tracee

We are going to a convention there in November and are looking for a good hotel nearby. I can't seem to find any type of map that shows the locations of the hotels around the harbor...any suggestions for nice places closeby? Thanks, Tracy

yesiree100

If the convention centre you are going to is in Darling Harbour, there are plenty of nearby hotels. Look for Darling Harbour in your searches.

There are a couple Accor hotels right next door(www.accorhotels.com.au)... Hotel Ibis is their economical choice; Novotel is their 4-star choice.

Stayed at the Wool Brokers Arms and found it adequate (shared bathrooms though). Also stayed at the Goldsbrough Apartments which are right there as well...it's a combination of long and short stay apts (it was decent).

If you stay in the CBD (Central Business Distric) you will have about a 10-15 minute walk to the convention centre, but you will be close to the Queen Victoria Building, Hyde Park and the downtown shopping.

Chinatown and The Rocks are a bit further away (15-30 minute walk).

tracee

Thanks for the follow up... the Goldsbrough Apartments sound interesting as we want to stay closeby.
Tracey

Neil_Oz

If you browse www.wotif.com (not sure if it has those properties) you can get a handy thumbnail sketch of a wide range of Sydney accommodations - wotif does last-minute (well, last-2-wks) discounts.

Bokhara

Here's a link that might help:
http://www.sydney.visitorsbureau.com.au/page3-02.html

All of these are grouped around Darling Harbour (within a few <10 mins walk). If Casinos are your thing, Star City has a hotel and is about 10-15 mins walk North West from the Convention Centre. Wotif and Lastminute are good options too, (and give addresses of properties). Good luck - you'll be spoiled for choice, this area is almost oversupplied with accommodation of every variety & price-range.

Bokhara

Hi again,
Just thinking about your trip .... when you're looking for somewhere to eat, walk around to the opposite side of Darling Harbour to the convention centre. That area is Cockle Bay and King Steet Wharf and has much better restaurants than the Darling Harbour side, "Harbourside", I think it's called. IMO, it's a "tourist trap" with tacky shops & poor quality food.

How long will you be here?

If you have a favourite cusine, let me know and I'll tell you which restaurants are "hatted" (Aust. version of Michelin stars). (I'm not in the industry - just eat out a lot & keen to patronise & encourage those doing it well.)

tracee

Thanks everyone...your advise is very much appreciated.

Bokhara... We are attending an International "Neutron Scattering" conference for 10 days in late November. He's going to be cooped-up conferencing...I'm going to be exploring. I'll be spending my days looking for good things/places/restuarants to share with him in his limited off-conference time. So Bokhara....bring it on...any suggestions are appreciated...especially good restuarants...he will know alot of folks there who might enjoy suggestions for good non-hotel meals! Thanks again, Tracey

Bokhara

Hi Tracey,

I'll do a proper post on restaurants over the weekend for you.

In the meantime, if you let me know something of what your interests are, I might be able to make some suggestions.

Cheers - you'll have a ball down here!

tracee

Thanks Bohkara for all your kind help!
What we usually like to do when traveling is to see the "must sees" in the area (the convention people are good with that), but then spend the majority of time just getting to feel the everyday flow of life in that area. What we have done in the past is rent an apartment for a week from a local through VRBO or one of those sites, and just live in the neighborhood. Shop at the small shops, eat at the family owned restuarants, visit the library, parks, churches. The apartments are usually in the city, but well away from city centers (Vauxhall in London, 10th Arrondissement in Paris). Due to the conference we must stay near the Convention Centre, but I expect to spend alot of my time wandering away from that area. I do travel on my own from time to time so feel pretty confident going solo on public transportation-we are not renting a car for this trip. Hopefully I've given you a feel for what we like...any suggestions?

yesiree100

There is still hope that you can experience a little bit neighborhood living without going too far from your accommodations.

Three blocks west of the convention center is Pyrmont. It's a great neighborhood with a combination of Victorian "iron lace" flats and new highrise condos.

Harris Street both north and south of Pyrmont Bridge Street has homes, businesses and restaurants (Concrete cafe at the corner of Pyrmont Bridge Rd & Harris is great for people watching).

A stroll from the convention center down Harris Street toward the harbour is very nice. The Fish Markets and the Casino are the only tourist destinations down there...the rest is residential.

That's where I lived when I was in Sydney, and I loved it.

If you're looking for some other great neighborhoods for maybe a meal and a stroll...Newtown (apparently they hold some world record for the most small, independent restaurants on a single street...include a walk through Camperdown Cemetery), Glebe and Kirribilly (immediately accross the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the east side...Luna Park is there as well on the west side) are great choices...and a very short bus, train or taxi ride from Darling Harbour.

johhj_au

http://www.harbourside-apartments.co...iews/views.htm

tracee

Thanks yessiree100...those are just the kind of things we are looking for! Tracy

Sarvowinner

You can also take a ferry from Darling Harbour to Balamin - great little penisula which is a real community - it used to be where all the maritime workers lived in lovely stone cottages. There is a pub on almost every corner. The ferries are a wonderful way of seeing the harbour.

Sarvowinner

Sorry - that should have been Balmain. It is also full of great little restaurants, shops and parks.