Sure signs you're in Sydney

Aaah, Sydney. You flashy little minx. Not for you the hidden depths of other, less temperate Australian capitals. Hiding your light under a bushel never was your style. Why should it be, with such impressive natural assets? If you’ve got it, flaunt it. And Sydney, you’ve got it in spades.

Of course, it’s not all shimmering harbour views and meteorological superiority. There are other factors that set Sydney apart. In combination, this heady mix of urban trademarks distinguishes the emerald city from anywhere else on earth.

Here are nine signs you are most definitely in Sydney (if the fact you were just locked out of a Kings Cross nightclub at 1.30am wasn’t a dead giveaway).     

Giant cockroaches

In Sydney, cockroaches aren’t pests. They’re house guests. Uninvited, sure, but they’ve been living at your place longer than you have, and no true Sydneysider would bat an eyelid if they spied one scurrying under your fridge. That’s not to say you don’t wage occasional battles against the little critters, stockpiling baits and sprays and pulling out your best ninja moves when you could be bothered. But we all know who will win in the end.

Real estate obsession

Was there ever a city so obsessed with real estate? Buying it, selling it, renting it, tearing it down, prettying it up, wondering why you travelled overseas for most of your 20s instead of saving up for a deposit … or is that just me?

Photo: Getty

Summer scents

No, you haven’t been transported to a tropical paradise. That’s just your average suburban Sydney street in summer, the air thick with the scent of frangipanis. Rewind a few months and giant jacaranda trees splash the city with purple, before the fallen petals turn to slippery muck.

Harbour views

Pass my shades – that’s one mighty fine harbour view you have there, Sydney. So what if your bedroom doubles as your living room, dining room and guest bedroom … it’s worth it for that knockout view. Ditto all along the coastline and up the river. If your place overlooks New Year’s Eve fireworks, no, it’s no coincidence your popularity soars as December 31 approaches each year. Lend me your spare parking space and we’ll be friends for life.

Photo: Janie Barrett

California bungalows

A little bit of Hollywood arrived in Sydney in the early 20th century, courtesy of the humble California bungalow. Suited to the local climate, the squat, single-storey homes with gabled roofs became Sydney’s favourite house style between the wars. Take a drive around many middle-ring suburbs and you’ll see them still standing … often renovated and rendered to within an inch of their lives.

Beautiful beaches

If the mercury is tipped to reach the 30s, you’d better bust a move if you want to snare a parking space anywhere near Manly or Bondi beaches. Once you’re there, behold the beauty of sparkling Pacific Ocean, the soft white sand between your toes and the remarkable fluorescence of the sunburn on those English backpackers. Special shout-out to Sydney’s spectacular harbour beaches and pools too.

Photo: Getty

Ferry trips

Make like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic (without all the snogging and sinking and stuff) by catching a ferry to work. One of Sydney’s most recognisable – and pleasurable – modes of transport, the grand fleet of ferries allow commuters to feel the sun on their faces, the wind in their hair and the spray on their mobile devices.

Southerly busters

Is it getting hot in here? It was, until that spectacular southerly change charged up the coast, sending the temperature plummeting, the winds gusting and everyone searching for their camera phones to capture that incredible cloud roll.

Photo: Jane Dyson

Eternal infrastructure projects

If some guys and gals in high-vis aren’t camped out up the road every night, congratulations. Or commiserations. You live in one of the few Sydney suburbs not slated for some you-beaut infrastructure project that may or may not shave two hours off your morning commute. By 2047.