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When ARQ first opened it was super gay and pristine. These days it's a very mixed crowd and it's an interesting dynamic between the gay clientele, handbag girls and their surly boyfriends. The club has been quite druggy over the years, but that's just typical for any Sydney dance club. It has two large levels. The top level has an iconic revolving door entrance, two bars and a circular dancefloor with a stage. Behind the stage are booth style seating. There is a top mezzanine level where the dj booth is and the walls have a few eggshaped 'couple seats' in the wall. The lighting, sound and laser rig on the main dancefloor was a big drawcard to Arq. The downstairs club has a large stage area and is adjacent to what locals affectionately call 'trash alley' a narrow alley where smokers hang out - you can certainly meet some interesting characters here. Arq is worth a visit just to check it out, but whether it's your scene or not - you'll soon find out.

The Shift has been around for a long time and like any venue, some nights the crowd is great others not - it's true that it is popular with GAMs and mature guys but it does attract a varying mix of guys. There are 3 pool tables at the back of the downstairs bar, which is great to hang with friends and possibly meet new people. It is a cruisier bar than most, however cruisy by Sydney standards is pretty conservative compared to other major international cities. The upstairs club can be pumping depending on what's on and has varied in popularity over the years and crowd. The bouncers for the shift can be quite surly. The big older islander guy is really friendly, though the Eastern European guy who has been there for years is a bit of a hard ass.