#syd1119

[rorytait]

The Inner, Inner West

The Inner West is without a doubt my favourite part of Sydney. However, even within the Inner West there is such a variety of suburbs, each with a local character and allure.

One morning I decided to walk along the foreshore in Glebe before heading over to Camperdown. I think the views along this walk are without a doubt some of the best in Sydney. You get to admire the oft-overlooked, yet architecturally impressive, Anzac Bridge, while also appreciating the city skyscraper's and Pyrmont's residential towers. 

At the same time, you can take in the plethora of marine craft, from yachts to dinghies to ferries, plying the harbour.

Over in Camperdown, the University of Sydney dominates. Their impressive campus is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful in the world.

The architecture is a mix of buildings constructed in the style of classic British universities, and then more contemporary buildings such as the Law School in the image below. 

And of course, there are some examples of hideous late 20th-century design as well. 

[rorytait]

Planespotting in Leichhardt

Leichhardt & Lilyfield are two inner west suburbs directly under one of the Sydney Airport approaches – which makes for excellent planespotting.

I went for a walk one afternoon with my camera and took some photos. Due to the timing, I only got domestic planes, in sequential order: Qantas Boeing 737-800, Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800, Qantaslink B717 (x2), Jetstar A320, and finally one more Qantaslink B717.

I was quite chuffed with how these turned out – even if the variety of aircraft was lacking. 

[rorytait]

Chinatown, Sydney

After arriving in Sydney on Sunday afternoon, I spent Monday morning wandering up from UTS in Ultimo, through Chinatown, and into the CBD. 

On previous trips to Sydney I haven't gone out of my way to explore Chinatown, usually, I skirt its edges on my way to other places – so it was nice to sort of aimlessly wander around with my camera.

There's definitely a grungy aesthetic to the district, but it adds to the character of the area more than anything else.

There are a number of little alleyways that serve little purpose other than access to premises, and thus have been turned into little artistic exhibits – such as this one. It would've been great if there had been a plaque to explain the story behind the artwork. 

As I walked closer to the city centre, the older buildings gave way to typical late 20th century highrises – which nonetheless have an Asian character, and certainly don't suffer from a lack of neon signage.

With the light rail now running through this area, it'll be interesting to see how it changes over the next few decades and whether it'll lose any of its personality.