Crime and corruption riddle the Cross, writes Carol Smith.
Taking a walk on the dark side of Sydney, through Kings Cross with its history of crime, sounded like fun.
But before I entered the world of drugs, prostitution and gangs, I popped in for a spooky Addams Family high tea at the Sofitel Hotel. Fortified by spider's web lemon tarts, bloodied finger biscuits and cocktail complete with a bloody eyeball (a lychee stuffed with a blueberry and strawberry jam), I was ready for the Crime and Passion walking tour.
Kings Cross is approximately 1.5sq km, includes seven suburbs and contains 30,000 people, the highest concentration of people in Australia. It also has the highest proportion of drug-users and homeless people in Sydney, the most restaurants, bars and brothels, and 50 facilities for people with significant social problems.
The scary statistics don't deter people from wanting to live here, but you'll need a couple of million to afford the classy three-storeyed terraced houses with views of Sydney harbour. You can rent a room for 15 minutes in another part of Kings Cross for a lot less if you want to inject drugs. Or do it legally at the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre where users inject themselves with clean needles. This controversial clinic claims to have saved many lives, with only one overdose death in 11 years.
