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The preserve of Sydney's bohemians in the 1950s, Kings Cross became an R&R spot for American soldiers during the Vietnam war, and it is now Sydney's red-light district, its streets prowled by prostitutes, junkies, drunks, strippers and homeless teenagers. It is also a bustling centre for backpackers and other travellers, especially around leafy and quieter Victoria Street ; the two sides of "the Cross" (as locals call it) coexist with little trouble, though some of the tourists seem a little surprised at where they've ended up, and it can be rather intimidating for lone women.
Kings Cross is famed for its backpacker accommodation .
The Cross can seem threatening but the constant flow of people makes it relatively safe, and it's always lively, with places to eat and drink that stay open all hours. Climbing up William Street from Hyde Park, Darlinghurst Road beckons with its giant neon Coca-Cola sign. At weekends, an endless stream of ice-cream licking suburban voyeurs, disgorged from the underground Kings Cross train station, trawl along the Darlinghurst Road strip to the El Alamein fountain in the shady Fitzroy Gardens as touts try their best to haul them into tacky strip-joints and sleazy nightclubs. Kings Cross is much more subdued during the day, with a slightly hung-over feel to it: local residents emerge and it's a good time to hang out in the cafes. There's a small arts and crafts market in the Fitzroy Gardens on Sundays.
Pop into the Kings Cross library off the Fitzroy Gardens and pick up a free Kings Cross Walking Tour map.
From the Fitzroy Gardens, the sin strip ends and tree-lined Macleay Street runs through quieter, upmarket Potts Point , with its Art Deco residential apartments, classy hotels, stylish restaurants and occasional harbour glimpses over wealthier Elizabeth Bay , just east. Beyond Macleay Street, Wylde Street heads downhill towards grittier Woolloomooloo .
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