Darling Point: The blue-chip Sydney suburb with iconic views and rising prices

Harbour views and waterfrontages don’t get much better than this – the dress-circle homes in Darling Point soak up spectacular vistas of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

The premier peninsula was opened to development in the early 19th century, and, with its bountiful assets, quickly became an enclave for the rich and privileged. That’s still reflected in its prices. According to the latest Domain House Price Report, the median price of apartments rose 10.6 per cent over the year to $2.6 million.

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Named after Elizabeth Darling, the wife of then-NSW governor Ralph Darling, Darling Point was originally known as Yarranabbi by local First Nations people, a name that endures in Yarranabbe Road and Yarranabbe Park.

While NSW 2027 retains many stately homes – notably Swifts Mansion, Lindesay, Babworth House and Bishopscourt – in the 1960s, with the move to all things modern, many fell victim to the wrecking ball, and towering apartments rose in their place.

Ranelagh, Glenhurst and Retford Hall bear the names of the hapless mansions they replaced. McKell Park was the site of the former Canonbury House, a 1980s casualty.

At the northern end of Darling Point Road, it offers panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and is popular for picnics and weddings. It also provides access to Darling Point’s ferry stop on the Double Bay run, while at the southern end of the road is Edgecliff train station, a hop and a skip from the CBD.

Rushcutters Bay Park and Yarranabe Park flank the sparkling water that is part of the suburb’s DNA. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) stages the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, and you can enjoy yachting, paddleboarding, kayaking and waterbiking on Rushcutters Bay.

Most eateries sit beside or above the water, offering casual eats to the chatter of halyards beyond. CYCA, Navy Bear and Flybridge cafes all focus on local ingredients, perfect for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon coffee. On top of the hill, the unpretentious Richie’s Cafe and Convenience is, as the name suggests, a handy gathering place for locals.

The Eastern Distributor offers easy access to the city or airport and avoids the heavy traffic of the suburbs further east.

Ron Doff, who deals in real estate, lives in a Darling Point penthouse on a site he developed. It has iconic views, and high-profile interior designer Thomas Hamel recently gave it an elegant remodel, making it doubly desirable.

Doff is smitten with the area. “I love it because you can walk to just about everything,” he says. “It’s a lifestyle thing – you don’t need to sit in the car. And you are in the city without being in the city.”

His favourite haunts are CYCA (“good-quality pub food”) and Flybridge, while Rushcutters Bay and Yarranabbe Park are magnets for morning walks.

For fine dining, Doff visits Fratelli Paradiso – “I’ve been going there forever” – and Apollo in Potts Point. He then returns home to a feast of covetable vistas – you can’t put a price on those.

Who’s looking in Darling Point and what are they looking for?

With Bill Malouf, Highland Double Bay Malouf

The most important criterion is the distance to the city and the airport – Rose Bay and Bellevue Hill are that much further out, with the accompanying traffic. Here, it’s five minutes to the city and about 20 minutes through the tunnel to the airport, while Edgecliff Station is at the end of Darling Point Road. Aspect and access to the water are also at the top of buyers’ wish lists. Who’s looking? For apartments, it’s empty-nesters, while for homes, it’s those 45 and up, with two to three children.

For sale in Darling Point

$35,000,000

21 Sutherland Crescent, Darling Point NSW 2027

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With 12 sets of arched French doors on its eastern facade, six up, six down, this home literally lives and breathes its harbourside setting. The water connection is completed by its private jetty and brand-new pontoon. Inside it boasts tactile, convict-era sandstock bricks, classic parquet flooring, a lavish gourmet kitchen – and precious water views.