senthilvel

Hi,

I am looking for hotels outside of Sydney's CBD to avoid higher costs and get parking in the hotel itself.

Any recommendations for good hotels with kitchens in 10-15 km radius.

Oakford West All Suites in:
23-33 Missenden Road
Camperdown, Sydney NSW 2050
Australia

has most of the qualities I am looking for. Is it a nice neighbourhood.

Thanks,
Senthil.

Daneille

Hi - although I can't comment on the Oakford specifically - I can tell you a little about the neighbourhood. Camperdown is a residential/commercial mix. It is also the home of Sydney University and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital so there are a lot of university students and medical type people who live around here. One end of Missenden Road is on Parramatta Road which runs right into town (about a 20 minute bus ride - so you wouldn't bother with your car). The other end runs into King Street Newtown, which is a vibrant mix of Restaurants and Pubs. Restaurants that cater for just about every cuisine imaginable at a very reasonable price and pubs which have some great live music if you're into that. There is a very colourful street life in Newtown (it is individuality at it's best) and more fun than dangerous. I wouldn't really want to walk down the darker streets off King on my own at night, and you always need to be vigilant with handbags and such, but there shouldn't be too much of an issue if say you walked straight from a restaurant in King St to your hotel in Missenden Road, both are busy streets.

Missenden Road in Camperdown is not what I would term a pretty area of Sydney, and you won't have any views, but it certainly isn't too bad for what you're looking for.

Maybe Alan can shed more light....

Daneille

I just checked the map and this will be located more towards the corner of Paramatta Road which would make it about a 15 minute walk/stroll up to King Street. Directly opposite will be a mixture of churches and university buildings with the RPA hospital located just a little further up the road. Quite a busy corner actually with consistant traffic (including ambulances) for the hospital.

Alan

Hi, senthilvel and Daneille!

You really said it all, Daneille, so there's not much more I can add. My main reservation about Missenden Road is that it's just a bit too far to walk to the city and not close to a train line, so you're stuck with much-slower buses (very frequent, on the positive side).

Senthilvel, you should do a search above for "apartments in Sydney" as this subject came up about five weeks ago, and there was a lot of information floating around about such areas as Glebe, Randwick, North Sydney and Balmain. All of these (except North Sydney) are also far from rail lines, but at least they're in a prettier part of Sydney than Camperdown. Glebe, in particular, is easily walkable to Sydney, via Central Station (15 minutes).

I guess you have already looked at this website: http://www.holidaycity.com/sydneyapartments/. You can see, there are a lot of options, and you may find that you don't even have to get out of the city to avoid the high prices; one of our regulars, Mucky, found the Waldorf, right in the heart of Sydney, quite livable and not beyond the means of a humble Welshman; another apartment block, the Napoleon on Kent, had specials a couple of years ago for (if memory serves) $AUD95 a night.

Get back on to us when you've narrowed things down a bit.... in general, the north and east of Sydney is better than the west (though Randwick, with Centennial Park across the road, or Coogee, with the beach at your doorstep, are good south choices).

Good luck!

Mucky

Hi senthilvel,
Thanks Alan you are quite correct I am indeed a humble Welshman.
The Waldorf was fine and there is plenty on this forum about the place, however I am not sure if you can park a car there. Anyone know?

Muck

Mucky

Hi again,
I have just checked the Waldorf site and there is in fact secure parking.
I have no idea how to get to it or where it is. Presumably under ground.

http://www.waldorf-apartments-hotel-...u/contact.html

Muck

senthilvel

Thanks Alan, Danielle and Mucky for your very useful replies.

Yes, I did check the Waldorf properties. At the moment they are going for AUS 170 a night which is little bit on the higher side for me.

I will be hiring a car since I have a toddler and I need to carry lot of stuff for the child. So I thought I will just drive into the city whenever I need to. That is the reason I was looking for places to stay outside of Sydney CBD where the prices could be less.

If you could please let me know some good neighbourhoods I should search for that would be great. From Alan's post I could see that North and East portions are good. I will check them out.

Thanks,
Senthil.

Alan

Hi, again, senthilvel!

I would strongly advise driving into the CBD, with or without a toddler. The parking costs will nullify any savings you will make on accommodation. Your best bet would be to buy a cheap stroller from a discount store and donate it to St Vinnies when you are leaving. Then use public transport. Bus drivers -- and bus passengers, for that matter -- are very helpful when they see a klother getting on a bus with a stroller. You will get a seat near the door, and everyone will make a path for you. Most rail stations have escalators, elevators, or ramps to make access easy. A hire car, on the other hand, has to be equipped with a special baby capsule -- that's the law here -- and you will undoubtedly have to pay for this.

From what you've said now, all roads point to Glebe. There are two bus routes going to and from the city. I think they actually terminate under the Bridge entrance at the Rocks (Miller's Point), which means no need to change buses or walk too far. The buses from Glebe and Balmain are only short-distance buses, so they're unlikely to be full except at very peak periods, and they come every five or six minutes. In addition, there are several second-hand shops where you can either buy or donate a stroller, and, if you want a new one, there's a K-Mart discount store at Broadway, right at the start of Glebe Point Road. You can walk to the water, and there are parks within walking distance also. You will never need a car, and you'll be glad that you're not burdened with one.

Someone on this site a few weeks ago raved about an apartment in Glebe, but right at this minute the name escapes me. I will try and serach for you, and if I am successful, I will get back on to this thread. But I exhort you, once more: a car in Sydney is NOT a good idea.... you will spend too much time looking at signs telling you of restrictions, and the parking stations not only charge like it was New York, but fill up extremely quickly with CBD workers. I live here, and I don't even do it any more!

Alan

Me and my proof reading! That first sentence should have read "I would strongly advise AGAINST driving...."

Alan

And again....

It was Wattle House, Glebe. They half a self-catering kitchen, so that may not be suitable for you. However, it's a great place, and they have a website for you to look first. Check out http://www.wattlehouse.com.au/. Looks like a nice place for a toddler, just like being at home!

margo_oz

I'd second Alan's advice about not using a car. No matter how much stuff and kids you travel with, Sydney city is pretty car unfriendly. The amount you save by staying outside the city will be lost and more in the cost of car hire and parking (presuming you can find a place to park).

Certainly hire a car for the day if you plan to go far out of the city. Otherwise, take Alan's advice (he's got such a practical view of things). Use public transport, including taxis. Cheaper, safer, more relaxing, more flexible.