Best neighborhoods in Sydney

6 areas in Sydney, Australia — what each one feels like, who it suits, and roughly what it costs.

• Newtown ($) — King Street, live music Best for Independent + budget. Bookshops, Thai food and pubs along one long, scruffy, excellent street. Sydney's most affordable inner suburb, and the most fun after dark. Getting around: T2 and T3 trains at Newtown
• Manly ($$) — Ferry ride, ocean beach Best for Families. The ferry over is the best half-hour in Sydney, and the beach delivers. Village feel across the harbour — lovely, if you don't mind the commute. Getting around: Ferry from Circular Quay
• Bondi ($$) — Surf beach, cafe strip Best for Beach days. The famous beach, plus the coastal walk to Coogee starting at your door. Beach living with a long commute into town and constant visitors. Getting around: Bus from Bondi Junction
• Surry Hills ($$) — Terraces, wine bars Best for Food + nightlife. Sydney's best eating and drinking, ten minutes' walk from Central. The inner-east favourite — terrace houses, good coffee, steep rents. Getting around: Central station + walkable
• Sydney CBD ($$) — Harbour edge, office towers Best for First-timers. Walk to the Opera House, the Rocks and Circular Quay from almost any hotel. Central and convenient, though quiet on weekends outside the harbour edge. Getting around: Every train line converges at Town Hall
• Darlinghurst ($$) — Bars, galleries, terraces Best for Nightlife. Oxford Street's bars and small galleries in tight terrace-house streets. Dense, central and social; noisy on the main strips. Getting around: Museum or Kings Cross stations

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