CITY GUIDE: Sydney

Today’s City Guide is brought to you by Hannah DeMilta who lives in Sydney, Australia! Enjoy!

Sydney is made up of the best of two different worlds in my mind – a modern gorgeous city paired with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I spend most of my time caught up in that busy city life, but still enjoy that short escape on weekends to be by the ocean. It makes me feel lucky to live here.

One of my favourite (and free) things to do on a weekend is the Coastal Walk from Bondi Beach to Coogeee. If you take your time, and stop for pictures on your iPhone it’s about a 90 minute walk. You’ll see Bondi, Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, and Coogee beaches. You can see whales off the coast depending on the season, and sometimes dolphins too.

A great time for the coastal walk is every spring (October through November) when they have the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibit. They bring in more than 100 funky sculptures and incorporate them into the landscape and walk. It’s a fantastic reason for the coastal walk and recommend it if you’re in town.

One of my favourite places for food adventures is Sydney’s Chinatown. Perhaps to those who have traveled and lived throughout Asia this wouldn’t be such a novelty. However, for this Midwest gal hailing from Cleveland – discovering things like late night Korean BBQ and trying my first laksa are memories I won’t soon forget. Head over to one of my favourite spots, Mamak for dinner. This Malaysian restaurant has some of the best fried chicken in Sydney, in my opinion, and the Roti is amazing.

You can also stroll through the night markets every Friday in Chinatown. Markets of every variety can be found around Sydney. Some of my favourite include the Paddington Markets (Oxford Street in Paddington) and the weekend markets in The Rocks – theses ones are great for less “touristy” tourist items. There are booths with lots of handmade crafts and jewelry. My cousin got a stitched photobook with a kangaroo on the cover to keep all of the photos from her trip. I’m also a fan of the Finders Keepers markets, held bi-annually at Carriage Works. They feature local art, designers and cool creative projects.

A really beautiful thing about living in Sydney is that you don’t have to struggle to support local business when it comes to dining out. Locally owned is the norm and you often come to know the people working at your local café or pub. One of my current locals is Robocog Café in Surry Hills. They know how to put on a wicked brunch. The Breakfast ‘Berrito’ and Eggs Rusky are my favouirte at the moment, but honestly I’m a fan of most everything I’ve tried so far. I’ve also come to love Robocog for their quirky decor and fabulous customer service, which helps shape the experience.

I’d be steering you wrong if I didn’t recommend at least one venue to grab a cheeky pint while you’re in town. There are many bars, clubs and pubs waiting to be discovered on your visit to Sydney. Some of my favourite small bars to have recently opened include Tio’s, Darlie Laudromatic, and The Baxter Inn, a mysterious whiskey bar hidden in the city. However, for a casual pub with great views, I’d say visit the rooftop bar of the Glenmore in the Rocks. It’s a beautiful spot overlooking the harbour without the touristy crowd (or prices) to accompany it. Enjoy, and cheers mate!

Hannah works in digital marketing and also has fun curating the Sydney edition of The Fetch, a local ‘What’s on’ guide across businesses, digital and creative in your city. Say “hello” on Twitter @HannahDeMilta or follow her ramblings on her blog hannahdemilta.com.

Featured image by xiquinhosilva.