Sydney has some absolutely stunning suburbs, some are nestled beside the sea or small inlets and coves of Sydney Harbour, others are found in the Inner suburbs of the city. All are different and offer a diversity of activities and beauty, whether its a beautiful view or leafy, tree-lined street filled with boutique and antique shops; to small, terrace-lined working class cottages; to huge mansions perched over the ocean. Sydney is breathtaking and one of the loveliest cities in the world.
The main regions of Sydney are:
The City - which includes The Rocks, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Chinatown. This is primarily the CBD / main tourist centre. Pitt Street Mall and George Street contain the main shopping strips. The QVB (Queen Victoria Building) is a restored shopping mall containing mainly high end retail. For designers (Chanel, Burberry, Tiffany etc) head to King / Castlereagh Streets or The Rocks.
Inner East - which includes the suburbs of Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, Woolloomooloo, Paddington and Surry Hills. These suburbs are fabulous for cafes, restaurants and nightlife. They are entrenched in Sydney and Australian history, Darlingurst being the main area for the gay and lesbian community. Kings Cross is now the new hip nightlife of Sydney, Oxford Street is the other clubbing strip, especially for gay clubs. Woolloomooloo houses the Navy dockyards and sometimes there are visiting American warships that are worth a look. There is a unique converted wharf that houses some great dining out over the water as well as Russell Crowe's penthouse (it's the penthouse at the very end of the wharf).
The Eastern Suburbs - The eastern suburbs are known for their prestigious and affluent homes that stretch along the foreshores of Sydney Harbour. This area has many famous little beaches, known and visited mostly by the locals. One of Sydney's best secret spots is called Redleaf pool, which is below Blackburn Gardens just next door to Double Bay. The other interesting areas to visit are Nielsen Park, Rushcutters Bay and Watsons Bay which has the harbour on one side, and the other is a huge cliff face that looks out over the ocean (called The Gap). It's worth the trip and can be reached by Ferry from Circular Quay.
The Eastern Beaches - Encompassing the city beachside suburbs of Bondi, Clovelly, Coogee and Maroubra. They suffer from a personality complex in endeavouring to embrace the sophistication of the city and the laid back nature of the beach. This renders them argueably the coolest, most relaxing part of Sydney. Bondi Beach, being one of Australia's icons, is a most visited destination by overseas visitors. Keep in mind that there are less crowded beaches along the coast. Bondi is close to the city and it is good for a night out.
The Southern Suburbs & Beaches - These suburbs are located south of the city stretching to the Royal National Park & Port Hacking river. The area encompasses Sydney Airport at Mascot, Botany Bay and suburb such as Brighton-Le-Sands. The area also includes The Sutherland Shire, what locals affectionately call "The Shire" within which lie Cronulla, Wanda and Eloura beaches. This region features a disparity of wealth (much like the rest of Sydney) with riverside and beachside glitz contrasting with the red brick suburbs under the shadow of the airport.
The Northern Beaches - Are the suburbs which run along the Northern Pennisula starting at Manly Beach and ending at Palm Beach which leads into Pittwater and the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Manly beach is accessible by ferry from Circular Quay (The Rocks). They leave every 30 minutes and are the quickest and most unique way of getting there. Manly has 2 beaches; the Harbour beach on one side adjacent to the ferry terminal; and the ocean beach at the other end of The Corso pedestrianised shopping street. Plenty of dining options here. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g25...The Lower and Upper North Shore - Like the Eastern Suburbs the North Shore houses some of most expensive real estate in Australia. It runs north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and incorporates the Lane Cove River and Middle Harbour. It is filled with lovely small coves and beaches, great restaurants and cafes. Balmoral Beach and Mosman are beautiful suburbs and well worth a visit. Try some speciality shops such as ZIGGYS at St Ives Shopping Centre - one of the great delis of the world (sorry that St Ives is miles away from CBD!).
If you 'love retail therapy' then hit the shops at Chatswood. It is the third largest CBD in Sydney. It has two main shopping centres (malls), Chatswood Chase and Westfield. Theses centres are full of designer boutique shops.http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g25...
The Inner West - These suburbs were once known as the working class suburbs but now are interesting, expensive areas filled with history, cafes, and restaurants. Close to the city (about 5-10 minutes drive / cab), try Balmain or Leichhardt for historical places and vast array of dining options. Surry Hills is on the city fringe and has a great pub culture and again, plenty of dining options. It borders with the suburb of Redfern. Keep in mind that Redfern has a reputation as a run down area at night, but it does have some of Sydney's best wholesale outlet stores for daytime shopping.
The Outer West - Parramatta is the main business center for Sydney Outer West and is deeply entrenched in Australian history, it is now called a city and was founded in 1788 just after the settlement of Sydney. Catch the rivercat from Circular Quay to Parramatta and see some wonderful sights along the way.
The Blue Mountains - The blue mountains are gorgeous, breathtaking and simply stunning in beauty. The mountains are a part of the Great Dividing Range which stretches for miles from Northern Queensland to the Gippsland region of Victoria. This is a postcard picturesque mountain range. A must for anyone visiting Australia let alone Sydney. About 1.5 to 2 hours west of Sydney by car.
refer to interesting http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g25...
About Sydney: City of Sydney - City Localities
- CBD
- Chinatown
- Darling Harbour
- East Sydney & Darlinghurst
- Glebe, Forest Lodge & Broadway
- Kings Cross & Surrounds
- Newtown & Erskineville
- Oxford Street & Paddington
- Pyrmont
- Redfern, Cleveland Street & Waterloo
- Surry Hills
- The Rocks & Circular Quay
