Darling Island, Pyrmont

Fabian said:

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Thats an awesome picture, Love the density.

Ipggi said:

For all the offices, apartments and density it always seems to be a very quiet, even dead part of town.

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Isn't it nice then to have such a quiet spot so close to the cbd? Those photos do seem to have a few people mulling around though but it's not Hong Kong. I agree, considering Pyrmonts residential density, being in the top few places density wise in the country and could soon become the most dense area in the county, and it's growing commercial base, it still has some very quiet spots. I don't think this will remain the case within a few years, unfortunately.

Darling Island still has a long way to go with it's densification, it's not even close to half way there yet. The Fairfax building, at about 25,000sqm, is still only partly occupied. Saunders Wharf residential is also still only partly occupied and all its ground floor retail/commercial are still empty. Sydney Wharf (wharf 8 and 9) is still UC but almost complete.

Then there's the 18,000sqm 6 star campus block UC in Fabians photos called Workplace6 that will house Accenture (lower 3 floors) and Google (top 3 floors). There's also another campus block that will go between Channel 7 and RevyC.

RevyC has pretty much been vacated by the defence department and will add to the area again when redeveloped into offices - (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=560672)

Only the "Darling Island" resi units are fully occupied but if you go onto the property websites there's quite a few up for rent, being between $1200 - $3000 per week so I guess they sit idle for longer periods than most rentals (there's actually pages and pages of Pyrmont resi up for rent but most of it is the upper end which musn't be in shortage - it's another world).

And the only office block fully occupied is the channel 7 offices in the other ex-defence building. There's all the small mix-use offices on Jones Bay Wharf nearby and the 4,500sqm Wharf 10 offices on the other side near Sydney Wharf, but I'm not sure how many of those people would wander out to Darling Island. Then there's the "other" maritime museum building, the wharf 7 "heritage centre" which is always quiet. And I'm not sure how many people from the casino bother to wander over to Darling Island either.

And, of course, I'm the most biased person to comment on Pyrmont but like I've said before, it's the fact that there's always something new going on, and that it's still becoming what it is, that I love it.

On the potential to become a real yuppie area - there is no dubt, especially Darling Island which is only for the ultra-rich. Same goes for the newer parts of jacksons landing, especially the higher up in the towers you go. But some of jacksons is still very much in reach rental wise for young professionals just starting out - if they share together, which lots do.

There's also lots and lots of long term backpackers who share together, they are surprisingly everywhere.

But out of the harbourside view areas, like where I am, its much more affordable but again, you wouldn't be living on your own unless ...

If you are on an average wage or lower and have a connection to the area either by employment or family, you qualify for a place in all the new citywest apartments that keep popping up. I've mentioned the system a few times before - it is a 3 tier public housing scheme that accommodates the poor in the first tier then accepts household incomes up to about 80k in the top tier. IMHO the system works very well, much better than housing commission because the spread of incomes keeps a balance.

Pyrmont has loads of public housing, both houso and citywest and some have the best views in the area! I never ever notice it. I do notice a real spread of people though and they don't feel yuppie to me but this may change if most new devs are high end out balancing the likes of citywest.

On the parks thing. Yes, darling island is void of play equipment and bbqs for some silly reason but the superb waterside park in jacksons landing gets loads of picnickers because of its bbqs and play gear. The new water police park will have a big set and lots of bbqs!

some construction shots of earlier stages between 2004-2006

the old naval stores (pyrmonts first skyscraper-1912) is about to reburbed into million dollar apartments.
the first floors is sydneys only use of BLUESTONE!!
you can see in this pic hidden by fence>

Took these at Barangaroo yesterday