Central Sydney
Central Sydney is very abstractly shaped roughly like a stubby left hand, palm
up; The thumb and beginning of the wrist is The Inner City West, the tip of the
large index finger is The Inner City North, the second and third fingers are The
Royal Botanic Garden and the oversized pinky finger is The Inner City East.
Central Sydney Districts
Sydney
The busy Sydney city centre of government and finance, but also home to many
fine restaurants, shopping and famous attractions like The Sydney Opera House.
Areas include Darling Harbour, Circular Quay with ferry services around The
Harbour, Royal Botanic Garden, The Domain and Hyde Park. Wynyard, Martin
Place, Town Hall and Pitt Street Mall are three of the busiest spots in The Sydney
CBD with cafes, shopping and hotels.
Inner City North
Just to the west of Circular Quay, now a cosmopolitan area including Dawes
Point, Millers Point, Barangaroo and The Rocks which includes the first colonial
village of Sydney and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Inner City East
Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Woolloomooloo, Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay and
Rushcutters Bay. Here you’ll find lots of harbour lookouts, fashion, cafes, dining,
bars and clubs with famous spots such as Crown Street, Oxford Street and the
locality of Kings Cross. While usually being considered part of Sydney’s Inner
City Suburbs, the district is sometimes included as an extension of Sydney’s
Eastern Suburbs due to the fact that it’s a conjunction between The Eastern
Suburbs and The CBD, strictly speaking however the district is part of Central
Sydney and not Eastern Sydney.
Inner City West
To the west and south-west of Darling Harbour including Pyrmont, Ultimo,
Chippendale and Darlington. Take an early morning trip to the fish markets and
follow up by exploring the restaurants, boardwalks, aquariums, wildlife and
museums around Cockle Bay. Then find a maritime pub or hit The Star Casino.
While usually being considered part of Sydney’s Inner City Suburbs, the district
is sometimes included as an extension of Sydney’s Inner West due to the fact
that it’s a conjunction between The Inner West and The CBD, strictly speaking
however the district is part of Central Sydney and not Western Sydney.
Inner City South
Haymarket bordering the southern end of The Sydney CBD is home to
Chinatown, Central Station with Prince Alfred Park further south-east of Central
Station in Surry Hills. This area is home to markets, cafes, Chinese culture and
cuisine, and some cheaper accommodation and shopping.
Greater Sydney
Sydney is a vast sprawling city, and the suburbs in the city metropolitan area
spread for up to 60km from the city centre. The traveller visiting the suburbs will
find less crowded beaches, parks, cheaper shopping, commercial centres,
cultural festivals, and other such hidden gems.
Greater Sydney Regions
Eastern Suburbs (Woollahra-Waverley)
Between the City, Sydney Harbour, the coast and The Centennial Parklands.
Includes the world-famous Bondi Beach and other famous spots such as Double
Bay, Watsons Bay, Rose Bay, Bondi Junction, Bronte and Paddington. Often
regarded as one of the oldest and most affluent regions of Sydney.
South-Eastern Suburbs (Randwick-Botany)
The Eastern Suburbs’ southern neighbours, located in the south of Eastern
Sydney with the commercial hubs of Randwick and Maroubra Junction along
with famous spots such as Clovelly Beach, Coogee Beach, Maroubra
Beach and La Perouse.
Inner South (South Sydney)
An often overlooked part of Sydney which are the suburbs inbetween Central
Station and Botany Bay starting at Redfern and ending in Sydney Airport at
Mascot. Sometimes referred to as ‘South Sydney’ many parts were once
industrial but have now been revived into brand new neighbourhoods of
apartments with restaurants, cafes and bars.
Southern Suburbs (St George)
Located south-west of Sydney Airport known colloquially as ‘St George’ after the
land parish. Main commercial hub is Hurstville, popular destinations include
Brighton-Le-Sands and Sans Souci on Botany Bay.
Outer South (Sutherland Shire)
Sydney's outer south is within the government area of the Sutherland Shire
which locals simply call ‘The Shire’. Located at the furthest reaches of Southern
Sydney on the southern shore of Botany Bay including Cronulla, Miranda and
Captain Cooks Landing Place. Easy access to the waterways of the Georges
River, Botany Bay and Port Hacking.
Inner West (Marrickville-Concord)
Sydney's original suburbs are now bohemian and are a hub of cheap eats,
shopping and inner-city culture. The Inner West is a large melting pot of culture
and communities.
Inner South-West (Canterbury-Greenacre)
The region in between Sydney’s Southern Suburbs and Sydney’s Inner West
within the northern part of The Parish of St George. Generally referred to as The
Canterbury region with well known suburbs such as Roselands and Lakemba.
South-Western Suburbs (Bankstown-Liverpool)
A large dispersive region of Sydney centered around the arch in The Georges
River with a wide range of vibrant ethnic enclaves. Major commercial hubs
include Bankstown and Liverpool.
Western Suburbs (Parramatta-Blacktown)
Home to Sydney's "second" CBD in Parramatta, with history, shopping, eating,
all just 30 minutes from the city centre. Relatively large region stretching from
Auburn to as far as Blacktown. Also contains Sydney Olympic Park, the home of
the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
North-Western Suburbs (North Parramatta)
A fairly grey area of Sydney which is part of Western Sydney but north of The
Parramatta River within the northern part of The Parramatta District. Wedged in
between The Western Suburbs and The Northern Suburbs including the suburbs
of Northmead and North Rocks.
Hills District (Baulkham Hills-Cherrybrook)
The Hills District is named after its topography and is centred primarily on the
government area of The Hills Shire in Western Sydney while also including
western parts of the Hornsby Shire that are west of Berowra Creek. Greener
towards the eastern side similar to that of Northern Sydney regions and
becomes more rural towards the west. Main commercial hubs are Castle Hill and
Norwest.
Outer West (Penrith-Mount Druitt)
Stretching from Mount Druitt to Penrith which act as a conjunction region in
between Sydney’s Western Suburbs and the Blue Mountains
Outer North-West (The Ponds)
The furthest north-western region of Sydney centred primarily on the northern
part of the Blacktown District. Becomes semi-rural towards the west. Includes
the suburbs like The Ponds and Schofields. Further north-west just outside
Greater Sydney is The Hawkesbury.
Outer South-West (Macarthur)
A south-western extension of Sydney within The Macarthur Region. Sometimes
including the large area of Holsworthy in between Macarthur and The
Sutherland Shire. Major suburbs include Campbelltown and Narellan. Further
south-west just outside Greater Sydney is the Southern Highlands.
Northern Suburbs (Ryde-Hunters Hill)
The westernmost point of Northern Sydney stretching from Hunters Hill and
Woolwich on the north-west shore of Sydney Harbour up to Beecroft. Home to
Macquarie University and Ryde. Contains picturesque parks overlooking Lane
Cove and Parramatta Rivers, great East Asian food in Eastwood and a high
technology hub known as Australia's "Silicon Valley".