Right in the heart of the inner city and part of the City of Sydney Municipality, Darlinghurst is one of Sydney’s oldest and most densely populated suburbs. Originally a working class suburb, it is now Sydney’s premier entertainment and nightlife hub. Victoria Street is filled with cafés and bistro style eateries while the main drag of Oxford Street is crammed with bars, clubs and all night venues and the focus of the annual and legendary Mardi Gras parade.

Located on the edge of Hyde Park, a 1.5km walk to the CBD, its also home to the East Sydney dining precinct centred around Stanley Street and dubbed Little Italy. Entrenched in Sydney’s early history, Darlinghurst is home to many historic landmarks including the (reputedly haunted) Darlinghurst Gaol that is now the National Art School. The world-renowned St Vincent’s Hospital occupies a large chunk of XX Street bordering Paddington and has been servicing the community for more than 150 years.

Darlinghurst – or Darlo as the locals call it – is a veritable hive of activity and the hippest part of Sydney. Most residents are young working professionals who live in apartments or terrace houses that line many of Darlinghurst’s quaint (and narrow) streets. It has become more upmarket as property prices rise and many council upgrades have given the area a facelift. New high-end development has fuelled this growth with designer apartment blocks such as the BKH designed Republic and Harry Seidler’s landmark Horizon.

Darlinghurst also lays claim to two of the oldest private schools in Sydney namely the Sydney Church of England Grammar School (SCEGGS) that opened in 1895 and Sydney Grammar (est 1857). There is also the Darlinghurst Primary School, a public school established in 1884.