Ridges Street
In the dusk hours, it had a certain charm, especially when the harsh light of direct sunlight had ceased. Walking in the grey blueness of this short road, we felt the peculiar attraction of Ridges Street. It was a quiet enclave and refuge from the hustle and bustle of surrounding roads and suburbs. Here one can find solace in an old but well maintained church or find delight in the hundreds of photos plastered on the walls of a modest old-styled barbershop operated by George who emphasised his Italian heritage.
Dining at one end of Ridges, we dabbled in Armenian-Lebanese cuisine. The place was full with customers on this weekend evening, with tables laid out in small shop lot reminiscent of the European quarter of Istanbul, rather than North Sydney. The clientele was more Anglo-Celtic than in ethnic Arab Punchbowl of multi-racial greater Sydney. The food was thoughtfully prepared at Safi's. Delicate dips made of chilli, walnut and pinenuts or mild eggplant were a good way of familiarising ourselves with the thin-crust traditional bread. Our group of seven persons ended the dinner obviously full and even the hostess remarked that we were doing "really well" for the amount and variety of food we had. Fresh cuts of capsicum, onion and carrot placed in skewers were what we needed to compliment the well marinated lean lamb steaks. The water pitcher was a curiosity, with a short but effective beak and in the overall shape of a gourd.
Unassuming quiet apartment blocks stood at the northern corner of Ridges, reminding me of a cbd street I visited in Melbourne one Christmas Eve. There was an upper floor tennis centre adjoining a multi-storey car park. Partly commercial, partly residential, Ridges Street encapsulated what North Sydney is. It was easy to find parking even on a Saturday night so close to Christmas. Whilst the retail outlets were mostly closed except for the few restaurants, the church was open and the small units had signs of life from its mostly Gen Y occupiers. Sydney's Harbour Bridge was only five minutes away by car and one could walk to the train station downhill in 5 minutes. What a life, to be chic and cool, living in an oasis so near to Australia's largest city - and one with a harbour view at that.
Dining at one end of Ridges, we dabbled in Armenian-Lebanese cuisine. The place was full with customers on this weekend evening, with tables laid out in small shop lot reminiscent of the European quarter of Istanbul, rather than North Sydney. The clientele was more Anglo-Celtic than in ethnic Arab Punchbowl of multi-racial greater Sydney. The food was thoughtfully prepared at Safi's. Delicate dips made of chilli, walnut and pinenuts or mild eggplant were a good way of familiarising ourselves with the thin-crust traditional bread. Our group of seven persons ended the dinner obviously full and even the hostess remarked that we were doing "really well" for the amount and variety of food we had. Fresh cuts of capsicum, onion and carrot placed in skewers were what we needed to compliment the well marinated lean lamb steaks. The water pitcher was a curiosity, with a short but effective beak and in the overall shape of a gourd.
Unassuming quiet apartment blocks stood at the northern corner of Ridges, reminding me of a cbd street I visited in Melbourne one Christmas Eve. There was an upper floor tennis centre adjoining a multi-storey car park. Partly commercial, partly residential, Ridges Street encapsulated what North Sydney is. It was easy to find parking even on a Saturday night so close to Christmas. Whilst the retail outlets were mostly closed except for the few restaurants, the church was open and the small units had signs of life from its mostly Gen Y occupiers. Sydney's Harbour Bridge was only five minutes away by car and one could walk to the train station downhill in 5 minutes. What a life, to be chic and cool, living in an oasis so near to Australia's largest city - and one with a harbour view at that.
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