Sydney for two weeks with a 12-year-old

[MrSmith]

I spent 6 months in Sydney over 20 years ago and plan to go again with my 12-year-old for 2 weeks in August. I was looking at hotels but reckon an apartment would be cheaper (and include a kitchen). I would ask for recommendations, but that'd be a long shot. Instead, a specific question: would it be OK to stay in Kings Cross with my son? He wouldn't know a 'woman of the night' if she came over for dinner, but how about security and general low-lifeness? I spent a night there sleeping on the street, but with a child it's a different matter (now I'm all grown up and boring).

 

[Chundles]

I spent 6 months in Sydney over 20 years ago and plan to go again with my 12-year-old for 2 weeks in August. I was looking at hotels but reckon an apartment would be cheaper (and include a kitchen). I would ask for recommendations, but that'd be a long shot. Instead, a specific question: would it be OK to stay in Kings Cross with my son? He wouldn't know a 'woman of the night' if she came over for dinner, but how about security and general low-lifeness? I spent a night there sleeping on the street, but with a child it's a different matter (now I'm all grown up and boring).

They've cleaned up the cross a fair bit but I still wouldn't go anywhere near it, especially with a kid.

Apartment is definitely the way to go, save a lot of money by cooking for yourself rather than eating out (which is very expensive compared to the US).

 

[MrSmith]

Thanks for the tip. Are you a Sydney resident? If so, which part? I was in Newtown for 6 months.

 

[sydneycloseup]

Chundles is right, the Cross has been cleaned up a lot. It's still gritty rather than pretty but I wouldn't hesitate to stay there - or to take my children either.

It's been my experience, after years and years of going there daily, that people will leave you alone, you won't be bothered by them unless you are involved in some way in their particular world. So, provided you're not a drug dealer or buyer you won't be involved in the seedy world of small-time drug crooks that support their own habits by dealing. And so on. And, as long as you take the same elementary precautions you would take anywhere, you're as safe in the Cross as you would be anywhere else. Perhaps even safer, as there are lots of police on the beat and usually lots of people around.

It's still a fascinating place, multi-layered. Gentrification is rapidly eroding the area from all sides. The whole of Macleay Street, from the fountain down to the harbour is now very upmarket, and the other side of the Cross, towards Rushcutters Bay, is going the same way very quickly. Some of the most expensive real estate is being built all around. Only one strip really remains relatively scuzzy, that's Darlinghurst Road from Bayswater Road down to Macleay Street. And that's so well lit and busy that you should have no problems there.

The Cross suffers more from it's reputation than from anything that actually goes on these days. As I said - provided you stay out of the way of the petty crims. They're definitely still around but they're not interested in you if you're not going to be making money for them.

The really good thing about the Cross is it's location. It is super close to everything. You can walk almost everywhere. If you decide you want a more salubrious location but still close to city and beaches, look at anything on the eastern suburbs rail line (Edgecliff, Bondi Junction) or almost as close but different (Darlinghurst, Pyrmont, Ultimo).

Good luck, and enjoy your 2 weeks

 

[MrSmith]

First and only post, perfectly written and reading like a tourist brochure. Do you have a vested interest in the area or is it my suspicious nature doubting an extremely helpful post?

 

[puckhead193]

On a side note, go to the aquarium! I loved it when I went.

 

[MrSmith]

Yeah, that looks good. I've put that on the list. Anywhere else? I went out to the Blue Mountains but wonder if that's the kind of thing you do just to say you've been there rather than because of any inherent reason to go. I mean, I don't remember it at all.

Regarding accommodation, we decided on an apartment in Bondi. It'll be winter when we go so we won't be swimming. But we'll escape the Japanese summer, so that's reason enough to go then.

 

[sydneycloseup]

Absolutely no vested interest in the area at all. Just that I spent many years working there and like to let people know that much of what they hear is a bit of a beat-up.

I don't go there much these days at all, but I don't avoid it either. It's a slice of Sydney life - one sort of Sydney life. It hasn't been airbrushed yet.

And I didn't mean to make the post sound like a tourist brochure. Although I admit to a certain tendency that way as I do have a website on Sydney and do write stuff for visitors. Trying to avoid the tacky.

With a 12 year old, if you have access to a car, a trip to the Australian Reptile Park might be fun (for both of you). It's the supplier of all the anti-venom for snakebites in NSW (maybe even Australia, I don't remember off the top of my head). Anyway, you can see deadly tiger snakes being milked of their venom, ditto for funnel web spiders and there are heaps of other equally deadly things there. Lots of very informative talks as well, most people give it a huge thumbs up. And an animatronic (if that's the right word) lost world of reptiles. It's up the coast a bit, an hour or so out of town (an hour and a half if you're coming from Bondi) so you do need a car.

 

[MrSmith]

Then I presume you're Elle? Thanks for your advice. You website looks great. I've bookmarked it and will comb through it when I plan our itinerary.

 

[sydneycloseup]

Yes, I'm Elle. And I wasn't really trying to promote my website but I'm glad you found it. Hope it's useful in your planning. If you have any questions that you think I can help with, just contact me.