(1) How safe is the area in general
(2) How safe is the Kings Cross train station especially coming back from office
(3) Any opinions on Challis Lodge (hotel)

The reason for my queries: I am looking for short stay accom, before renting, when I move to Sydney in Jan. There's a decent looking accommodation - Challis Lodge in Potts Point - $50 ensuite, with fridge, kitchen, ironing, laundry. Very interested in this place, suits my budget and needs to a tee. Interesting area too.

I stayed at Kings Cross on my last trip to Sydney. I felt safe as a holiday for 2 weeks. Just wondering if it would be any different if I were to stay for a month, wearing work clothes and coming back late evenings - daily.

I managed to find a couple of bad reviews of the hotel today. I think I will pass on the place.

Hi,

Kings Cross and Potts Point are very safe areas. Plenty of people use them all the time, day and night. Lots of people in suits live in the area so you will certainly be safe from that point of view. There are just a couple of small, dark side streets and narrow stairways I would avoid at like 2am in the morning. But safety is not really an issue there.

Public transport at Kings Cross is very very good. You can walk into the city, catch the train or bus to almost anywhere.

There's a place called Roslyn Gardens serviced apartments in Elizabeth Bay which is right next to Potts Point and is a really great area. You should give them a call and see if they can do you a deal.

Actually, is there any reason you want to find short term accommodation in or near the city centre? If not, you should look at suburbs not too far out of the city centre that have excellent transport to the city. Try Randwick. There's a place there called the Randwick lodge and they do weekly deals. Randwick has lots of buses, shops, and a community feel so it might be a good way to start off being in Sydney. It's also a short bus trip away from Coogee which has a great beach but without all the scene and bravado in Bondi.

Thanks for the recommendations. I have actually narrowed down to the following places.
- St Marks Lodge ($60) - which is in Randwick btw
- Balmain Lodge ($50)

Not knowing how long it will take for me to get a job, I guess my main focus is cheap followed by
- clean & safe, with ensuite
- near to CBD or transport

Others that are lower on my list (slightly more pricey) are:
- Yhotel
- Glenferrie Lodge
- AMG Ryde

And I have definitely removed Challis Lodge from my list. One review noted "blood stained walls and rats" eek.

Both sound good. Balmain Lodge is in Rozelle which is a great suburb. It's walking distance from Balmain. You can walk into the city from there too but it will take about 45mins via the Anzac Bridge.

And the Randwick one looks good too. If you like hanging out at beaches, then Randwick would be the go.

But if you prefer a cafe scene and community feel then I'd go for the Balmain Lodge option.