We're here!! Day 3 in Sydney :)

[lilc85]

Well! After months of reading helpful advice on here, I thought it was time to post an update. My boyfriend and I touched down in Sydney on Friday morning aka the hottest day on record!! - a change from the -5 degrees, snow and freezing fog that we left behind in Norfolk!

I've come out on a 457 visa and will be working in Ryde hospital (those who are regular here may or may not remember I posted in October with a conundrum about working in Blacktown - I rejected Blacktown for Ryde), whilst my boyfriend is here on a working holiday visa and is hoping to find work in the IT/Computer Programming world..

So..first impressions? Well the flight is looooong, but easy. Etihad Airways were not bad at all, really friendly staff but planes could be updated a little. Abu Dhabi airport is confusing and messy and busy and cold (too much aircon!). Sydney? one word I think - friendly! We couldn't believe it when we arrived and had busy commuters, mid commute, stopping to check that we were alright and did we need directions! Had one lady on the train from the airport making sure we were looking out the right window, so as not to miss the Opera house and Bridge!

However, despite wanting to post a general update on the forum, I do actually have an agenda - I want everybody's opinion on suburbs, yes I know, sorry! We have spent our last two days here fighting jet lag and using exercise as a way to stay awake! We are currently staying in a hotel in the centre, but will be moving into Ryde's hospital accommodation as a temporary option before we find somewhere a little more permanent. Having walked lots and lots, I've thought the following:

1) Chinatown, where we're staying (Kent Street), is so interesting! Clean and friendly with lots of good food options, but maybe a bit charmless?

2) Pott's Point is fab, we had a lovely lunch there yesterday, seemed a really good area, however...

3) King's Cross is scary! We were there around Saturday afternoon and it was pretty dingy then already, not somewhere I would want to walk through after having finished a shift at midnight? Also, Woolloomooloo was pretty by the waterfront with those posh flats, but is the rest of it a bit scary still? Both of these mean getting in and out of Pott's Point becomes a bit tricky..

4) The area around Central station and the bottom of China town isn't that nice either (too harsh or true?) - the atmosphere just changed as we walked down George Street and seemed less fun. There's lots of properties in Broadway on Domain's website, but having walked around there, we've now ruled that area out

5) We walked down to Darling Harbour today and then from there found King Street and then George Street again with all of its amazing shops! This area seemed nice, could be good to live here no?

6) We did venture towards Darlinghurst and Surry Hills - if I'm honest, I don't think we gave this area a fair chance as got put off by some of the streets - could it be Flinders street, not sure. Anyway, I've read that this may be a nice area so we may have to go back.

 

And that's that! That's all we've done so far. I still want to explore Paddington and the areas of by the water, Balmain etc..I think somewhere central may be better for the commute - trains seem to go easily up to Ryde but if we leave nearer the water it looks a bit more complicated. There's also the fact that I will be finishing at silly times (10/11/12 at night) and so want somewhere relatively safe!? I'd love to get anybody's opinion on the above, I know we've got time to explore more areas still, but have we got the wrong end of the stick about any of it? Just a bit of background - We're both in our mid-late twenties and although not wild party animals anymore, I think we'd still want to feel that we were living in the thick of it and really making the most of our year in Sydney!

 

Thanks for your opinions, musings etc!

[Playghirl]

Yay, welcome, think I am 11 months ahead of you, I don't know Ryder so can't advise on areas, but think you had enter post a bit about budget and what you are looking for. How many beds, outside space and so forth.

 

Balmain is lovely!

[lilc85]

Hello Well we're happy with small (ish!).. Either a studio or one bedroom flat, balcony would be amazing, no real need for outside space otherwise.. Furnished is a must. Money: $500 -550 is prob the top end of our budget?

[Rupert]

Welcome to Sydney. It might have been the hottest day on record on Friday, but my goodness it wasn't as hard as the Tuesday before. Temperature was nearly as high but didn't drop until about 4am then, at least it cooled down by about 9pm on Friday.

 

I don't really know much about the city centre areas sorry, I hear good things about Surry Hills, I would chose somewhere handy for the journey to Ryde.

[markb28]

At your age I'd recommend the following three areas, all pretty central:

 

Surry Hills (lots of pubs, restaurants, arty stuff, best along Crown Street)

Newtown/Camperdown (ditto, slightly more alternative)

Glebe (quieter but more village like - past Broadway to Glebe Point Road)

 

Areas adjacent to the above include Erskineville, Enmore, Redfern (where I live) may be slightly easier to gain a rental. Expect lots of open house competition for rentals and a few knockbacks. A one bed in these areas is certainly doable for $500ish.

 

You will find it very hard to find a long term furnished rental, bank on buying some appliances.

 

We live in Redfern, not the hippest area (but up and coming) but only 15 mins walk to Central/Surry Hills/Glebe/lower CBD and Redfern is a junction station - so very easy to get around with a single train. Our rent is $580 a week, but ours is a 2 bed with a balcony.

 

Looking for property was a real pain without a car, so definitely hire one for the weekend inspections - and have your paperwork ready for action.

[Talieandtribe]

Hey

We really liked Surry Hills around Shannon Reserve/Library. If you are over that way pop in to Messinas on Crown steeet for the best gelato in Sydney!

The market there on the first Saturday of the month is fun too.

Redfern was a little cheaper and only a stones throw away.

I'd agree with Markb28 on our brief impression of the areas.

Good luck and keep us posted

Talie

[Surfy Brit]

I cant really advise on areas, but I moved to Sydney at the end of last year i too had my hear set on a furnished rental, anywhere frunished seemed to be $100-150 more per week and furnished with what had been picked up off the road at the most recent conuncil collection (im sure there are nicer furnished places but out of my price range!) so in the end I gave in and furninshed a bed including a wardrobe for $2000 sounds a lot but figured that I woud save that in 6 months on rent, not much help I realise if you done have the capital!

[MACDONALDO67]

When you say the planes could be updated a little? What did you fly over on? Did you not have the luxury of one of the new Airbus A380's?

[bluewaterz]

2) Pott's Point is fab, we had a lovely lunch there yesterday, seemed a really good area, however...

 

 

I HAD to write this! If your eating in Potts Point again go to Mediterrano Grill! Its my dad's shop and he is a fantastic chef. Tell him hi from his daughter! we are still waiting for my fiance's 309 visa grant so we can go and join! Glad you guys are there and liking it!

[Naomi from Manchester]

If you need furnished, I think you'll have a better chance in a very central location rather than inner west, but it will be expensive.

[salco1982]

Welcome - I arrived around mid-January and slowly finding my feet as well.

The social aspect is the next big mountain Im going to climb - although I'm busy currently trying to find and buy accomodation in our new apartment.

We are currently living in Lilyfield and its really nice, pretty, quiet, everything we could want... but currently lodgers with my partners sister.. We are moving to Woolstonecraft in mid-March and from first views that is definately more us.

I read that you're working at Ryde hospital - my partner (who is Aussie) works currently in Royal Rehabilitation centre in Ryde as a social worker.. not sure if you have any dealings with them.

[MARYROSE02]

Surry Hills does have its dodgy areas - HUGE public housing block called the Northcott BUT I no longer feel intimidated around there. One of my friends has a unit there and I have her key whilst she is on holiday. But I am also biased having lived here for so long that I don't want to go anywhere else - I suppose I could be persuaded to move to Paddo if I met someone who owned a terrace there, but otherwise I prefer Surry Hills.

 

Kings Cross is probably the safest place to walk around at midnight - I'd rather be there than in most of the 'burbs as there are always plenty people about including police and bouncers.

[Paul1Perth]

Don't be too put off around Kings Cross, you should have seen it 5 years ago.

 

We stay at Potts Point Holiday Inn with work a lot and I love it round there. If you cross over the road from the Kings Cross railway station and go along Bayswater road there are some nice pubs and bars, the Bayswater Hotel being one of them. The area has had a lot of money spent on it in the last few years and is a great place to be out at night. A friend of mine had an apartment overlooking Elizabeth Bay. He was sharing with a couple of other guys but it was a spectacular place. The outside of the building didn't look that flash but the inside had top quality fittings and they had a deck that had a view over the Bay.

 

Were you considering there as it's easy to commute by train?

 

It is a bit of a strange place where you see all sides of society in one day, in one place. Check out the recently refurbished Kings Cross Hotel too. It used to be a real dive but now is a yuppy establishment with a great vibe, next door to the Holiday Inn. Across the road, over the giant Coca Cola sign is a great gym too which is busy from around 5:30 in the morning. There are loads of pubs clubs and bars all along Darlinghurst Road and it eventually comes out in Oxford Street so even more bars, clubs, restaurants.

 

You are close to the Botanic Gardens from there and if you like sport it is a great run through the botanic gardens, to the opera house and back. If you like swimming check out the Andrew "Boy" Charlton Pool in the Gardens. Lovely setting and great outdoor 50m pool.

 

Good luck.

 

Good luck

[MARYROSE02]

Don't be too put off around Kings Cross, you should have seen it 5 years ago.

 

We stay at Potts Point Holiday Inn with work a lot and I love it round there. If you cross over the road from the Kings Cross railway station and go along Bayswater road there are some nice pubs and bars, the Bayswater Hotel being one of them. The area has had a lot of money spent on it in the last few years and is a great place to be out at night. A friend of mine had an apartment overlooking Elizabeth Bay. He was sharing with a couple of other guys but it was a spectacular place. The outside of the building didn't look that flash but the inside had top quality fittings and they had a deck that had a view over the Bay.

 

Were you considering there as it's easy to commute by train?

 

It is a bit of a strange place where you see all sides of society in one day, in one place. Check out the recently refurbished Kings Cross Hotel too. It used to be a real dive but now is a yuppy establishment with a great vibe, next door to the Holiday Inn. Across the road, over the giant Coca Cola sign is a great gym too which is busy from around 5:30 in the morning. There are loads of pubs clubs and bars all along Darlinghurst Road and it eventually comes out in Oxford Street so even more bars, clubs, restaurants.

 

You are close to the Botanic Gardens from there and if you like sport it is a great run through the botanic gardens, to the opera house and back. If you like swimming check out the Andrew "Boy" Charlton Pool in the Gardens. Lovely setting and great outdoor 50m pool.

 

Good luck.

 

Good luck

 

You are much better informed than me and I am walking distance from Kings X! I did walk to work at Garden Island back in the 80's and 90's but now I have no reason to go there. A couple of Mondays ago, on a whim, I went on the train at midnight - did nothing more decadent than eating a Big Mac, then going in the Crest (IS it the Crest- that pub next to the station entrance on Darlo Road?) for a glass of water. It's got a unisex toilet in the 'dance' bar. I walked back to Surry Hills at 1am to 2am stopping at Kinsellas at Taylor Square for a last beer. I did not feel the least bit threatened walking from Kings Cross to Darlo to Surry Hills in the early hours - not to say that I could have been unlucky of course.

 

Come to think of it, I was down the Cross again last week with my friend Kurt. Went for coffee then watched the Mundine fight from the pavement with a crowd of mostly blokes outside the sports bar in that same pub by the station entrance.

[Paul1Perth]

You are much better informed than me and I am walking distance from Kings X! I did walk to work at Garden Island back in the 80's and 90's but now I have no reason to go there. A couple of Mondays ago, on a whim, I went on the train at midnight - did nothing more decadent than eating a Big Mac, then going in the Crest (IS it the Crest- that pub next to the station entrance on Darlo Road?) for a glass of water. It's got a unisex toilet in the 'dance' bar. I walked back to Surry Hills at 1am to 2am stopping at Kinsellas at Taylor Square for a last beer. I did not feel the least bit threatened walking from Kings Cross to Darlo to Surry Hills in the early hours - not to say that I could have been unlucky of course.

 

Come to think of it, I was down the Cross again last week with my friend Kurt. Went for coffee then watched the Mundine fight from the pavement with a crowd of mostly blokes outside the sports bar in that same pub by the station entrance.

 

Yes I think it is the Quest hotel bar. Used to be called the goldfish bowl and then the sports bar. That place has been tidied up a lot too. They have a bar/club round the corner, right opposite the Holiday Inn entrance on Victoria Street. It used to have a red awning over it and you have to go up stairs to get in to it. It used to look really dodgy. One weekend I was there with a workmate and didn't have to work the weekend so decided it would be a perfect time to have a big Friday night. We had a few already and decided to give the bar with the awning a shot. There was a bouncer on the door but he just said hello, no charge to get in and surprise or what. Up the stairs is a really nice club with dancefloor and windows that you can only see out of looking out over Victoria Street.

 

Great atmosphere and a big mixture of age groups from really young teens to people my age. Good vibe, very friendly. Thought it might be one of those places you have to know about to go. A lot of people in there seemed like regulars and knew each other.

 

We also went in more bars down Victoria Street and every one was good with a nice friendly atmosphere. The Cross is like anywhere else where people go for a night out and a drink. You can be in the wrong place at the wrong time but you would have to be exceedingly unlucky. I've walked from the Holiday Inn all over Sydney and back at all hours. Including the backstreets under the railway arches from Woolloomooloo and never felt threatened or had one bit of trouble.

 

Heaps of good pubs and clubs around there. I know Sydney a lot better than I know Perth as I've stayed there a lot over weekends when I've not had to work and work are also picking up the tab, so you can go where you want (within reason) and not have to pay for anything. I walk just about everywhere but have caught a cab a couple of times when I've been walking most of the day.

 

The rocks is another great place for a night out. Had a couple of the nicest meals there. Had a rabbit stew in the Belgian Beer cafe and Venison in a pub at the rocks with a restaurant upstairs. I'd never had it before and the waiter suggested it's better rare. He was spot on, it was a cracking meal.