How to prepare for a ~3 month stay in Sydney, Australia.
January 3, 2015 1:00 PM Subscribe
If the visa arrives, I'm going to be spending mid-Feb to May in Sydney; I've never been to Australia before & know no one in the city. I'd like to prep by signing up to useful emails & following twitter accounts to help me feel more familiar with the city before I fly out.
I follow a lot of local information on social media at home: mostly it's food related (cafes, food bloggers, street food promoters), but there are also a lot of museums and cultural events (e.g. pop up art installations and 'hidden X' tours), local public transport, community groups, and so on. I'd like to start signing up/following similar information sources for Sydney. Weekend notes has been great so far, but what else is there I might find useful? I'm interested in email newsletters and twitter feeds, but also local bloggers who might not be aiming at a 'tourist' audience, but could help me find my feet a bit in a new city.
This detail may be relevant:
1. I'll be living in the Enmore area; I can't drive; I'll be working so I can't take long breaks/trips away, but I am flexible with my working hours so weekday events are possible for me
2. I'm a solo female traveller leaving a long term partner at home; I'm interested in meeting friends but definitely not the singles scene, etc.
3. I am not sporty or outdoorsy AT ALL. I like food. And beer. And I'm a vegetarian.
Bonus question: best Sydney Michelin starred restaurant for vegetarians?
I follow a lot of local information on social media at home: mostly it's food related (cafes, food bloggers, street food promoters), but there are also a lot of museums and cultural events (e.g. pop up art installations and 'hidden X' tours), local public transport, community groups, and so on. I'd like to start signing up/following similar information sources for Sydney. Weekend notes has been great so far, but what else is there I might find useful? I'm interested in email newsletters and twitter feeds, but also local bloggers who might not be aiming at a 'tourist' audience, but could help me find my feet a bit in a new city.
This detail may be relevant:
1. I'll be living in the Enmore area; I can't drive; I'll be working so I can't take long breaks/trips away, but I am flexible with my working hours so weekday events are possible for me
2. I'm a solo female traveller leaving a long term partner at home; I'm interested in meeting friends but definitely not the singles scene, etc.
3. I am not sporty or outdoorsy AT ALL. I like food. And beer. And I'm a vegetarian.
Bonus question: best Sydney Michelin starred restaurant for vegetarians?
Best answer: A few things I find helpful:
The Urban List and The Thousands tend to update once a week and feature stuff that skews early-/mid-20 year old hipster demographic (note: I'm not in that demo) but do have useful stuff about museum exhibits, new restaurant openings and that sort of thing.
I know a lot of people are lukewarm or less on Reddit. but r/Sydney will have a little worthwhile signal buried in the noise. Maybe grab an RSS feed and only click in if you see a post that's worth investigating further?
Crafty Pint has a craft beer venue list that's not comprehensive but does cover some of the better-respected craft beer spots in the city and surrounds. (Let me give a shout out to my favourite Sydney gastropub, The Four In Hand Hotel. Haven't been in awhile, but damn their food was terrific. Can't vouch directly for vego options there, though.)
As an expat living in Australia, the biggest unpleasant surprise when moving here was that apartments didn't automatically come with refrigerators or washing machines unless furnished or specified in the ad. Just be aware of that and avoid blowing a grand on a fridge you're going to have to give up when you move away...
posted by GamblingBlues at 1:17 PM on January 3, 2015
The Urban List and The Thousands tend to update once a week and feature stuff that skews early-/mid-20 year old hipster demographic (note: I'm not in that demo) but do have useful stuff about museum exhibits, new restaurant openings and that sort of thing.
I know a lot of people are lukewarm or less on Reddit. but r/Sydney will have a little worthwhile signal buried in the noise. Maybe grab an RSS feed and only click in if you see a post that's worth investigating further?
Crafty Pint has a craft beer venue list that's not comprehensive but does cover some of the better-respected craft beer spots in the city and surrounds. (Let me give a shout out to my favourite Sydney gastropub, The Four In Hand Hotel. Haven't been in awhile, but damn their food was terrific. Can't vouch directly for vego options there, though.)
As an expat living in Australia, the biggest unpleasant surprise when moving here was that apartments didn't automatically come with refrigerators or washing machines unless furnished or specified in the ad. Just be aware of that and avoid blowing a grand on a fridge you're going to have to give up when you move away...
posted by GamblingBlues at 1:17 PM on January 3, 2015
There's a vegetarian butcher in Enmore that people rave about.
Suzy Spoon.
Also..... a meetup! Mefi regulars are mostly all pre-coupled and inner westies.
If you run or walk , consider parkrun. Very social, free, and one suburb away!
posted by taff at 1:23 PM on January 3, 2015
Suzy Spoon.
Also..... a meetup! Mefi regulars are mostly all pre-coupled and inner westies.
If you run or walk , consider parkrun. Very social, free, and one suburb away!
posted by taff at 1:23 PM on January 3, 2015
This is on enmore road and recommended: http://www.sadhanakitchen.com/
And Suzy Spoon is great on King Street
Also Broadsheet is great for finding out what's happening generally.
as is Timeout.
and: Whats On Sydney.
posted by MT at 1:59 PM on January 3, 2015
And Suzy Spoon is great on King Street
Also Broadsheet is great for finding out what's happening generally.
as is Timeout.
and: Whats On Sydney.
posted by MT at 1:59 PM on January 3, 2015
These are useful too:
http://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/
http://concreteplayground.com/sydney/
You'll find plenty to do/see/eat just walking around Enmore & Newtown.
Enjoy our lovely city!
posted by stellathon at 2:03 PM on January 3, 2015
http://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/
http://concreteplayground.com/sydney/
You'll find plenty to do/see/eat just walking around Enmore & Newtown.
Enjoy our lovely city!
posted by stellathon at 2:03 PM on January 3, 2015
Best answer: Not Quite Nigella is a Sydney based foodie blog that has lots of restaurant reviews, many in the inner west.
I live and work in the area - memail me if you have more specific questions.
posted by jrobin276 at 5:59 PM on January 3, 2015
I live and work in the area - memail me if you have more specific questions.
posted by jrobin276 at 5:59 PM on January 3, 2015
Best answer: Bonus question: best Sydney Michelin starred restaurant for vegetarians?
Michelin doesn't cover Australia. You want to look at the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, which serves the same function and awards 'Chef's Hats' to the most highly rated restaurants. Of course, it also comes in app form.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:59 PM on January 4, 2015
Michelin doesn't cover Australia. You want to look at the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, which serves the same function and awards 'Chef's Hats' to the most highly rated restaurants. Of course, it also comes in app form.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:59 PM on January 4, 2015
Previous Sydney food recommendations thread.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:18 PM on January 4, 2015
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:18 PM on January 4, 2015
One thing about dining well in Sydney is that booking ahead is highly advisable, especially for the top-end restaurants. Booking in for one or a double will make it a lot easier than for a larger group. There are still lots of places when you can drop in and eat at the bar as a single, so have a bit of an on-line scout to see what takes your fancy. Sydney is Australia's biggest city and this is reflected in the diversity and breadth of cafes and restaurants. (I second the shout out for Four In Hand, by the way.)
The other thing to prepare yourself for will be the cost of food in restaurants. I don't know where you hail from but, if you're from the US, food costs are really quite high in comparison - all of my US visitors have commented on this and I live in Adelaide most of the time, which is cheaper. (If you're from London, then you may be pleasantly surprised by the relatively low cost of eating out.) The tax and general salary costs are built in to food prices as are an increasingly high devotion to ethical sourcing and identification, for veggies and animals. Feel free to tip but this is extra and for a good experience rather than to keep someone's mortgage paid. Tipping in the really good places is generally done as well but often not to the same level as the US. (I used to work a bit of hospitality so let me reassure you that tipping is always appreciated. :) )
Finally, Sydney's coffee scene is awesome. I have a real soft spot for the Mecca on King Street, which is tiny but worth the wait. However, you can find great coffee in many, many places. I'm proud to say that the Australian coffee culture defeated Starbucks because we already knew what coffee should be and this was not what they were trying to sell us.
There. I've been all parochial but I hope that it helps.
posted by nfalkner at 5:53 PM on January 4, 2015
The other thing to prepare yourself for will be the cost of food in restaurants. I don't know where you hail from but, if you're from the US, food costs are really quite high in comparison - all of my US visitors have commented on this and I live in Adelaide most of the time, which is cheaper. (If you're from London, then you may be pleasantly surprised by the relatively low cost of eating out.) The tax and general salary costs are built in to food prices as are an increasingly high devotion to ethical sourcing and identification, for veggies and animals. Feel free to tip but this is extra and for a good experience rather than to keep someone's mortgage paid. Tipping in the really good places is generally done as well but often not to the same level as the US. (I used to work a bit of hospitality so let me reassure you that tipping is always appreciated. :) )
Finally, Sydney's coffee scene is awesome. I have a real soft spot for the Mecca on King Street, which is tiny but worth the wait. However, you can find great coffee in many, many places. I'm proud to say that the Australian coffee culture defeated Starbucks because we already knew what coffee should be and this was not what they were trying to sell us.
There. I've been all parochial but I hope that it helps.
posted by nfalkner at 5:53 PM on January 4, 2015
I just popped in to say that I sent a link you posted in a comment in the blue (last week) to a friend...it was something I thought she (and a few friends) would find interesting. She said..."My colleague just said that person is coming to town and we should meet up, what a funny coincidence you sent me her article." If you wanted a meet up with MeFi people, we can make that happen.
Alternatively, there's a wonderful woman called Pam that hopes to meet you based on your fabulous reputation. If that doesn't happen through other channels, email me and I'd be happy to organise wine/coffee/chai.
Woo hoo, what a small, coincidence filled world. Let's catch up when you get here. If Pam thinks you're cool enough to want to meet, I'm certain you are!!
posted by taff at 2:54 AM on February 23, 2015
Alternatively, there's a wonderful woman called Pam that hopes to meet you based on your fabulous reputation. If that doesn't happen through other channels, email me and I'd be happy to organise wine/coffee/chai.
Woo hoo, what a small, coincidence filled world. Let's catch up when you get here. If Pam thinks you're cool enough to want to meet, I'm certain you are!!
posted by taff at 2:54 AM on February 23, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by AnnaRat at 1:12 PM on January 3, 2015