The village people
There's a gay migration taking place in Sydney. Andrew Georgiou reports.
Through the trappings of luxury,
Sydney’s mega apartment villages
have become a queer promised land,
as every gay man and his dog trade
the traditional stomping grounds for
pink provinces such as Moore Park
Gardens and Green Square.
Finding a straight guy living in
Moore Park Gardens is a bit of a
“Where’s Wally?” challenge. Between
cruisy pools, sweaty gyms and chic
cafes, the entire complex has a whiff
of the YMCA about it. A few short
kilometres away, Sydney’s Olympic
residential dream, Green Square, has
shifted its straight lines to form a
pink triangle. Their close proximity
to the city, health and lifestyle amenities,
modern interiors and available
parking, tick a multitude of boxes,
which bring gays to the village.
Footballer turned actor Ian Roberts
has been living at Moore Park
Garden’s for seven years. Although
Roberts and his partner Daniel
agree that the amenities available on
the grounds such as a pool, gym,
tennis courts and the convenience
of in-house cafes, and corner stores
are a plus, it’s the close knit community
feel which appeal to them
most. “There is a strong sense of
community here, it’s almost like a
family,” says Roberts. “Even if you
don’t actually know some people by
name you do by face, and it’s great
to acknowledge each other the way
we do.”
Although Roberts’ acting career
may one day see him living in LA,
for now his feet are fi rmly planted in
Moore Park. “I would have to come
into an extraordinary amount of
money to even think of moving from
here. I love it.”
For others, such as Sydneysider
David Colville, the move is based on
sheer practicality. “Until a year ago I
owned a typical terrace in Chippendale.
My partner and I decided to
move because we were getting sick
of the upkeep houses require.”
“Although it was a great place, it
needed constant work. A friend put
me on to an apartment in Moore Park
Gardens, we saw it on a Friday and
bought it on the Saturday.”
While some cite low maintenance
and communal harmony as a draw
card, others are seduced by the
prospect of a healthier social and sex
life which communal gay living can
bring. Gay chat rooms such as manhunt.com and Gaydar often broadcast
invitations from adventurous singles
in MPG and Green Square.
A tag line like “horny and
ready now in MPG” may
result in late night trade from
anywhere in Sydney – however,
according to “John The Bear”,
an ex-resident of a Green Square
complex in Waterloo, a good
booty call was only ever an
elevator ride away. “The swimming
pool area was extremely
cruisy, a great place to pick up,”
he says. “It was always discrete,
and amazing how ‘neighbourly’
people were,” he laughs. According
to our source, hooking
up with neighbours online was
also common. “If they saw your
location online, it made the encounter
all the more convenient, and you got
to make a new friend in the building
as well.”
Before you start packing, it’s
important to note that some apartment
complexes are cruisier than
others, leaving the remaining few
virtual nunneries. Colville is quick to
mention: “I’ve certainly never seen
anything going on in the lifts.” Point
taken. Going down?