The Sydney Thread

[HairyO]

Hmmm, maybe somewhere in the northern suburbs of the Illawarra area like Austinmer, or somewhere like Kiama or Gerringong if you want to go a bit further.

Kiama is where the electric trains end and the diesels take over. But its about 3 hours. Wollongong has some nice beaches but the city itself is a bit of a hole.

Newcastle is the same.

Central Coast has some really nice places, but in January you'd be paying an absolute bloody fortune for even rubbish accommodation I would think.

 

[Shell]

Eh probably wont bother then

 

[NSWCROW]

So we're about to die...
It's been fun y'all

 

[Gigantic]

Is the shitty weather expected for the whole weekend?

 

[Always Ballin]

All the rich kids in Perth moved to Sydney.

 

[the fly]

View attachment 432090

So we're about to die...
It's been fun y'all

There's been a few decent rolls of thunder and a quick downpour here.

 

[Jatz]

Is the shitty weather expected for the whole weekend?

Think Saturday is supposed to be fine.

 

[the fly]

Kiama is where the electric trains end and the diesels take over. But its about 3 hours. Wollongong has some nice beaches but the city itself is a bit of a hole.

Newcastle is the same.

Central Coast has some really nice places, but in January you'd be paying an absolute bloody fortune for even rubbish accommodation I would think.

Eh probably wont bother then

Kiama is about 2 and a quarter hours from Central on the train. If you were to head to somewhere between Stanwell Park and Thirroul (around an hour and 15 on the train, change at Helensburgh for anywhere north of Thirroul), I reckon that you probably wouldn't be heading into Wollongong itself anyway. As with the Central Coast (which I've ignored because the train doesn't pass through the beachside towns), accommodation would be pricey.

 

[MC Bad Genius]

Have lived in Sydney all my life (except for the stereotypical year in London) and the only thing that would make me consider leaving is the cost of accommodation. That being said, I'm a 3 minute walk to Maroubra beach, so it's not worth complaining about really.

I figured rather than talk about the weather I'd post some Top 3 lists. Hopefully it prompts everyone else to share theirs and we all get to find some new things to do in this town. Of course, no pressure to do ALL of them, but it'd be good to share some hidden gems ... and please add other lists that I haven't included!

TOP 3 LIVE MUSIC VENUES

1. Metro Theatre
2. Oxford Art Factory
3. Enmore Theatre

TOP 3 FANCY-ISH RESTAURANTS

1. Bennelong at the Opera House (easily the most expensive meal I've ever had, but was a fantastic few hours!)
2. The Pantry in Manly
3. Chiswick in Woollahra

TOP 3 BEACHES

1. Maroubra (biased, I know)
2. Little Bay (the most picturesque spot in all of Sydney)
3. Avalon

TOP 3 CHICKEN SHOPS

1. El Jannah (any of the stores, they're all fantastic)
2. Chicken Licken in Lakemba (who'd have thought that a fried chicken shop at a train station would be so damn good)
3. Flame Coal Chicken in Connells Point (just insanely good BBQ chicken and chips from near where my then-girlfriend-now-wife lived - best in Sydney)

TOP 3 WALKS

1. Bondi to Coogee
2. Clifftop Walking Track in the Blue Mountains
3. Spit Bridge to Manly

TOP 3 ATTRACTIONS

1. Wet'n'Wild (honestly, I love waterslides more as a 30-something than I did even when I was 7)
2. Bridgeclimb
3. Taronga Zoo

TOP 3 "ETHNIC" RESTAURANTS

1. Pazar Food Collective in Canterbury (Turkish/Mexican fusion ... I know!!!)
2. Aldhiaffa Al-Iraqi in Fairfield (Iraqi)
3. Marrickville Pork Roll in Marrickville (Vietnamese ... the BEST banh mi outside Vietnam!)

TOP 3 DESSERT SPOTS

1. Messina
(no #2 or #3 required)

TOP 3 YUM-CHA

1. Fook Yuen in Chatswood
2. Ashfield Leagues Club in Ashfield
3. East Ocean in Haymarket

 

[Shell]

Oooooh Wet n Wild- good one love water slides.

Also never been to Taronga Zoo, might hit that up, ta.

 

[Shell]

Wont go Blue Mountains tho- have done that. The Bridge Climb is amazing did it at 9pm in the summer, so best of both worlds considering the view going from sunset into dark.

Will consider a show at the Opera House too maybe.

 

[iluvparis]

If we are talking fk off fancy restaurants then Sixpenny in Stanmore is currently the best by a country mile.

 

[Gigantic]

TOP 3 LIVE MUSIC VENUES
1. Metro Theatre
2. Hordern Pavillion
3. Oxford Art Factory

TOP 3 BEACHES (assuming we can't list those on the coast outside Sydney)
1. Coogee
2. Gordons Bay
3. Palm Beach

 

[Shell]

Sounds like I can just hit up some Sydney beaches then- problem solved.

 

[rocker_oz33]

Kiama is where the electric trains end and the diesels take over. But its about 3 hours. Wollongong has some nice beaches but the city itself is a bit of a hole.

Newcastle is the same.

Central Coast has some really nice places, but in January you'd be paying an absolute bloody fortune for even rubbish accommodation I would think.

Kiama blow hole it didn't blow that much the day I was there.
Noice town tho.

 

[rocker_oz33]

Glad We didn't go to the Gong went to Canberra insteed.
Southcoast NSW is quiet Noice too.

 

[Shell]

I've been to Merimbula! Lol back in 1988 the Olympics were on

Went again with the fam another time several years after.

 

[rocker_oz33]

I've been to Merimbula! Lol back in 1988 the Olympics were on

Went again with the fam another time several years after.

Yep really noice place.

 

[Shell]

Yep really noice place.

Stayed at the Sapphire Inn, can still remember hanging with my cousins around the pool and playing frogger.

 

[HairyO]

I've been to Merimbula! Lol back in 1988 the Olympics were on

Went again with the fam another time several years after.

Apart from things, I quite like the south coast. Wouldnt mind retiring there one day but not for now.

 

[the fly]

I don't really head into Sydney for gigs much (most gigs I go to are around the Central Coast/Hunter, the Illawarra, or around Windsor). Having said that, I have a soft spot for The Basement.

 

[The Passenger]

Grew up in Sydney but split my adult life pretty evenly between it and Melbourne. Prefer Melbourne. Better standard of living down south as your money goes a lot further. For instance when me and the Mrs were looking to rent in both places $400/week got us a nice two bedroom art deco apartment in Hawthorn a bit under a 10 minute walk to load of pubs and shops and the train at Swinburne University. The same $400 got us a room in a 3-bedroom share house in Newtown - admittedly a very nice two floor house about 2 minute walk from King Street.

Sydney is still a good city and arguably one of the most picturesque in the world but its frustrations are valid.

The topography which makes it so great to look at means the road system is dire - catching a bus is a lesson in torture, and whilst I found the trains generally run on time it's not hard to stick to a timetable where trains are only due to run every half hour on some lines. The vibe of living in the inner west is great, although you do have to deal with a bit of hipster bullshit. I'd get to the beaches more often, but due to aforementioned road system if you are living more than about 5km's from a beach it'll take you the best part of 45+ minutes to get there - longer if you are going by public transport.

You could live closer to the beaches but outside of Coogee and Manly there is nothing to do at any of them except the beach itself. Bondi is now basically deserted at night. A far cry from when I grew up around there at the turn of the century, but even then the signs of deteriorating nightlife where beginning to show. In general the nightlife in Sydney is not great anywhere. Inner West is decent and a few decent bars/pubs in town but that's about it. Most pubs are overrun with bouncers and poker machines.

Rent and property prices - as most have noted - are through the roof.

Where it does excel - it's an easy city to live. You never feel like you're in a rush, although this is pretty common in most Australian cities. There are loads of parks and plenty of outdoor activities. Obviously the beaches are amazing, even if they are a ball ache to get to. The weather really suits the lifestyle. Yeah it rains loads, but it's often in the evening or overnight and comes in great deluges so it doesn't effect too much of your day to day living. I can't imagine too many cities have such great surroundings - Central Coast beaches to the north, the Hunter region further north, the criminally underrated South Coast, and obviously the Blue Mountains in the west. The Royal National park and Ku-Ring Chase National Park are simply outstanding places.

My general pattern for the last 10 or so years has been to come back, see my family and friends, enjoy about half a year there and move on before the grind of the place starts to wear thin on me.

Definitely a great city to visit and preferably have a local show you around otherwise you can end up spending hours wasting your time doing shit things.

 

[MC Bad Genius]

If we are talking fk off fancy restaurants then Sixpenny in Stanmore is currently the best by a country mile.

I haven't even heard of that place before. Must mean it's good!

 

[MC Bad Genius]

TOP 3 LIVE MUSIC VENUES
1. Metro Theatre
2. Hordern Pavillion
3. Oxford Art Factory

TOP 3 BEACHES (assuming we can't list those on the coast outside Sydney)
1. Coogee
2. Gordons Bay
3. Palm Beach

Yeah, the Hordern is pretty great. What's the best show you've seen there? I went to LCD Soundsystem a couple of months ago and it was absolutely fantastic.

And Gordon's Bay is a gem of a place. Hopefully they never concrete over it all and completely ruin it like they have around the corner at Clovelly. Every time I go there now I just get sad.

 

[Gigantic]

Yeah, the Hordern is pretty great. What's the best show you've seen there? I went to LCD Soundsystem a couple of months ago and it was absolutely fantastic.

And Gordon's Bay is a gem of a place. Hopefully they never concrete over it all and completely ruin it like they have around the corner at Clovelly. Every time I go there now I just get sad.

Can't really pick one tbh, been to a few techno gigs at Hordern and was mighty impressed with the acoustics and sound system in that place.