Surry Hills

Surry Hills has some of Sydney's better restaurants and coffee shops, plus galleries and creative spaces. Crime stats are a bit higher than other areas but it feels reasonably safe during the day. Expensive but good for food and culture.

Surry Hills is where Sydney's food scene really shines - Crown Street has some of the city's best restaurants and coffee shops, and the whole area has that creative energy you get when artists and young professionals move into old warehouses. During the day it's fantastic for solo exploring, especially the gallery strip. The problem is its location next to Central Station, which brings some issues. The closer you get to Chalmers Street and the station, the sketchier it gets - there's visible homelessness and drug activity in those areas. Crown Street itself stays lively with restaurant crowds until late, but those side streets empty out pretty quickly after dark. You'll be fine sticking to the main drags where there are always people around, just don't go wandering down random lanes at night. The creative crowd means solo dining is totally normal, and staff at most places are young locals who can give you good advice about getting around safely.