Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo
Fast facts
* Excitement day or night
* East of city centre
* 12-minute bus ride from Circular Quay
Why go there
Kings Cross is Australia’s best-known entertainment precinct. It buzzes with nightclubs, live music and the fleshier side of life.
After dark, a never-ending procession of revellers hit Darlinghurst Road, while others head to more upmarket scenes in Potts Point and Woolloomooloo.
Kings Cross continually reinvents itself, with new restaurants, bars and entertainment venues opening up all time.
Things to do
* Take a tour of the historic naval base, Garden Island.
* Enjoy waterfront alfresco dining and fresh seafood at one of the restaurants lining Woolloomooloo Wharf.
* Catch a performance at the Stables or Old Fitzroy Hotel theatres, which showcase local talent.
* Meet at cool clubs such as the Piano Room, Blanco in the new Barcelona building, Aperitif or the cocktail hour at The Gazebo Wine Garden.
Don’t miss it
* El Alamein Fountain.
* Historic Elizabeth Bay House and Tusculum, grand colonial homes.
* Spa Chakra at Woolloomooloo Wharf for vichy water treatments.
* Harry’s Cafe de Wheels, famous for its delicious pies, open throughout the night.
Newtown
Fast facts
* Melting pot of styles
* Inner west
* 20-minute train ride from Circular Quay
Why go there
In Newtown, you rub shoulders with a wide range of people, from students to famous artists. Specialised shops include vintage fashion and CD stores, bookshops, antique stores, hairdressing salons and delicatessens.
Colourful, unconventional and gay-friendly, Newtown promotes its strong arts culture with many theatre and music venues. It also boasts more than 100 restaurants and cafés offering a range of ethnic cuisines, most at reasonable prices.
Things to do
* Sip coffee from a café window seat and watch the colourful crowd.
* Idiosyncratic shops in Enmore Road and south King Street offer buttons, beads, tiles, tribal gifts, gothic garments and second-hand furniture.
* Enjoy live music at any of the hotels, clubs and cabaret spaces.
* Relax in the grounds of St Stephen’s Church with its historic cemetery.
Don’t miss it
* Thai, Vietnamese and Indian restaurants.
* New and second-hand book stores.
* Erskineville, with its rows of elegant Victorian terraces.
* A show at any of the area's independent theatre spaces.
* Feastability in September.
* Newtown Festival in November.
Fast facts
* Excitement day or night
* East of city centre
* 12-minute bus ride from Circular Quay
Why go there
Kings Cross is Australia’s best-known entertainment precinct. It buzzes with nightclubs, live music and the fleshier side of life.
After dark, a never-ending procession of revellers hit Darlinghurst Road, while others head to more upmarket scenes in Potts Point and Woolloomooloo.
Kings Cross continually reinvents itself, with new restaurants, bars and entertainment venues opening up all time.
Things to do
* Take a tour of the historic naval base, Garden Island.
* Enjoy waterfront alfresco dining and fresh seafood at one of the restaurants lining Woolloomooloo Wharf.
* Catch a performance at the Stables or Old Fitzroy Hotel theatres, which showcase local talent.
* Meet at cool clubs such as the Piano Room, Blanco in the new Barcelona building, Aperitif or the cocktail hour at The Gazebo Wine Garden.
Don’t miss it
* El Alamein Fountain.
* Historic Elizabeth Bay House and Tusculum, grand colonial homes.
* Spa Chakra at Woolloomooloo Wharf for vichy water treatments.
* Harry’s Cafe de Wheels, famous for its delicious pies, open throughout the night.
Newtown
Fast facts
* Melting pot of styles
* Inner west
* 20-minute train ride from Circular Quay
Why go there
In Newtown, you rub shoulders with a wide range of people, from students to famous artists. Specialised shops include vintage fashion and CD stores, bookshops, antique stores, hairdressing salons and delicatessens.
Colourful, unconventional and gay-friendly, Newtown promotes its strong arts culture with many theatre and music venues. It also boasts more than 100 restaurants and cafés offering a range of ethnic cuisines, most at reasonable prices.
Things to do
* Sip coffee from a café window seat and watch the colourful crowd.
* Idiosyncratic shops in Enmore Road and south King Street offer buttons, beads, tiles, tribal gifts, gothic garments and second-hand furniture.
* Enjoy live music at any of the hotels, clubs and cabaret spaces.
* Relax in the grounds of St Stephen’s Church with its historic cemetery.
Don’t miss it
* Thai, Vietnamese and Indian restaurants.
* New and second-hand book stores.
* Erskineville, with its rows of elegant Victorian terraces.
* A show at any of the area's independent theatre spaces.
* Feastability in September.
* Newtown Festival in November.
