Sydney CBD SUBURB GUIDE

The Central Business District (or 'CBD' to locals) is the cultural and commercial center of Sydney. This is where many of Sydney's professionals spend their working days and where cruise ships unload their passengers to shop and visit museums and historic sites. Beautiful sandstone landmark buildings sit side-by-side with gleaming, all-glass skyscrapers. When it comes to dining, fast food restaurants and other quick eats abound to take care of business people on lunch break, but there are plenty of upscale places if you're looking for a nice meal out.

Despite being relatively compact, there are several distinct parts to the CBD. The historic area of The Rocks was the first part of Sydney to be inhabited by the English; nowadays it's home to museums, shopping, bars, clubs, and restaurants (and lots of tourists) on its cobblestone streets. Darling Harbour is a dining and nightlife hub and appeals to residents and tourists alike; situated along the small, boat-filled harbour of the same name, you'll find a bowling alley, shopping mall, parks, museums, convention center, Sydney aquarium, and the largest IMAX theater in the world. The CBD proper has several major department stores, shopping centers, and street-level shops offering everything from tourist tchotchkes to designer duds.

As you'd expect, most of the residents here are professionals who work in the CBD. The majority are single and tend to be on the younger side – you won't find many families here. Except for some buildings in The Rocks, you'll only find high rise apartments and condos here.

Wherever in the CBD you live, you'll be steps from the morning workouts held in Hyde Park, the beautiful meandering trails of the Royal Botanic Gardens, and sunset drinks by the iconic Opera House.

The CBD is bordered on the north by Sydney Harbour, on the east by Woolloomooloo and Darlinghurst, on the south by Haymarket, and on the west by Pyrmont and Darling Harbour.

Commute:
Chatswood: 11 km / 15-25 minutes by car / 25 minutes by transit
Parramatta: 25 km / 35-60 minutes by car / 30-35 minutes by transit