China Town fusion

Located near the entrance to the uber popular 'Patties Markets'/Haymarket sits a small stretch of shops dubbed as China Town. China town is just a short (down hill) walk from central station and sits just above the also popular Darling Harbor. China Town is somewhat famous for it's traditional bilingual sign posts.

Adorning either entrance is a majestic, bright red 'traditional' Chinese archway. It certainly stands out. 

Arches.... Arches everywhere

Walking along the stretch of shops is really a thrill. Every where you go you are being lightly heckled by menu carrying waiters and waitresses tempting you to sit down and sample one of their many Asian delights. The food of course is amazing. Towards the north most end of the arcade is a Chinese cream puff booth. I say booth because it is really just that: a tiny window in a wall where with an impossibly small kitchen behind it. The lines for these cream puff and custard tarts are infamously long but are well worth the wait!

Occasionally, but especially so on Chinese festivals the stretch of shops will be overly decorated and hold celebrations to mark, for example, the 'Year of the Snake'. During this time it's not uncommon to see the traditional Chinese Dragon show, during which a large Dragon like costume is manned by about 6 or so men and woman giving the impression that he large Dragon is hovering along the street. After all to see and do while at China Town you most likely wondering where the best place to eat is! The answer: Golden Harbor Restaurant , of course! This always busy, always popular restaurant specializes in Yum Cha (which is small, traditional Chinese dishes, like dumplings and pork buns). If you do decide to waltz down to China town make sure you pop in and visit, it's well worth it!

The signage for the tempting GHR 

So returning to our question of 'What is Urban Life in Sydney', the answer seems easily evident. Multicultural is one word which springs to mind: the street decorations, the character of the shops and what they sell certainly is modeled after an authentic Chinese strip of shops. Sydney is not just about bland office buildings and endless bodies of gleaming water, it's about cultural flare and being proud to show it.

Post by Will

The poker scene - It's everywhere

 Pubs, clubs, and the casino. The venues that hold poker tournaments and sit and go's in Sydney. It seems that every one of these gambling venues has held some sort of poker game over the last 8 years. When did it get so popular? Who's playing and where?

Joe Hachem winning the World Series 2005

In 2005 when Joe Hachem won the World Series of Poker, taking home a cool 7.5 million, Australia went through something called the poker boom! Suddenly everyone thought they could be a professional poker player and started hunting down those pubs and clubs that were hosting games and tournaments in hope to win even a fraction of what Aussie poker icon Joe Hachem won in 2005. The scene only grew and soon every club and pub were jumping to host poker games and tournaments to bring in the patrons to their venues and in hopes they would spend lots of money on drinks and pokies in the process. The Star City Casino also saw a rise in people on the poker tables and soon had to accommodate for all the new amateurs wanting a piece of the action.

Personally, I was 17 (2005) when I began playing poker in a club venue (I had my ways haha) and I still play in mostly club venues around Sydney today. There are many companies out there who run the poker scene but I prefer APL as I have found it to be the most professional. There are heaps of free rolls, tournaments you do not have to pay for because the venue puts up a prize pool, which is usually not bad considering it's free. APL will then offer tickets for the final table into a regional game that is run once a month. If in the month you make many final tables and you get heaps of tickets, you can use up to 10 to get more chips on your stack in the regional. This is great because you want to be rewarded for your wins. APL also run some other huge tournaments that you either have to qualify for or can buy in for some, where if you win, you will be seeing yourself to the World Series of Poker in Vegas baby on team APL! There are also some great cash prizes on offer. Though the way they let you qualify for some of the big tournaments is really in favour of those who can play 7 nights a week, which is not that many people, though you would be surprised. Another good thing about APL is that they are a huge advocate of charity games. There are many tournaments run throughout the year which raise money for charity. You will usually see celebs at these games and get a chance to talk to them and knock them out!

APL Play For A Cure 2012 Tournament

 What do I like about poker? I love the game and how risky or not you can be. Some people develop poker tactics but for me I like to see who I am playing with and try to adapt to play the best I can against the rest of the table.
What are the pros and cons of playing in this scene? The pros could be that you meet a lot of great people, many of whom you will see again and again at each poker game, as poker is a society. Or you could win some good tickets or cash which is what everyone wants. The cons though can be very heavy. As most games are held in huge gambling venues, there is a risk that you could develop a gambling problem as I have seen many times. This depends on the person though. Many people I play with would only occasionally gamble or not at all. There is a real divide between the people who do and the ones who don't.

For me, well I have been playing 8 years now and still going strong when I can find the time. Sometimes the pros can out-weigh the cons as poker really is a society and it is hard to get out once you’re in as most people playing the game don't do much else with their spare time.
If you want to find out where you can play a game, head to the APL website – www.playapl.com/.

APL Main Event

This post was written by Kea for Sydney Urban Life

History meets nightlife @The Rocks, Sydney

As you walk down the cobblestone streets and lane ways through the sandstone buildings you can't help but feel as though you have been transported back in time, a stark contrast to the modern city surrounds.
 The Rocks, Sydneys oldest preserved historic area and one of the most visited parts of Sydney. It is rich in Australian history with buildings that have been around since the colonization of Australia, and with the Harbour Bridge its neighbor, the Rocks is a popular destination for all who want to experience a meeting of old and new. Tourists flock to this historic precinct to visit the iconic markets on the weekend, enjoy the bars and restaurants, shop and visit the galleries and of course take in some of Australias history and best sights in Sydney.

But dont write this off as just another tourist fest, as a Sydneysider it is a great place to be day or night. The Rocks is home to some of Sydneys oldest bars, which play live music on a regular basis and as far as atmosphere goes, there is plenty on this pub scene.


There are also some great restaurants though you can expect to pay for it, or for something a little cheaper you can get a good pub feed at the majority of the historic bars surrounding. Weekends you will find are the best nights to go out for drinks and food as there is entertainment and the atmosphere electric. Or if you prefer to do relaxing activities you can visit the markets from 9-5 on the weekends and in the summer there is the moonlight markets on the Friday night.
Although a little touristy, you can walk around the harbour to the Harbour Bridge which is situated in Millers Point in the Rocks precinct and if your feeling energetic you can walk the bridge or climb it! Observatory Hill, located on the outskirts of the Rocks, is a beautiful spot to view the bridge and take in some of Sydney harbours sights. It can be very peaceful and serene sitting there and looking over some of Sydneys most beautiful sights, whether it be day or night. There is also Sydneys oldest observatory, hence the name Observatory Hill. You can visit the observatory for a fee, but the Observatory Hill park is free.
It is really hard to sum up the Rocks urban life as there is so much thats worth mentioning. Personally, this place resonates with me and would have to be my favourite place in Sydney.

View from Observatory Hill

This post was written by Kea for Sydney Urban Life.

The Queen Victoria Building: timeless

Breathtaking... the QVB's Eastern Wing

Located in the heart of the city the Queen Victoria Building (or the QVB as locals call it) combines 19th Century architecture with modern cafes and clothes stores.

Walking into the QVB is refreshing. Though not totally protected from the inner city noise the light flushed interior, the rich carpet and the tile-clad floor it a nice change of pace from the hectic city rush. The most stunning feature of the QVB is it's center - a giant class dome, 4 floors up. At Christmas time the circular hole which from every level onlookers can view the dome is filled with a tall Christmas tree.

A blue tower of Christmas cheer at the heart of QVB

Aside from gazing around at the QVB and it's stunning interiors there is plenty to do. In the Queen Street entrance stands a well patronized boutique chocolate store, which always attracts longing gazers from passer-by's. The most prominent cafe, the Old Vienna Coffee House is bustling with lunch-goers. On the upper levels is a tall grand piano where occasionally a man will come and play some tunes. But the best feature of the QVB is the regal Tea Rooms which offer the traditional devonshire tea.

High Tea anyone?

It's really great to see that Sydney City has not forgotten it's history. Surrounded on all sides by tall office towers, in comparison the QVB is tiny but manages to hold it's own due to it's time-gone-by looks.

Post by Will

Top 3 free things to do in Sydney

As the old saying goes, "the best things in life are free". When exploring Sydney City this is certainly is very true. Sure, you can go to the fanciest restaurants, pay to watch a movie on an over sized screen and go to the flashiest bars but in the end Sydney really has some cool free activities to enjoy.

Number 1 - Walking around the Sydney Botanic Gardens

Watch out for those pesky Iris birds though!

Be it when the sub rises or when in dips below the hills, the Gardens are beautiful any time of the day or year. Lush green grass and old tress are planted all around the park leaving areas nice and open for picnics and the like. The best thing about the Gardens? THE VIEW!! Not only do you get the sun shiny of Sydney Harbor but you also get a view of the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Coat Hanger, the Sydney Harbor Bridge! Beautiful!

Number 2 - The Rocks

Majestic...

Just walking around the old, sandstone obsessed Rocks brings you back to a simpler time. The Rocks, located opposite the Sydney Opera House and a short three minutes walk from Circular Quay is one of the must see, must do experiences of Sydney. Aside from the Rock's restaurants, clothing shops, cafes and museum, it's old buildings, narrow lanes and sheer quaintness really makes it standout among the tall Sydney skyscrapers.

Number 3 - Walk across the Sydney Harbor bridge

Simply Iconic 

What better way to get a big picture view of the city but also take in some sun? Walking across the famous Bridge of course! The walk across the bridge is 100% free and is a great way to relax after lunch or a day out on the town. In one of the Pylons there is even a chance to go up to an observational desk and learn about the incredible history behind the Bridge.

What is Urban Life in Sydney? Simply, it is without fuss. Sydney is varied and beautiful, and despite the tall glass towers there is still much natural beauty and old-fashioned architecture to marvel at.

Post by Will

Inner city serenity: The ANZAC War Memorial

Squarely in the middle of the concrete jungle that is the City of Sydney stands the tall, white facade of one of Sydney's most eerily beautiful haunts, the Sydney War Memorial. It's white blocks and height make it quite the stand out feature among it's leafy home in Hyde Park. But perhaps that is as it should be.

Above: the War Memorial

The ANZAC War Memorial was first visualized during a competition hosted by the then Governor of NSW, Sir Phillip Game to find the appropriate design for one of the nations most important national storys, that story being of the ANZAC's. The monument was opened in 1934. Today, the Memorial is open for public wanderings. On ANZAC day it features heavily in remembrance festivals.

Walking inside the tall tower complete with a domed roof is almost ethereal. Marble lines the floor and everywhere the walls are full of rich carvings of our ANZAC men and woman. The most striking feature of the building is perhaps the man on the golden cross at the very center of the domed tower. It's quite the experience just walking around the Memorials cold marble, the sounds from the city, the beeping and constant chatter dies away until you're left with almost silence, save for sounds shoes buckling on the marble stairs.

Above: the stunning architecture of the Memorial on display

In the heart of one of the worlds most modern, and busiest cities lies a monument to the past which stands in direct contrast to the gleaming, horribly modern skyscrapers which so dominate Sydney's skyline. Yet it's distinctive design is what makes it so very special, it stands as a constant reminder that buildings carry meaning and that even in the urban landscape that is the City, a building can force a nation to remeber and reflect upon deeds performed so many years ago.

Post by Will