jason and allie

Try 'Y on the park', its the YWCA owned hotel on Hyde Park. Its modern, clean and central and comes with all those useful extras like iron and ironing board, tea and coffee in rooms etc and its budget. You also get breakfast included which will save you $10 a dy each! Its also as central as they come, being walking distance to darling harbour, opera house, bridge, botanical gardens etc etc. Its also next to Oxford street which although being the gay area of Sydney is absolutely packed with mega cheap (and good) eating spots.
Jason.

killamarsh

which hotle is it?

brissydeb

Have basically booked a weekend in Sydney for a few reasons; in Oz for two weeks so want to see more than just Brisbane, staying with OH family so a wee break from them might be good for us and them and also traveling hlf way round the world it would be a waste to visit just one place. A couple of friends have been to Sydney and say it is a must see/visit when you go to Oz.

chels

Change your hotel. If that kind of thing bothers you, you're not going to enjoy staying in Kings Cross.

If however you're wanting to stay somewhere that is in walking distance to Sydney's main attractions, a bus ride to a beach, and full of some of the best restaurants (yes, Mr_California, Prague is a great restaurant, we've been with some Slovak friends who like the occasional reminder of home - there's another slovak bar in Kings Cross, can't remember the name at the mo, but again highly recommended), and has reasonably priced accommodation, well don't change your hotel. Just ignore the prostitutes - and have to say, I don't really notice many druggies around there, they tend to hide away from being noticed.

Fleaflyfloflum

I live 10 minutes from Kings Cross. I have to say as red light districts go, it is pretty tame. Nothing like Soho etc. Nothing more than one short strip of sex shops splattered here and there. Oh! and my fave British Sweet Shop on one corner
It is placed in and around some of the most expensive parts of Sydney and very close to the CBD.
If you are in a good hotel, i really wouldnt have any problems with it.

scottyboy

I've stayed in the cross on a couple of occasions.
Mainly because the backpackers car market is there where
we bought and sold our van.
We stayed at the Gazebo Hotel beside the Fizroy fountain but I think
thats changed now. The second we stayed at Eva's Backpackers which
is a really nice hostel with a fantastic roof top garden.
There is a metro station there which makes getting around easy.
It is a bit seedy but not in a way you'd think. I can't explain it really.
We too used to see a tranny prostitute and after being there a while
some of the locals give you the nod and the strip club touts leave you alone
and there were only the two shootings the second time we stayed there.
On one occasion we saw the tranvestite sat on a milk crate in a shop
doorway asleep showing the world where his/her meat and two once lived.
We didn't mind the place but then we were backpacking at the time and
now look back at the place with a strange fondness although I'd think
twice about returning with our two boys in tow.

crawling

The very ugly Oxford Koala Hotel was part demolished & redeveloped into plush designer apartments called "Monument" a couple of years back - we stayed their with a friend last year - you will still find plenty of booking links and old pictures on the numerous generic travel sites which just shows how much care these cut and paste merchants take.

Good luck!