Things to do in Paddington

Inside Paddington- the ins and outs of Sydney’s Eastern suburb life

Whether living, dining, chilling, dancing, shopping or even just having a gander at what’s on offer, Paddington is a super suburb on Sydney’s East side. The parks in Paddington are perfect for the keen jogger, and the area harbours picturesque views at every corner and architecture to take your breath away. There really isn’t much that Paddington doesn’t have to offer. Whether you are tying your hair up and setting off to work on a Monday morning on a quirky push bike, or letting your hair down and not planning on going home before the sun comes up, the restaurants, bars and pubs in Paddington are more than willing to accommodate your daily needs. Bursting with heritage and a great vibe, the hustle and bustle is just a stone’s throw away without the feeling of being crushed by the oppression of the city.

Being a Padditarion

Accommodation in Paddington isn’t the cheapest option for Sydney; however, with what it has to offer and the standard of living- it is undoubtedly one of the most sought after trendy areas of Sydney’s east side. With the beach a short bus ride away and Oxford St’s heartbeat pumping through the foundations of the houses, expect to pay your way. For a 2-bed apartment in leafy Paddo, the rent will be touching on $600 per week, which isn’t too bad if there’s a couple of you wanting your own space. There aren’t too many hostels in the area but there are many in the neighbouring suburbs such as Kings Cross or Bondi so a visit to Paddington is only a short walk away. Paddo is however, teaming with flat shares and it’s the perfect way to meet newbies and save some cash. A room in a flat share will cost you around $150-200 per week depending on direct location and of course your standard of living (or if you’re sharing a bed!)

Catching a bite, good company and a beverage

The only problem with Paddington is that you are completely and utterly spoiled for choice, so much so that you will never need to use that flash kitchen back at your pad. Paddington is renowned for its café culture, restaurants and pub-grub passion. BBM’s favourites in the area range from Micky’s Café on Oxford St, showing-off their unbeatable $10 meal deals every weeknight (their Mexican meal deal is what dreams are made of).

The Local Taphouse on Flinders St is a real top scorer with locals and tourists alike. The atmosphere is electric and the food is faultless for the price. The best way to find somewhere to suit your taste is to just wander up the leafy lanes and check out the menus of the hundreds of both intimate restaurants and the larger pub menus. You will not be disappointed with the choice on any night of the week. If your they type to worry about pretentious stigma, which some eateries in Paddington do carry, head to hangouts such as The Paddington Arms, The London or Lord Dudley which create a chilled out place to chat, drink and eat with mates without the typical Sydney ‘scene’.

For all you sushi lovers out there, it doesn’t get much better than Toko Sushi, also on Oxford St. There are of course many higher priced restaurants for a special occasion such as award winning L’etoile French restaurant. Many restaurants in Paddington are also BYOB- Winner!

As with the array of restaurants and cafés to choose from, the choice of bars and pubs is pretty obvious as you walk up Oxford St and take a look around. Whether you prefer classy cocktail joints, pubs with sport, or a cheeky Sunday session with live music and DJs, you will be catered for. The Hunkydory Social Club near Flinders St, is always pumping but with a chilled vibe of house and techno on a Sunday afternoon when hair of the dog is an absolute must. The roof terrace takes you out of the city and into the hunky bubble. Coco Cubana just next door also has a great energy after work and on the weekend as patrons sit drinking sangria and tucking into tapas in the sunshine.

Sunny Sundays and Lazy Days

Paddington isn’t always about being a spendy Wendy. The people of Paddington often seem to forget that the suburb is absolutely perfect for those lazy day walks and arts/culture activities. Paddington is built around Oxford St, making it the perfect place to people watch and read your favourite book. The area is surprisingly green to say how close it is to the CBD, making it inexcusable not to head for that Sunday jog or wander through the parks surrounding the area.

The Chauvel Cinema is a great cause for an afternoon out of the Sun and into the quirky world of film. Showing great international film festival movies and other films to suit any taste, this place gets packed out with people wanting to escape the Sydney life for a few hours. If art is your thing, check out the galleries of Paddington such as The Art of Dr.Zeuss, which has the most eccentric display of artworks to take you back to your childhood.

The Paddington Markets in the Paddington school grounds create an escape for any kind of shopper and bargain hunter, displaying the finest market charm and perfect reason to escape the pub and grab some fresh air.

If you fancy something a little different then why not check out Paddington Bowls. After all, who said bowls was just for the elderly? These guys swear by the motto: ‘Bowls without the Olds!’ with the aim of making the game just that little bit cooler. The best thing about this place is that you can eat while you bowl and there is a wide selection to choose from – breakfast, tapas, canapés, dessert, even a full on BBQ if that’s what you fancy. These however won’t leave you all feeling stuffed, they veer more towards the snack variety. After all, nobody wants to get a stomach-ache after all that sport, do they?

Vintage style and boutique buys

Everyone loves a good shag. No, we’re not talking about hopping on the good foot and doing the bad thing you pervs – we just love the vintage store, which has ‘Shag’ written all over it. Hidden along Oxford St, Shoebox in size – massive in variety. You can’t help but spend hours in this place looking at every specially chosen garment.

My Boudoir is also a clear winner in the area. The friendly staff cannot help you enough to find that vintage prize in the old leather trunks. A lot of the boutique shops in the area actually aren’t too badly priced; just banging clothes at banging prices. There is of course the higher range of designer boutiques along Oxford St, head down there to treat yourself or just do a spot of window shopping. Also look out for garage sale signs often propped up at street corners, a sweet way to save some dollar or just go for a garage gander- one man’s trash is another’s treasure.

A Winner…

Paddington is a truly charming suburb of Sydney. It attracts the young professionals of the city, which is clear as you see the shoppers, pub goers, joggers and tourists wondering around the streets. It has a great choice of Victorian terraced houses for the more traditional Padditarian, or modern apartments for cosmopolitan living. It screams quirky and convenient, yet is a relaxing place to live with endless opportunities for ‘everyday things to-do.’ It usually takes around an hour to fall in love with the leafy café culture way of life in Paddo: making it hard to ever leave.

The pubs feel ‘local’ and the array of cuisines in the extensive range of restaurants is extremely inviting. Having the beach just to the east and the city to the west, you wonder why people don’t step out of the suburb of Paddington more often to explore. But, like a moth to a flame, it’s bubbly personality shines through and attracts a massive fan club every hour of every day.

Perfect for…

Paddington is perfect for: trendies, book buffs, culture vultures and café dwellers.

By Frankie Salt