There are many things I love about Sydney – the weather, the history, the architecture and the people. But there is one thing about this glorious city that I love and it’s just how alive it is!

Year round, there are so many events around the city. Festivals, shows, cultural events, live music, theatre, food markets, art and museum exhibitions. The list is almost endless.

Being based in the Eastern Suburbs is an absolute boon. Due to its proximity to the hub of Sydney, it doesn’t take much travelling time to attend an event or a festival. It’s just another wonderful reason to live in the Eastern Suburbs!

Sydney and the Eastern Suburbs seem to explode during the summer months, especially with the number of outdoor events that are organised. Here’s a list of some of what you can find around Sydney if you decided to head out to explore the town.

Sydney Festival

An annual tradition and now in its 40th year, the Sydney Festival runs from Jan 7 – 26 and showcases an absolutely exciting melange of events. All bases are covered: music, theatre, dance, opera, circus, art and many others genres. What’s great about the Sydney Festival is that there’s something for everyone. And many events are free! Check out the website – there is so much to see and do. It’s also a great way to discover new talent and maybe see parts of Sydney you would not normally visit.

Eastern Suburbs Beaches

Gordons Bay

Everyone knows Bondi Beach, but when’s the last time you went for a snorkel at Gordons Bay, Coogee? Locals are spoilt with some of the best swimming spots in Australia, but often the most secluded spots are right little treasures. Parsley Bay in Vaucluse is great for a swim, a bushwalk and a great spot to get away from the crowds. Nielsen Park is also a beautiful place to have a relaxing day – and there’s plenty of shade. If you’re not keen for a swim but still want to feel the sand between your toes, Tamarama is perfect for a picnic or a play day with the kids. Have you been to McIvers between Coogee Beach and Wylies Baths? It is the last remaining women and children’s only pool in Australia and a perfect place to unwind.

Uncover the history

Vaucluse House, Watsons Bay

If you’re a history buff, there are many places to unearth around the Eastern Suburbs. Vaucluse House at Watsons Bay is one Sydney’s only 19th century harbourside estates still standing.  Bare Island Fort was built to protect “Sydney’s back door” – Botany Bay in 1885 and is a picturesque spot to examine the past. Centennial Stables in Centennial Parklands is an ideal place to experience the best the Eastern Suburbs have on offer. If a visit to the flicks is on the menu, forget the mega cinema complexes and watch a movie in style at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick.

Break out of the mould and discover something new about your area. Open the local paper, visit the community centre, go to the opening of an art exhibition or even attend a council meeting! Whatever you do, get out and enjoy your town. Life is for living!

WE’D LOVE TO KNOW YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO IN THE EASTERN SUBURBS. LEAVE A COMMENT AND SHARE THE INFO!

Less than 1.5km from the CBD, Surry Hills is home to many creative agencies and enterprises, renowned design stores and some top restaurants.

Live

Once the centre of Sydney’s garment trade, the Surry Hills of today is a trendy and essentially gentrified inner city address with a distinct arty edge. There are still some factory outlets closer to Central Station on the northern side of the suburb, although many of the warehouses have been reclaimed for conversion, given the high demand for residential accommodation throughout the area.

Love

The main thoroughfare of Crown Street has been completely reinvented as a cosmopolitan restaurant and entertainment hub, with its eclectic eateries and revamped pubs such as The Clock, The White Horse and The Dolphin.

Increasingly a fashion mecca, Surry Hills has great vintage stores, especially at the Oxford Street end of Crown Street. The first Saturday of every month sees Sydney’s young and fashionable head to the Surry Hills markets, held in Shannon Reserve on Crown Street.

The area’s many galleries exhibit young local artists, but perhaps the most famous would have to be the Brett Whiteley Gallery on Raper Street, with its iconic oversized burnt matchsticks framing the entryway.

Sell

Cleveland Street, which separates the more upmarket eastern side of Surry Hills from the west, is renowned for its affordable ethnic cuisine. The Eastern Distributor road works gave the area a massive boost, blocking off the formerly high-traffic Bourke Street and transforming it to a quieter, leafy enclave lined with large Victorian terraces, groovy cafes and interesting specialty stores.