The inner east bridges the city life to the seascape. Further towards the city you will find Darlinghurst, Waterloo and Surry Hills, with Paddington and Moore Park closer to the coast.
There is a progressive artistic and creative vibe in Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Paddington, which are home to many advertising and creative firms, bringing a relaxed feel to the area.
Paddington and Surry Hills are also known for fashion. There are laid-back vintage shops as well as boutiques sourcing clothes and accessories from all over the world. The residents of the area are known to be ad hoc models for the fashion in the stores, so if you want to hang out there you’d better check your threads.
There is plenty of nightlife with a couple of notable mentions. First, Crown Street is arguably one of Sydney’s best streets for bars and restaurants. Its the place of work for several well-known chefs and club owners and is home iconic bars like the Dolphin hotel, and the Clock hotel. Secondly, near Moore Park you can find the Entertainment Quarter which includes Fox Studios, sporting fields, and a comedy club among other things. Moore Park is also a good hangout for fitness session and picnics, and popular with cyclists for its bike paths.
Oxford Street that runs through much of the area starting at the top corner of Hyde Park. Here you find yourself in the gay and lesbian capital of Australia, and the location of the annual gay and lesbian mardi gras. If this is your scene then there are several bars and hang outs, including the Columbian Hotel on Oxford.
Demographics
The median age of the Surry Hills and the surrounding area is 33 years, 4 below the national average. There is a slightly higher number of men to women particularly in Surry Hills with a ratio of 57.5% to 42.5%, but this evens out in the surrounding areas. Above 40% of residents are professionals in each area, and in the Surry Hills / Paddington / Waterloo area, around 60 to 70% of residents are employed full time. Note also that there is a significant public housing development in the area covering the border of Surry Hills and East Redfern / Waterloo, which gives a broad range in demographics.
Households and property
There are townhouses and other high density accommodation types which dominate, and the area has an air of gentrification from its earlier history of public housing. Around 62% of homes are rented across the area.
Transport
Getting in and around the area is easiest (and most fun) by foot, but it can be quite a workout walking up and down the streets. Bus is probably the transport of choice while residents of Paddington or further to the Northeast may have access to the train at King’s Cross or Edgecliff stations (with trains heading straight to the CBD at Martin Place and to Bondi Junction in the opposite direction). On street parking is limited in most places except for niche little gaps in certain streets, however it may be cavalier to bet on getting a spot an any particular day when there are transient visitors and locals filling spaces.