First Impressions

On my second day in Sydney, (21 February 2013) I ventured off to the Royal Randwick Shopping Centre on Belmore Road in Randwick. I needed bath towels, bedding, groceries, etc. to set myself up in my apartment. Having just arrived and incredibly jet-lagged I had no idea where to start looking for places to shop... let alone hunting down affordable places to suit my student budget! Luckily, I met a resident in the building who's lived here for a few years and he pointed me to "Randwick."

I hopped a bus to Randwick and nervously watched out the window for my stop. The bus turned off High Street down a short, little back lane. As it turned the corner and basically took up the entire lane the Woolworths sign stood directly in front of the bus! A little Halleluiah song went off in my head as I sat back relieved that I arrived at my destination. I hopped off the bus, still getting used to the hot blast of air that greats you when you leave the air conditioning and find myself on this cute little street. Shops line both sides of the street for blocks all underneath sturdy awnings that project constant shade. The shops are topped with two storeys of (at one point) residential or office space. On one side of the street, an entire two storey shopping centre functions inside what looks like lower-level shopping and little flats above the shops.

I walk up and down the street peaking in all the shop windows trying to figure out what they were, but all the time observing the little outdoor cafes, the open doors on all the shops, people milling about the street, traffic beeping and rumbling in the background. This didn’t feel like a suburban shopping centre, like the big-box centres I am used to at home in Canada. It felt like the main street in a small town on a Thursday afternoon. Two big supermarkets thrive here: Woolworths and Coles, but among them bakeries, chemists, cafes, textile shops and even a butcher also operate! It is hard to believe this little area sits on the edge of a massive university campus, bustling hospital, and a horse racing track. On the street, you don’t feel swallowed up my massive buildings or carparks. It feels like Belmore Road is meant for people only, cars and buses only force themselves through the area because they can! With my shopping done and weighed down by plastic bags, I walk by a bus stop that lists many buses that go through the area, connecting it to the rest of Sydney and make the short walk back to my residence down the street.

Since that first shopping trip 3 weeks ago, Belmore Road has helped me set up a bank account, get a local sim card for my cell phone and fills my fridge with fresh groceries regularly. As it is the only area I am familiar with (so far), I plan my evening runs around there, knowing it’s safe enough and I will know how to get home!

Now with this assignment to study the street, I look forward to many hours spent in the various cafes observing and people watching. I don’t normally get excited about school work, but this is something I would do anyway!