Darling Harbour

It is a popular weekend visit for tourists & local families alike, with special events organised often (700 events per year). There are laser light shows on spraying water, Latin music & dancing (Bicardi Festival), children's rides, street performances any much more. Darling Harbour stretches from Sydney's China Town[?] and the Sydney Entertainment Centre[?] in the south past Sydney's Chinese Gardens[?], to the exhibition & convention centers on the "harbourside", along with the Maritime Museum. On the opposite side of the harbour is Cockle Bay, where you will find many more pubs and clubs (it has a busy nightlife on the weekends) and the Aquarium. East of Darling Harbour is Pyrmont, a largely residential area (historically an industrial area) which is only 15 minutes walk from the city, and contains Sydney's Star City Casino[?].

History

A good history of Darling Harbour can be found at http://www.darlingharbour.com/Inside2.asp?langid=256§ion_id=4

Accommodation

Darling Harbour hosts several large hotels. Two Novotel hotels, at opposite ends of Darling Harbour, the Mercure Serviced Apartments, and Hotel Ibis. The largest hotel in Sydney is located at Darling Harbour - The 5 star Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, having 649 rooms.

A local's perspective

Walking through it every day on my way to and from work, it's a great place. It provides the necessary separation from the city, making Pyrmont[?] seem much further from the city than it really is. Unfortunately on weekends the slow-moving crowds are exasperating. The shops largely target tourists, which seems strange considering most of the people who visit Darling Harbour are Australians. The Cockle Bay nightlife targets a younger crowd, and it's not uncommon to see bunches of late-teens lined up outside clubs. It's a relatively safe area, with security cameras & bouncers common enough.