|
|
 |
Nightlife
Oxford Street, the heart of Sydney's gay area, may have lost the edge of its 1980s heyday, but is now buzzing with cafés and clubs - gay and straight - which have replaced its former sleazy collection of leather bars. The established red light area of Kings Cross continues to cater for the seedier side of life.
The Rocks, with its wharves and warehouses, was the original drinking heart of the city at a time when Sydney workers filled its pubs in a ritual 'six o'clock swill' lasting until closing time. Today, its period pubs have been cleaned up for its huge tourist clientele. Drinks at the harbourside terrace across the bay at Bennelong Point, under the curves of the Sydney Opera House, are expensive, but worth it for the views across the harbour.
Sydney's night owls are predominantly designer-clad. Bouncers at the more fashionable clubs enforce strict dress codes and ID checks. For up-to-date listings, the free weekly entertainment guides Drum Media, Revolver and 3D World are available at most city-centre bookshops and record stores, as is the gay and lesbian Sydney Star Observer. The Sydney Morning Herald also carries an entertainment section, Metro, in the Friday edition. There are websites (www.sydneytribe.com or www.sydney.sidewalk.com.au) that provide up-to-the-minute information.
Licensing hours are extremely relaxed in Sydney; at any hour of the day or night, somewhere is bound to be serving drinks to anyone over the legal age of 18.
Bars: The Establishment, 252 George Street, lives up to its name as Sydney's de rigueur after-work drinking place. Chic and enormous, it incorporates the exclusive Hemmesphere cocktail lounge. Middle Bar, 383 Bourke Street, plays host to many beautiful young things. East Village, 234 Palmer Street, offers a sophisticated take on the classic Sydney pub, as does the stunning Art Deco Civic, 388 Pitt Street. Many chi-chi bars have stunning views; try the International, Level 14, 227 Victoria Street, for the city skyline, or ECQ, 69 Macquarie Street, for the Harbour Bridge.
Nothing ecapsulates the Sydney experience quite so well as a visit to an outrageous drag bar. Annie's Bar at the Carrington Hotel, 563 Bourke Street, is the best, but the Imperial, 35 Erskineville Road, hosts the Priscilla show, while the Albury, 6 Oxford Street, offers riotous fun for those unafraid of audience participation.
The Darlo Bar, 306 Liverpool Street, and the Bank Hotel, 324 King Street, are where the younger inner-city crowd converge for pool and beer. And for those with no pretensions at all, the Kings Cross Hotel, 248 William Street, is open 24 hours.
Cabaret: The full-throated local scene has launched many international successes, such as Judi Connelli, David Campbell and Kane Alexander. Cafe Nine, 37 Ultimo Road, is the leading dedicated venue.
Casinos: Star City Casino, 80 Pyrmont Street, is a 60-million-Australian-Dollar casino, theatre, restaurant and hotel complex on the site of a former wharf.
Clubs: Sydney takes clubbing very seriously. It's always safer to dress up rather than down - and be prepared to queue. Home, Cockle Bay Wharf, has four different sections featuring funk, techno, two-step and disco. Tank, 3 Bridge Lane, is part of the Establishment (see Bars above) complex. The Chinese Laundry, 111 Sussex Street, combines a blistering sound system with bizarre Oriental decor. Sydney's glamorous, well-connected society clubbers go to Cave, Pirrama Road, while old stand-by, Q Bar, 44 Oxford Street, is a reliable choice for mid-week clubbing. Other notable venues include Club 77, 77 William Street; Sugareef, 20 Bayswater Road; and Gas, 47 Pitt Street.
Comedy: Sydney's top venues showcasing local, national and international stand-up talent include the Fringe Bar at the Unicorn Hotel, 106 Oxford Street, and The Comedy Store, now at Fox Studios, Lang Road. The Valhalla Cinemas, 166 Glebe Point Road, and the Bridge Hotel, 135 Victoria Road, Rozelle, are increasingly important venues for live comedy.
Live music: The infestation of poker machines in New South Wales threatened to kill off Sydney's pub rock scene, but the number of quality venues is on the rise again. The Hopetoun Hotel, 416 Bourke Street, and the Annandale Hotel, 17 Parramatta Road, are the best centrally located venues for up-and-coming bands, while leading Australian and international acts perform at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Harbour Street, the Metro, 624 George Street, and the Newtown RSL, 52 Enmore Road. Jazz fans can find world-class performers at the Basement, 29 Reiby Place, and the Harbourside Brasserie, Pier One, Hickson Road.
|
|
