Sydney shopping.

Sydney shopping..


Shopping in Sydney is a delight, if you like shopping....


Most of the large department stores and shopping centres are within a few blocks of each other and if it's raining you can make your way around under cover using the intricate system of malls, arcades, interconnected department stores, tunnels and overhead walkways that link four blocks of local and international outlets.


There are more than enough shops for you to visit and in Sydney you can buy absolutely anything your heart desires.


Shops are generally open from 9-5pm Monday through Friday (with the exception of Thursday when most stores will open until 9pm), 9-4pm on Saturday and some stores in the city will open on a Sunday but hours vary so it's best to call up and check.


Almost all outlets accept the major credit cards like Amex, Diners, MC, Visa and some city stores will accept JCB cards.


You can also use Maestro or Cirrus electronic network debit cards in most stores.


The main shopping centre is the Pitt Street Mall on Pitt Street.


Here you’ll find the Mid City Centre which houses a number of stylish boutiques.


The other main shopping complexes and shopping areas include Castlereagh Street, Centrepoint, which is on the corner of Pitt & Market Streets, Chifley Plaza at 2 Chifley Square, King Street, the MLC Centre, Piccadilly on Pitt Street and The Queen Victoria Building.


The Queen Victoria Building, once described by Pierre Cardin as the most beautiful shopping centre in the world, is a purpose built shopping centre opened originally in 1898 celebrating Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.


In more recent years the building was largely neglected and fell in to a state of disrepair until the early 1980's when the Centre was painstakingly restored to its original grandeur.


Today the QVB is one of the most stunning examples of Victorian architecture in Sydney.


The Centre now houses a superb collection of 190 designer label and specialty stores and excellent eateries.


The QVB occupies a full block along George Street between Town Hall and Market Street.


For more information visit www.qvb.com.au.


The Strand Arcade is a more hip and groovy version of the QVB.


The Strand was opened in 1892 and was almost destroyed by fire in 1976.


The resident shopkeepers restored the building which now houses some of Australia's top designer labels, jewellers, boutiques and beauty salons.


The Strand extends from the middle of Pitt Street mall through to George Street, a block towards Circular Quay from the QVB.


For more information, visit www.strandarcade.com.au.


Skygarden, which is located in the Centre of Sydney's business and shopping district between Pitt Street Mall and Castlereagh Street and which is open seven days a week, is a great place to shop, eat or relax in a beautiful, stylish environment.


Choose from a superb collection of international and Australian fashion labels including Hermès, Von Troska, Baubridge & Kay, Filomena Natale, Keith Matheson and Hardy Brothers Jewellery.


Get the low down on the best books, magazines, CDs and DVDs from Borders, the biggest bookstore in town.


With free live music, film groups, book signings and story times for kids, Borders is like no other bookstore.


If you’re hungry head to Sydney’s boldest Chinese restaurant, the new but already legendary Sky Phoenix, serving the largest selection of yum-cha in the CBD.


Yum-cha lunch is available Monday to Sunday from 11am-3pm, and A la carte dinner is available Monday to Saturday from 5pm-11pm.


Skygarden also has a dedicated home wares floor on level two.


Choose from a range of gifts, decorator pieces, kitchenware and furniture from stores such as Corso De´ Fiori, Bed Bath N´ Table and Wheel and Barrow.


Then have your parcels delivered to your door, courtesy of the Skygarden free home delivery service.


Piccadilly houses some of Sydney's more interesting and innovative fashion retailers and with 40 + specialty stores and boutiques selling everything from footwear to homewares the centre is a great place to pick up an interesting gift for someone special.


The centre is located opposite the Hilton Hotel in Pitt Street, a 5 minute walk from Town Hall railway station.


David Jones is Sydney's oldest department store and one of the world's only department stores still trading under its original name.


After refurbishing the George Street store in 1877, David Jones boasted the city's first hydraulic lift.


Today the store still stands by its founder's original commitment, to sell "the best and most exclusive goods" and to carry "a stock that embraces the everyday wants of mankind at large."


The stores are located at 65-77 Market Street & 86-108 Castlereagh Street.


The nearest railway stations are St James and Museum.


At the southern end of Pitt Street Mall you will find Centrepoint which houses over 130 specialty stores and forms the foyer to the 305 metre high AMP tower.


Other shopping areas in or close to Pitt Street Mall include the Glasshouse and the MLC Centre which are linked to one another via a covered overpass.


Further down towards the Quay is Chifley Plaza, home to a selection of the world's most famous and stylish international brands.


There is also a wonderful shopping precinct at Harbourside in Darling Harbour andif you are looking for something rather unique and special then head to Circular Quay and The Rocks where you will find many wonderful boutiques with an astonishing assortment of finery for your perusal.


There are also some excellent markets around Sydney throughout the week and every weekend where you can pick up anything from new and pre-loved clothes and hand crafted furniture to mouth watering home baked food.


Following is a reasonably complete list of major shopping precincts in Sydney city, the greater Sydney area and Newcastle.


As I said, Shopping in Sydney is a delight, if you like shopping............enjoy.


Sydney City:

• Myer Department Store (7 floors and mezzanine), Sydney CBD

• David Jones Department Store (14 Floors across two locations), Sydney CBD

• Queen Victoria Building (QVB), Sydney CBD

• Sydney Central Plaza, (Under Redevelopment - Mid 2008, Reopen 2010)Sydney CBD

• Westfield Centrepoint, (Under Redevelopment - Mid 2008, Reopen 2010) Sydney CBD

• Mid-town Plaza, (Under Redevelopment - Mid 2008, Reopen 2010) Sydney CBD

• Mid City Centre (Under Redevelopment, Reopen 2010), Sydney CBD

• The Galeries Victoria, Sydney CBD

• Skygarden Arcade, (Under Redevelopment - Mid 2008, Reopen 2010) Sydney CBD

• Sydney Arcade, Sydney CBD

• Glasshouse Arcade, Sydney CBD

• Imperial Arcade, (Demolition- Mid 2008) Sydney CBD

• Chifley Plaza, Sydney CBD

• MLC Centre, Sydney CBD

• GPO - No.1 Martin Place, Sydney CBD

• Piccadilly, Sydney CBD

• The Strand Arcade, Sydney CBD

• Met Centre, Sydney CBD

• World Square, Sydney CBD

• Market City, Chinatown, Sydney

• Town Hall Square, Sydney CBD

• Skyview Shopping Plaza, Sydney CBD

• Lumière Retail Precinct (Opens 2008), Sydney CBD

• Capitol Square, Sydney CBD

• Broadway Shopping Centre, Sydney CBD

• Sussex Centre, Chinatown, Sydney

• Harbourside Shopping Centre, Darling Harbour

• Oxford Square, Darlinghurst

Greater Sydney:

• Carlingford Court, Carlingford

• Castle Towers, Castle Hill

• Centro Bankstown, Bankstown

• Centro Roselands, Roselands

• Chatswood Chase, Chatswood

• Eastgate Shopping Centre, Bondi Junction

• Fairfield Forum, Fairfield

• Macquarie Centre, North Ryde

• Macarthur Square, Campbelltown

• Neeta City, Fairfield

• Rhodes Shopping Centre, Rhodes

• Rockdale Plaza, Rockdale

• Roselands Shopping Centre, Roselands

• Rouse Hill Town Centre, Rouse Hill

• Southgate Shopping Centre, Sylvania

• Stanhope Village Shopping Centre, Stanhope Gardens

• Stockland Baulkham Hills, Baulkham Hills

• Stockland Glenrose, Belrose

• Stockland Merrylands, Merrylands

• Stockland Wetherill Park, Wetherill Park

• Warringah Mall, Brookvale

• Westfield Bondi Junction, Bondi Junction

• Westfield Burwood, Burwood

• Westfield Chatswood, Chatswood

• Westfield Eastgardens, Pagewood

• Westfield Hornsby, Hornsby

• Westfield Hurstville, Hurstville

• Westfield Liverpool, Liverpool

• Westfield Miranda, Miranda

• Westfield Mount Druitt, Mount Druitt

• Westfield North Rocks, North Rocks

• Westfield Parramatta, Parramatta

• Westfield Penrith, Penrith

• Westpoint Blacktown, Blacktown

Newcastle:

• Charlestown Square, Newcastle

• GreenHills Shopping Centre, East Maitland

• Jewellstown Plaza, Newcastle

• Marketown, Newcastle

• Stockland Glendale, Glendale

• Stockland Jesmond, Jesmond (the first shopping centre in Newcastle)

• Westfield Kotara, Newcastle

• Wallsend Plaza, Newcastle