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Thursday night is late shopping night in Sydney.
OPTION 1 - OXFORD STREET
MAP
Oxford Street has a large number of shops from well known brands to designer labels to quirky one offs. And it has dozens of cafes ofering all sorts of food from gourmet sandwiches to curries, to sushi to pub grub, so a shopping expedition here could take a while.
To start, take the 380 or 389 bus from City Circular Quay up Oxford St and get off at the corner of Oxford St and Queen St.
Begin your shopping adventure in Queen St in WOOLLAHRA which has high-end clothing and homewares shops, and some good eating spots.
Then make your way back to Oxford Street in Paddington.
If you are here on a Saturday check out PADDINGTON MARKET on Oxford St which, for years, has been the launching pad for new designers.
There are plenty of designer and individual shops in Oxford St to tempt you. William Street has become the new "it" place to shop. It's off Oxford Street. Continue walking down Oxford St and turn right into Glenmore Road for fruther shopping options. For more information, check out the PADDINGTON suburb profile.
If you get sick of shopping, Oxford St has two good cinemas, the Verona (17 Oxford St) and the Academy (3a Oxford St) which are closer to the city end (www.palacecinemas.com.au). This part of Oxford St (Darlinghurst and Surry Hills) takes on a more grungy feel, and has some good food options.
If you are up for more shopping, head to Surry Hills (more information below), otherwise, stick to Oxford St, have a drink, perhaps a Cambodian or Balkan meal and put your feet up before hitting the bars and clubs.
GETTING THERE
380 or 389 bus from City Circular Quay or Bondi Junction.
For further information on directions: go to www.whereis.com/whereis/directions.do
OPTION 2 - SURRY HILLS AND DARLINGHURST
MAP
These two suburbs have the pick of the bunch when it comes to individual designer stores for clothes, homewares or furniture.
Darlinghurst - Try Darlinghurst Rd and fan out from there. Check the DARLINGHURST profile for more information.
Surry Hills - Start in Crown St and let your feet and eyes take you through the numerous smaller streets. Check the SURRY HILLS profile for comprehensive information on shops, cafes and more.
Assuming you are doing this on a weekend, and are up for a bit of art, the Brett Whiteley Studio at 2 Raper St in Surry Hills is open on weekends. This is where the famous artist worked until he died in 1992. (Ph: 02 9225 1744) www.brettwhiteley.org
For directions: go to www.whereis.com/whereis/directions.do
GETTING THERE
Darlinghurst can be reached by train. It is near the Kings Cross train station. For more information, go to the transport section of the Darlinghurst profile.
Surry Hills can be reached by train. It is near Central train station. Or it can be reached by bus. For more details, go to transport section of the Surry Hills profile.
OPTION 3 - NEWTOWN, GLEBE AND LEICHHARDT
King St in Newtown has something like 4km of shopping to get through. From grunge gear, to rockabilly and retro, to more edgey designer, to beads, to new clothes to old threads. And it's got plenty of good cafes and an arthouse cinema. A shop to check out is Yoshi Jones (134 King St). She uses good quality Japanese cotton for her clothes and homewares. MAP
Glebe Point Rd in Glebe is a book and alternative therapy mecca, with a few other shops thrown in. Great cafes and food. One of actor Barry Humphries' favourite cafes is in Glebe Point Rd. MAP
Leichhardt's Norton St has clothes, shoes, homewares, and books. And what would the Italian heart of Sydney be without some good Italian cafes? MAP
For more information, check out the Shopping and Markets, Hot Spots and Transport sections of the NEWTOWN, GLEBE and LEICHHARDT suburb profiles.
GETTING THERE
Newtown can be reached by taking a train from Wynyard, Town Hall or Central Stations. Take the Liverpool line. Newtown is west of the city centre. www.cityrail.info
Glebe can be reached by any bus that travels up Parramatta Rd. Buses 431 - 434 go through Glebe Point Rd.
Norton St in Leichhardt can also be reached by any bus going up Parramatta Rd. Routes 370, 436 - 438 go down Norton St.
For more information on buses, go to www.sta.nsw.gov.au
For further information on directions: go to www.whereis.com/whereis/directions.do
OPTION 4 - BIRKENHEAD POINT AND BALMAIN
Birkenhead Point is home to a large number of retail outlets. Allanah Hill, David Lawrence, Dotti, Jigsaw, Table Eight, Witchery and Bendon are there. You'll also find homewares, accessories, shoes, kids' clothes, mens' clothes, health and beauty. MAP
www.birkenheadpoint.com.au
If at the end of all this you need a cool village type fix, head to Darling Street in Balmain. This place has plenty of cafes, pubs, independent stores, and a great community feel. Saturdays are particularly good for Balmain, that's when the Balmain market is on. Otherwise, there are still plenty of shops and cafes to get through. For more information, check out the BALMAIN suburb profile and click on "Shopping and Markets". MAP
GETTING THERE
For Birkenhead Point - You can catch the Birkenhead Ferry from Wharf 5 at Circular Quay. www.sydneyferries.info This is not a frequent ferry service. So, if you get to Circular Quay at a time the ferry is not operating, take the Parramatta Jetcat. It is a frequent service which stops at Drummoyne.
Or take any of the 500's buses from City Circular Quay and ask to be let off at Birkenhead Point. For more information on buses, go to www.sta.nsw.gov.au
You could then walk to Darling St Balmain if you are super fit, or cab it. Bus 442 in Darling St will take you back to the QVB in the city centre.
For further information on directions: go to www.whereis.com/whereis/directions.do
OPTION 5 - BIG SHOPPING CENTRES
There are two really good, big shopping centres in Sydney that could easily do your head in:
1 - Bondi Junction in the eastern suburbs has a HUGE Westfield shopping complex and a mall. Everything from the well known and designer to the obscure can be found here. Westfield in Bondi Junction has made a deliberate effort to house designer stores, and steer clear from the mainstream. So, if you are a fussy shopper, you will certainly appreciate that. You may want to set aside several hours for shopping in Bondi Junction. For more information, check out the Shopping and Markets, Hot Spots and Transport sections of the BONDI JUNCTION suburb profile. MAP
2 - Chatswood in the north also has two large shopping complexes and a mall. The Westfield building has more of your mainstream stores. The Chase building is home to the designers. For more information, check out the Shopping and Markets, Hot Spots and Transport sections of the CHATSWOOD suburb profile. MAP
GETTING THERE
Bondi Junction is EASILY reached by train. Take the Eastern suburbs line from Central Station,Town Hall or Martin Place. Bondi Junction is the last stop on the line. Or take the 326 or 327 bus from City Circular Quay.
Chatswood is on the north shore (Hornsby, Berowra) train line, and takes approx 15 minutes to reach from the city centre. If you feel like taking the bus, try the 272 or 273 from Wynyard. It will take about 30mins.
And if you are a serious shopaholic, you can catch an express bus from Bondi Junction to Chatswood. It's the 200 route which is at the train and bus interchange. If you do manage to do both Chatswood and Bondi Junction, congratulations, you are a certified shopaholic!
For further information on directions: go to www.whereis.com/whereis/directions.do
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