It’s year 2010 so why not checkout suburb 2010? That’s Surry Hills and Darlinghurst, Sydney.
Sure, it might take you seven days, 10 hours to walk to Sydney (according to Google Maps) but we guarantee you there’s a lot for you to do once you get there.
Now that the weather’s warming up, it’s probably about time that you considered taking a little holiday, and where better to soak up some sun and culture than Sydney town?
Whether you’re going for New Year’s Eve or just a little shopping holiday, you’d be wise to checkout Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, the cultural Mecca of Sydney, and a veritiable hotspot for fashion, art, food, music and more.
Galleries Galore
While the Museum of Contemporary Art might be housed down near the Sydney Opera House, the home of contemporary art in Sydney is Surry Hills and Darlinghurst. Surry Hills and Darlinghurst, ‘The Other Side of Sydney’, is where art enthusiasts are spoilt for choice. In the mood for street art, walk into Urban Uprising (Crown St) but be warned that their broad price range will make a collector out of any art novice. Other urban art galleries include China Heights (Foster St) and Outré (Burton St) specialising in pop, retro and surrealism. If craft and design is your thing, Object (Bourke St) is a must-see. To look at works by contemporary Chinese artists, Ray Hughes (Devonshire St) is your best bet and of course, to truly experience an artist owned gallery, go down to TAP (Palmer St) and have a chat with the lovely Lesley.
Watch and Wine
Palace Verona on Oxford Street is the perfect venue to watch documentaries, arthouse, foreign or locally made films that are constantly brushed off for big-screen time by Hollywood blockbusters. Late Night Book Browsing If you’ve ever craved reading over a cuppa on a cold winter night without isolating yourself in your home then area 2010 is the place to be. Be it a sudden desire for the smell of a second hand book or the feel of the pages of an antiquarian book, Berkelouw Books on Oxford Street is open late to cure all your midnight cravings. Across the road, fellow insomniac Ariel Books is the perfect haunt to flip through a sleek coffee table book. Or walk down to Darlinghurst and speak to Les, the friendly owner of The Bookshop, if it’s a specific title or film on DVD you want but just can’t recall.
B is for Theatre
Imagine Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett and Susie Porter sitting around discussing theatre politics over a pint. Considered an Australian cultural institution, the Belvoir St Theatre has been the artistic watering hole for many of the nation’s great performing artists. Born out of necessity in 1984, the then Nimrod Theatre was saved from demolition by the local arts community. Today, the historic structure is home to independent productions by Company B and B Sharp in the Upstairs and Downstairs Theatres. Musicals, theatresports or a Shakespearian tragedy, the Belvoir St Theatre is the perfect venue in Sydney to witness the stage come alive. For a more intimate theatre-going experience, check out The Tap Gallery Theatre (Palmer St) or Milk Crate, an all inclusive theatre company for the homeless and disadvantaged.
