| Sydney is almost a walkable city. Within each of the following neighborhoods you’ll find things to see and do that can occupy you for a day or more. If you choose to travel between neighborhoods on any given day, you’ll need to make use of Sydney’s extensive bus, monorail and light-rail systems. See www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au for more info. |
All roads in Sydney meet at the Circular Quay. If you need a bus, ferry, or train, this is the place to come. The quay extends west to Bennelong Point, where one can stroll to the Sydney Opera House. The Opera House, designed by Jorn Utzen and built under a small storm of public outrage in 1973, is home to a ballet, Shakespeare company, and choir, as well an opera company. Free tours and cheap same-day tickets are available. Continuing west, visitors will bump into Sydney’s massive Royal Botanical Gardens, a free and breathtaking array of local and tropical flora and birds. The Rocks neighborhood was the earliest site of the city. Its quaint, cliff-based streets are lined with excellent restaurants, boutiques, and small hotels. Visit the Merchant’s House or the 1816-built Cadman’s Cottage (110 George Street) for a glimpse back in time. For a glimpse forward in time, try the Contemporary Art Museum, just next door. Stretching up from the Rocks and arching its big, blue steel back across the bay is Sydney Harbor Bridge, or “Coat Hanger,” as residents call it. Take the pedestrian walkway across and find the Pylon Lookout, accessible at the base of one of the bridge’s immense cement supports.
|
| The CBD or Central Business District is the pride and joy of Sydney’s plutocrats. World-class modern glass skyscrapers make their home among shorter, stone buildings dating back to the city’s founding, like the 1819 Hyde Park Barracks. World-class shopping is also available in abundance at the CBD’s many covered malls and department stores. |
| After the Opera House, King’s Cross is perhaps the most famed feature of Sydney. Significantly less pretty than the Opera, but much, much more colorful, King’s Cross was a tony district at the beginning of the 20th century, but has since fallen on harder, arguably more interesting, times. Clubs and drugs and pros line its nighttime streets; more peaceable freaks are on display during the day. View the massive, redly pulsing Coca-Cola sign. Enjoy cute cafes beside tiny boutiques. And exercise caution in this, the mostly densely populated (and not particularly well-policed) area in Australia. |
| Darling Harbor is not the most natural of Sydney’s neighborhoods. Basically a big mall set up on a boardwalk circling the city’s eastern harbor, it contains the pleasing Chinese Garden of Friendship, the Cockle Bay Wharf Complex, an Imax Theater, the Sydney Aquarium, and the Australian Maritime Museum. It is also served by a monorail from the CBD. Not a bad place to spend a sunny afternoon, all told; but not the best, either. |
| What used to be Sydney’s corn, cattle, and hay market in the 1880’s is now the city’s bustling and beautiful Chinatown. Great, cheap markets for fresh fruit, veggies, and fish abound, as do little houseware shops. The city-run Paddy’s Markets is housed in a massive warehouse and purveys just about everything under the sun. |
Ratings for |   |
| |
|
