Greetings, we are returning for our 4th visit down under this November. We are bringing my mom who is 70, and our adult daughter this trip. We are interested in renting an apartment vs staying at a hotel and wish to be in the CBD to cut down on the walk time for my mom. We are curious if anyone has any information on the Saville 2 Bond Street at the corner of George and Bond Streets. It is managed by the Southern Cross Apartment Rentals.

We are also looking at the AEA Bridgeport apartments at 38 Bridge Street, managed by Australian Executive Apartments.

Alan, if your still out there we owe you big time for all the wonderful advice you have given us the past few years, so if your up for a coopers or a VB, let us know.

We will be in Sydney from 9 Nov through 16 Nov

Cheers

Steve and Andrea

Hi, Steve and Andrea!

Nice to hear from you, and it's great that you're coming back to us!

I can't tell you anything about those two places that you don't already know... both are located down near the water, in an old part of Sydney, quite close to the Rocks. Bridge St is full of old sandstone governemnt buildings.... hardly any shops, except for lunch/coffee bars, so after about 5 p.m. it's awfully quiet. Bond, I think, will be the same.

If their prices are a bit high, you might try the Waldorf, which is closer to the shopping areas (but further from the Harbour), in Liverpool Street, just past the cinema strip. One of our regulars, Mucky, got a family apartment there, and didn't have anything too bad to say about it. I recall that it was particularly good value in his case, because he was coming at New Year, and most of the other establishments were busy adding zeros to the end of their tariff list... whereas the Waldorf people just said: "New year? What's that?"

If I'm still around in November, I will certainly take you up on that offer... maybe at the Mercantile, where I can try their steak-and-Guinness pies!

Thanks Alan, and we hope you will still be there in November. Mercantile it is!! So are you moving or just going away on holiday yourself?

Curious how busy the Blue Mountains are that time of the year? We might hire a car or take the train for a day trip.

Have you tried The Medina Apartment Group? Check their website:medinaapartments.com.au and go for the Medina Grand on Bathurst St. They are very comfortable, and have the modern and stylish edge.

SteveW - I've lived in both. At 2 Bond for about 18months and Bridge Street for just a week. I've been in another AEA property since January and it's the best of the lot (Kent Street). Bond is next best.
Call Lily Chan on 61 4 0022 9387 (she doesn't use eMail) and she will give you a better rate, same rooms.
But, it's Sydney. If Cities were women, she'd be Miss World. Hard not to Enjoy wherever you stay.

Thanks seanLorraine

We will give Lily a call. And you are right, we do love Sydney!

Cheers

Steve and Andrea

Hi
I spent a couple days at the Bridgeport and found it to be a great location.
LN

Stevew, the Mountains in November will only be really busy at weekends. If you hire a car and then try to drive back down to Sydney on a Sunday afternoon, you will rue the day and curse all Sydneysiders(and I'll miss my pie and Guinness!) So, if you're planning on a weekend, delay your return until late Sunday night or Monday morning. You shouldn't have any trouble finding accommodation, as Katoomba nowadays is just one long street full of "quaint" B&Bs, all lovely and overpriced, just waiting for you (the Grand View Hotel at Wentowrth Falls would be my choice, at $AUD60 a double; a classy old Aussie hotel which hasn't yet put up its prices to cater for the tourist trade).

If you come by train, beware the weekends also. Currently, there are track closedowns for every third Saturday/Sunday on the western line. Buses are provided, but taking a railway bus from Sydney to the Mountains is not an experience you came to Sydney to savour! (Most likely they will turf you out at somewhere dreadful like Blacktown or St Marys, and ask you to wait for a train which the bus was supposed to connect with, but which happened to leave three minutes before; never mind, there'll be another one along in an hour or two).

Weekday trains are fine. If you hire a car, best to take one of those trains to Valley Heights and hire the car from Redicar there... that way, you won't have to pay for the eighty kilometres of city and motorway driving (which isn't all all pretty), you won't have to contend with Sydney's traffic, and you won't get lost. Plus, the train -- for that stretch, anyhow -- is quicker.