge, including a rooftop pool. Ahhh..
I don't remember but we MAY have stayed in the Rydges the first time we went to Sydney as a family in 2000, it was in Pott's Point, near Kings Cross. I'm not sure if it was the Rydges but it may have been.
My experience with the cross was probably 2001/2002, had booked a hostel there and one I got to the neighborhood, I cancelled the reservation and found a Rydges Hotel by the main railway station. Neighborhood felt much better and I liked being closer to Chinatown for good grub.
The funny thing is, the area around Railway Square is probably more unsafe at night than the X.
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