Kings Cross, New South Wales

Kings Cross is Sydney's most storied inner-city district, a compact quarter on a ridge east of the central business district long known for its nightlife, bohemian history and, for decades, its red-light reputation. Centred on the junction of Darlinghurst Road and William Street, it was a hub of jazz clubs, artists and cafe society from the 1920s and gained notoriety during the Vietnam War as an American forces' leave centre.

The El Alamein Fountain is its emblem. The dandelion-shaped fountain in Fitzroy Gardens marks the heart of 'the Cross', and a weekend organic market spreads through the same small park. Around it, Art Deco apartment blocks, backpacker lodges and heritage pubs give the streets a dense, layered character quite unlike the harbour suburbs nearby.

The mood has shifted in recent years. Tighter licensing dimmed the old strip-club glare, and the area has drifted toward wine bars, small restaurants and boutique hotels, though the neon and the edge remain part of its identity. Quiet, leafy Victoria Street and the elegant terraces of neighbouring Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay reward a stroll away from the main drag.

Practical notes: Kings Cross has its own railway station on the eastern-suburbs line and is a short walk from the city and Woolloomooloo's wharf restaurants. The district is flat along its spine but drops steeply toward the harbour. It is liveliest after dark, though daytime visits show a calmer, cafe-driven side. Accommodation and dining span budget backpacker to boutique, making it a practical and atmospheric base for exploring the eastern suburbs. The nearby Coca-Cola sign, a heritage-listed neon landmark since 1974, presides over the William Street approach, and the district's literary and musical past, from the poet Kenneth Slessor to countless jazz clubs, still colours its self-image.