Kingsclere is the grand dame of the original apartment buildings constructed in the early years of the last century. At the time it was completed in 1912, located as it was at the high point of Macleay Street, it had clear views of the harbour right out to the heads and to Bennelong Point and beyond.
Now Kingsclere sits in the midst of a neighbourhood that has seen radical change in the 100 years since it was built; a neighbourhood that boasts the densest urban area in Australia and yet has some of the most beautiful parks in Sydney.
A stroll through the area will take you past old bohemian haunts such as the
Yellow House and the
Wayside Chapel, gracious historic houses (notably
Elizabeth Bay House), independent bookshops, and an increasing number of clothes shops, cafes and restaurants. On Saturdays, Fitzroy Gardens next to the
El Alamein fountain is home to a fresh produce market, where the egg and bacon rolls are legendary.
For all those who consider strolling a fine art, the circuit taking in the the Koi pond in the park in front of Elizabeth Bay House, Billyard Avenue, including Boomerang (although
this may be all you see of it due to the forbidding fences),
Beare Park, the favourite of small dogs, and
Rushcutters' Bay Park, the favourite of large dogs, are prime territory and can easily enhance the enjoyment of a whole sunny afternoon.
And the more briskly inclined are also well served, with cinemas, the
Sydney Opera House, the
Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie's Chair all within a 30-minute walk.