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Summer in Sydney 2023/24
Series

Summer in Sydney 2023/24

Summer in Sydney is a series where Herald staff reveal the best – and worst – of our city in the hotter months.

36 stories
Redfern: A diverse suburb with a complex modern history.

The Sydney suburb that’s a microcosm of modern Australia

People still say g’day in the street but celebrating Australia Day is not a straightforward affair.

  • by Jessica McSweeney
Shoppers walk along Chapel Road in Saigon Place in Bankstown, NSW. January 24, 2024. Photo: Kate Geraghty

It’s loud and colourful, diverse and delicious, and not far from the city

All that’s lacking in Bankstown is a working public transport system and people who drive to the speed limit.

  • by Sophia Phan
Sydney Walks. Photo shows the Blue Gum Walk which lies just a quick walk away from Hornsby train station. Photo supplied.

The nature escape just 45 minutes from the city

My family joined other refugees from the inner suburbs in search of a bigger house and an affordable mortgage. What we found was a home among the trees.

  • by Adam Bennett
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The Enmore Theatre is an art deco gem.

Less famous than Newtown, for some Enmore is now a bigger draw

Enmore Road is brimming with interesting restaurants, cafes, bars and small shops. Policymakers want to replicate its success, but I’m doubtful this is possible.

  • by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.

The Sydney suburb where I first understood the joy of great neighbours

Until I moved into my home in Camperdown, I’d spent a lot of time wondering whether I might just be a terrible neighbour.

  • by Bevan Shields
Boats moored at the Tunks Park ramp and (inset) a GPS-drawn “burbing” map of Cammeray.

How a challenge during lockdown gave me a new view of my suburb

When I set out to travel all the streets in my 1.5 square kilometre suburb, I was surprised at how much ground I covered.

  • by Michael O'Reilly
Le Parisien Café Patisserie, among the trees in Tramore Place, Killarney Heights.

Morceau of France with the harbour and bush thrown in to taste

I love that I can hear different languages on the streets and in shops and can get my fix of delicious French pastries and baguettes without having to fork out for a plane ticket.

  • by Lia Timson
It’s a dog’s life in Bellevue Hill.

Puppy parties, parks and pats on the head: a dog’s life in Bellevue Hill

My name is Cheecka and I can tell you four legs are better than two in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

  • by Andrew Taylor
Sunbathers in Hyde Park.

I never wanted to live here. Now I never want to leave

The plan was that living in Sydney city would be a stopgap, but two years on we never want to leave.

  • by Melissa Stevens
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Mucahit Sasmaz (left) and Murat Zengin enjoy an early morning fish down by Rozelle Bay.

Urban forest that’s not too beige, not too hectic, not too posh

This unregarded inner west suburb has a rich history and a quirky present.

  • by Ben Cubby
You get front-row views of the harbour at the local park.

A hidden harbourside oasis brimming with cool

This tiny peninsula lies just 11 kilometres from the CBD, but its beguiling mix of green leafiness and stunning views makes you feel a long way from the urban jungle.

  • by Tawar Razaghi
Morning swimmers at Dawn Fraser Baths.

Peninsula paradise: Why you never want to leave Balmain

Good Food Guide editor Callan Boys names his favourite restaurants, coffee shop and walks in his home suburb.

  • by Callan Boys
Movie under the stars: Skyline Drive-in one of Australia’s few remaining drive-in cinemas.

Where drive-in cinemas and multicultural festivals co-exist

Whether digging in to corn ribs or enjoying sunset at Pemulwuy Lookout, it’s time you embraced Blacktown like a local.

  • by Jostina Basta
Bik’s cafe in Botany.

Seven years in Botany and loving every day

It’s a sign of the times when you need to move because a growing family demands more space.

  • by George Palathingal
The Strand.

Milestones and the mundane lived in dearest Croydon

Diversity and bygone charm make the quaint and peaceful neighbourhood unique in its own ways.

  • by Nicole Economos
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Beautiful Balmoral beach.

Pricey Mosman, where the beach and views are free

Just minutes down the hill from the buzz of Military Road, Balmoral Beach is the place to wash away your cares.

  • by Carolyn Cummins
Boothtown aqueduct spans a valley in Greystanes.

Transplanted to Greystanes, the suburb with a heart

After living all over Sydney, it took marriage and a family to finally find a place to call home.

  • by Christian Stokes
Bucketty’s Brewing Co. in Brookvale.

Small but perfectly formed on the northern beaches

Brookvale is more than just the home of the Manly Sea Eagles NRL team.

  • by Peter Bottrell
Tourists at the Three Sisters in Katoomba.

A place for families to follow in each others’ footsteps

Kingswood country is closer to the mountains than the sea – but now it has a beach.

  • by Billy Freeman
Vietnamese grocer on Illawarra Road.

It’s a great life in the prime minister’s backyard

There wouldn’t be many countries where you can bump into the prime minister at Woolies.

  • by James Morrison
People walk past a mural of the Aboriginal flag in Newtown.

Wine bars, parks and Sydney’s best bookstore: Newtown has it all

After three years in New York City, Sydney no longer felt like home – until I moved to this inner west suburb.

  • by Gyan Yankovich
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High Street, Penrith.

How the Panthers and chicken sandwiches taught me to love Penrith

Penrith at times feels like living on the sun, but it’s a hard-working place filled with hard-working people.

  • by Abby Seaman
Local vietnamese grocers, fresh food markets and restarants along John Street and Dutton Lane in Cabramatta. Photograph by Katherine Griffiths

How a childhood train trip opened my eyes to new possibilities

The melting pot of Cabramatta is much more than the vast array of exotic eating options.

  • by Andrew Hornery
The Shakespeare hotel in Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, Sydney

The Surry Hills sanctuary that made me a Sydney convert

Between the wine bars and fancy restaurants, Surry Hills still holds relics from a time before chilled reds and roasted artichokes, if you know where to look.

  • by Angus Thomson
Missed by that much. Various sightings of the elusive ice cream van that torments the residents of Leichhardt.

The suburb where we all scream for ice-cream

There’s a challenge for anyone around Leichhardt in summer – get the local lead-footed ice-cream van to stop.

  • by Nick Ralston
The South Sydney Rugby League club’ s Save the Game rally in George Street 2000. They were protesting  their exclusion from the NRL competition.

The ’fern: A mix of old and new, and don’t forget the Rabbitohs

The intermingling of old and new, rich and poor makes Redfern a place with true community spirit, seen in footy followers and market goers alike.

  • by Mary Ward
West Ryde and its view across to the city.

Cultural melting pot of food and footy

West Ryde is the centre of our universe, but there’s no such thing as a leisurely jog through the streets.

  • by Adrian Proszenko
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Redleaf Beach.

This linen-loving locale is close to home but a world away

With Double Bay, you’ve got to lean into the stereotype - it’s the only way it works.

  • by Michael Koziol
Sunset on Gunyah Beach never gets old.

The suburb where locals can’t believe their luck

Tiny Bundeena, in the Royal National Park, feels more like a small country town than a Sydney suburb.

  • by Nick Galvin
Beachgoers enjoying the sun and sand at Bondi at Christmas.

Yes, Bondi does have a local community

While Bondi rescues thousands from boredom each summer, my street is where the real party is at.

  • by Steve Georgopoulos
Cooks River winds through Wolli Creek, making it a waterfront suburb within minutes of Sydney Airport and Marrickville.

Bubble tea and walks along the Cooks River equal a perfect summer

Wolli Creek can be easily dismissed as a concrete jungle, but the quiet suburb boasts a hatted restaurant and water views.

  • by Jessica Yun
Summer Hill shopping strip which is full of small businesses.
26th August 2021
Photo: Steven Siewert

Love letter to Summer Hill and its community spirit

Summer Hill is an absurd little pocket of Sydney that offers an old-school feeling of safety and community alongside gluten-free dumplings and a fantastic wine list.

  • by Nick Calacouras
Burwood Chinatown has undergone a transformation.

Bustling Burwood: Sydney’s other (and possibly better) Chinatown

It was grudging acceptance at first sight, but it seems Burwood agrees with us.

  • by Michael Ruffles
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There’s more to Engadine than McDonald’s and a former PM

There’s more to Engadine than McDonald’s and a former PM

Engadine found infamy thanks to a bewildering rumour about Scott Morrison and McDonald’s. I prefer to think of it as the laid-back suburb in which I grew up.

  • by Megan Gorrey
Ross Joes Rockpool Coogee,

Coogee calling: Ocean sunrises, rockpool bliss and beach society

Herald writer Helen Pitt reveals the secrets of her home suburb Coogee, but shhh don’t tell anyone.

  • by Helen Pitt
Local resident Barney Soloman swims in the Cooks River at Boat Harbour, Hurlstone Park (it’s not recommended)

Ode to a suburb that goes under the radar

Its biggest claim to fame is one night with Albo. But here’s why it’s the Paris of Sydney’s south-west.

  • by Jordan Baker

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/summer-in-sydney-2023-24-20231221-p5esz0.html