# 50 Reasons Sydney Is the Best City in the World > Beaches, culture and events in one buzzing metropolis. We rounded up 50 reasons Sydney is called the best city in the world and what to see first. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/50-prychyn-sidney-naykrashche-misto-u-sviti/ - Language: en - Published: 2022-02-19 - Categories: Culture, Leisure, Beaches, Tours, Australia, Events --- ## 50. No worries, mate, she'll be right For the locals nothing is ever too much trouble ("No worries"), and however things turn out, they take it in stride ("She'll be right"). ## 49. The richest tower of all Sydney Tower, its naming rights sold to the highest bidder (a rather fitting metaphor for what makes Sydney tick), is filled with water to steady its sway. That means the best panoramic view over the world's greatest harbour might just reveal itself during the cyclone we've all been waiting for. ## 48. Coffee you can actually drink If it isn't gourmet, it isn't Sydney coffee. You only realise how good our coffee is when you sip a sad imitation latte overseas. As chains like Starbucks have spread, plenty of local operators have started roasting their own beans in house. Fierce competition between cafes across the city and its suburbs makes sure every latte arrives with your barista's signature swirl. ## 47. Even the dogs are cosmopolitan For years kids have loved heading to a cafe with their parents and ordering a babyccino before running off to the playground. Sydney takes it one step further, spoiling the little ones with dog-friendly cafes. At spots like Cafe Bones and Chew Chew, dogs can wander in and, with a little help from their owners, order a lactose-free Puppuccino before sniffing out the strays and marking their territory on the leash-free playground. ## 46. ​​Enviable accents Sydney has the best accent in the world, turning the everyday chatter of its residents into a sexy drawl. ## 45. Ferries that turn the commute into a cruise Ride the deck of a Sydney ferry on your way to work, let the wind blow through your hair, and you'll realise that life (or your boss) isn't so bad after all. The ferries that sail past Sydney Heads are named after the northern beaches where they finish their run, while others are named after female Olympians (Marjorie Jackson, for one) and swimmers (like Dawn Fraser), because they're fast. ## 44. The most technically perfect sky in the world While London draws 700,000 people to its fireworks and New York pulls in a million, Sydney's New Year's fireworks attract 1.5 million spectators who gather at 130 vantage points around the harbour. A thousand people, and a dozen computers, run the most technically perfect show on Earth, involving 4,500 kilograms of fireworks. ## 43. Brunch all day Sydney's cafes are some of the best in Australia, and the city is famous for its long, lingering breakfast culture that stretches on for most of the day. A morning plate of scrambled eggs is a way of life here. Why not try Bogey Hole cafe with its stunning views, or the inventive dishes at Meet Gerard. ## 42. Dancing in the morgue For half a century Kinselas was the home of Charles Kinsela, an undertaker who ran the busiest morgue in the city. But Sydneysiders prefer life to death, and dancing to rest. Today it's a nightspot with soaring art deco ceilings and a functioning hall called "The Chapel". If all the ghosts inside get to be too much, step out onto the balcony and take in Taylor Square. ## 41. Malaysia wishes Bolivia a happy birthday in our restaurants In how many other cities can you try green chicken curry pie? And that's just the cheap end of our fusion cuisine. Drop into the Flying Squirrel to sample scallops in glass noodles, Sydney seafood served Asian style in an American dish. Locals can also mull over sushi, wood-fired pizza, a spicy Swahili curry or sauerkraut. ## 40. Even our poo is green In Sydney everything is eco-friendly. Everyone sorts their paper, bottles and rubbish into different bins. From the suburbanites happy to make room for an extra bin to the inner-city "greenies" shrinking their carbon footprint, everyone seems to be doing it. Even the poo from outdoor festivals gets shipped off to worm farms. ## 39. Rinse the shampoo out of your hair in the wild Take the ferry from Pittwater and you'll reach Refuge Bay, where you can stand under a waterfall powerful enough to wash the shampoo out of your hair. Not only will it impress your hairdresser, it also saves water, since it's flowing anyway. ## 38. The red-light district Stroll through the nightlife heart of Kings Cross and you'll pass a handful of strip clubs, brothels and sex-toy shops. 37\. Private courtyards for barbecues only... as far as your neighbours know. Most Sydneysiders have their own backyard, purpose-built for the Sunday barbecue. Sociologists call it a throwback to Shakespearean bourgeoisie, but a spacious city also means the neighbours can't hear you having sex. ## 36. An egalitarianism founded by convicts This city was built on bread and petty thieves. That means Sydneysiders are slow to judge. It's a city where the unemployed can sit on the beach beside a lawyer, and each will see the other as just another person. ## 35. Underground parties Some cities are proud of their underground transport systems. Sydney has one too, but by and large, when the locals go underground they don't sit in dull silence. They head to parties and unadvertised gigs in warehouses, churches, studios and secluded beaches. ## 34. The spiritual home of the drag queen Sydney is the spiritual home of the drag queen (think Priscilla), so catch a show on Oxford Street to find out more. ## 33. Picnics, not prison fights, on beautiful islands During colonisation the harbour islands served as prisons, naval depots and fishing bases. Today they host festivals and picnics. The revamped Cockatoo Island, kitted out with a bar and campsite, is home to the Biennale, a cacophony of art installations and performances. ## 32. Good junk Sydney has enough treasured junk to furnish an entire suburb of bohemian apartments. Whether you're hunting through markets for rubbish and treasure or picking up freebies from the kerb, you won't miss a good find, and neither did its previous owner. To let you in on the east's best fashion secret, seek out the cheapest and best Uniting Church op-shop on the corner of Warners Avenue and Niblick Street in North Bondi. ## 31. Loud guitars in the CBD Every January the Sydney Festival's First Night turns the CBD into a live music arena. Racecourses become party venues, suburbs become street festivals, laneways become daytime concerts. Sydneysiders' love of festivals doesn't just bring the community together, it also means there's always an excuse to crack open a bottle in the open air. ## 30. Masterpieces in spray paint The city loves colour. Its streets and trains aren't grim and grey but painted in every shade of the spectrum. Some of the best legal graffiti walls are on May Lane in St Peters, the promenade at Bondi Beach and Technology Lane at the University of Sydney. ## 29. We let our feet breathe In most big cities you'd steer clear of flip-flops. But this beach city is so laid-back it lets your feet breathe. You can grab a pair of thongs for 5 dollars almost anywhere. ## 28. People-watching Sydney is a paradise for people-watchers: from surfers to sunbathers, everyone is fascinating. ## 27. Free healthcare If a shark bites you or a bus knocks you down, the hospital will look after you for free. ## 26. We're a peaceful place, honestly The land was seized around 220 years ago, and ever since, in these end-of-days times, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters have been rare. ## 25. Socialists' chardonnay in the art galleries Not only can you drop into the Art Gallery of New South Wales any time you like, but the line between art and life has gotten so lost somewhere between pretension and reality that you can turn up to gallery openings and drink as much wine as you please. No one, not the artist, the curator or the dealer, will so much as question that you belong there. Imagine: by loitering and sipping away, you make the artists look popular! Sydney's art scene is thriving, with dozens of galleries scattered across the city. ## 24. A run to the beach that earns applause Every spring, tens of thousands of people pull on gorilla suits, dress up as superheroes and lace up their sneakers before running and walking a winding 14-kilometre route as part of the City2Surf event, which finishes at Bondi Beach. Those who aren't running line the streets of Rose Bay, Vaucluse and the beach, sipping chardonnay and cheering on the real athletes. ## 23. Busy performers Independent theatres are part of Sydney's urban charm. The city is ringed with curated and vaudeville shows, from theatres in pub basements (The Old Fitzroy) to old stables (The Stables at Kings Cross) and harbourside venues like the Ensemble Theatre in Kirribilli. An active local theatre crowd gives struggling actors just enough to cover the rent. ## 22. Theatre and food in the armoury barracks Built in 1870, the underground tunnels and armouries at Middle Head were in use for a century. But these days Sydneysiders prefer the style of the guns to the guns themselves. A harbourside walk along Middle Head past the gun emplacements ends at a building that once served as quarters for the artillerymen. Now it's a teahouse. ## 21. Beloved stars Take Hugh Jackman, for instance: our stars manage to be both humble and glamorous. ## 20. Four and a half million seafood lovers Few things make the locals feel more special (in the "don't we live in a fantastic city" sense) than a trip to the local fish shop for cheap prawns, bugs, lobsters and other sea creatures. Places like Doyles in Watson's Bay, Nick's at Bondi Beach and the Sydney Fish Market (the largest in the Southern Hemisphere) are seafood buffets so good they'll make your mouth water. ## 19. The world's best pub food Sorry, London, but your shepherd's pie and fried eggs are simply a joke next to the variety of a harbour city's pubs. Step into a local like the Bamboo Dumpling Bar at the Royal Albert Hotel and you'll get your schooner alongside dim sims such as seafood and kaffir lime skewers and mushroom goji. ## 18. The oldest underground toilet turned art gallery A toilet built in 1906 on Taylor Square, Oxford Street, to serve the needs of a then-growing population, now hosts cultural events like art exhibitions and podcasts on the history of rock and roll. ## 17. Embracing diversity It's boring when everyone is the same. It's far more interesting to be different. Musical tastes and styles run from burlesque to rockabilly. At a Sydney party you'll meet all sorts, and every one of them is out for a good time. ## 16. Weather presenters who smile through a hailstorm Sydney isn't all that cold, but there's lightning and hail that can wreck a car roof in 20 seconds. Even so, the TV weather presenters front up to the public every evening, cheering us on through the wildest conditions. 15\. A land of feminists Women dominate local politics: the city's mayor, state and federal MPs, the governor, the premier and the governor-general have all been women. ## 14. The BYO ethic Most restaurants let you bring your own drinks, which means that, unlike in other big cities, you can enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner without dipping into your pension fund. ## 13. The Blue Mountains and other places without asphalt The dramatic ledges of the Blue Mountains (where you'll find the Three Sisters, which are really one rock), the Hawkesbury River cruises and the untouched southern nature reserve are all within an hour's drive. ## 12. Fashion no one else is wearing Sure, you'll spend a little more on a stylish dress or shirt, but at least you'll be the only one wearing it. The independent clothing design scene is kept alive by rag festivals like the Eveleigh Designers Markets in Darlington and the Young Australian Designers Market in Paddington. If you're a tightwad and don't mind wearing the same thing as everyone else, just wait for the January sales. ## 11. Great sporting spirit Sydney is perfect for sport: an active lifestyle, sunshine, open spaces, what more could you want? The city hosted the 2000 Olympic Games, and its residents love rugby league. Golf fans should catch the Emirates Australian Open, while sailing enthusiasts have the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. ## 10. Clear ocean sunrises 338 days a year On any given day, provided it's not one of the 27 overcast mornings, you can walk down to the ocean and watch the sun come up. ## 9. Heavenly drinks in music venues An old star of the music scene, The Sandringham Hotel was immortalised by the band The Whitlams, who sang: "God drinks at the Sando". Any night of the week you can catch jazz, rock or house at a string of almost sacred venues across the city. The Enmore Theatre and the Metro Theatre are perfect examples. ## 8. Diverse communities Every city has its gay bars, but welcoming Sydney has Oxford Street, an entire street devoted to the LGBT scene. The Mardi Gras parade is the highlight of the city's social calendar. ## 7. Heritage architecture Everyone knows the Opera House, but Sydney has kept its 18th-century buildings in The Rocks and heritage landmarks like the Queen Victoria Building (now a shopping arcade) and the Town Hall on George Street. Two-storey Victorian terraces surround the city centre. ## 6. A New York diner as cheap as Bangkok Among the neon lights of Kings Cross, on Kellett Street, sits a New York diner that has barely changed, in food or in prices, since 1953. It's still loved by stars and misfits alike. Big breakfasts, steaks, chops and vegetables (just like grandma's) come with 80-cent glasses of milk. ## 5. 100 beaches They call it "the London of the Caribbean". From Bondi to secret coves, Sydney has around 100 beaches in all. ## 4. The closest airport Sydney's airport is so close to the city that you won't have to sit through an hour-long train ride or a taxi crawl from one end of the metropolis to the other. ## 3. A few trillion leaves Paris may be the city of light, but we're the city of trees. Around 29,000 trees of more than 120 species line Sydney's streets, making the city beautiful, stripping out carbon dioxide and returning oxygen to the atmosphere, lifting property values and providing much-needed shade. ## 2. Big bridges (but small walls) The Harbour Bridge isn't just beautiful, it's the world's largest steel arch bridge (weighing 53,000 tonnes) and the widest (49 metres/160 feet) long-span bridge in the world. On a weekend outing across the harbour bays you can spot the 120-metre (393-foot) ANZAC Bridge, the country's largest suspension bridge, and the 305-metre (1,000-foot) Gladesville Bridge, once the largest concrete arch in the world. Other landmarks: Iron Cove, Spit, Ryde, Captain Cook, Tom Ugly's. ## 1. Everyone loves you... or pretends to. Plenty of locals will call you "love", especially around Darlinghurst, and it makes you feel adored.