Is Potts Point & Kings Cross a good place to stay in Sydney?

Potts Point is a good base if you want a characterful inner-city neighbourhood close to the CBD and the harbour. Kings Cross station on the Eastern Suburbs line is one stop from Martin Place, and the Royal Botanic Garden and the Opera House are a long walk or a short ride away. It suits couples, food lovers and travellers who prefer cafés and leafy streets to office towers.

The area is one of the most attractive in inner Sydney. Macleay Street and Challis Avenue are lined with cafés, wine bars and restaurants, the El Alamein Fountain marks the heart of Fitzroy Gardens, and the streets running down to Elizabeth Bay are full of Art Deco apartment blocks. Below the ridge, the Finger Wharf at Woolloomooloo has waterfront restaurants and Harry's Cafe de Wheels sells its famous pies.

The downside is that Kings Cross still has a rough edge. The streets around Darlinghurst Road can be noisy and messy late at night, some cheaper hotels are tired, and the area isn't as polished as the Rocks or the CBD. Rooms in the nicer hotels are often small.

What makes Potts Point special is its neighbourhood life. You can have breakfast on Macleay Street, walk down to the harbour through the Botanic Garden and be back for dinner at a local wine bar, in a part of Sydney that feels lived in rather than built for visitors.