Sydney is one of the hippest and fanciest cities on Earth. And where there are hip and fancy people, there are hip and fancy places to shop. But when you go shopping at great stores, you expect them to be inside a great place to house them, right? Well, look no further than the beautiful Sydney Strand Arcade.
Located on Pitt Street and George Street, the Strand is a Victorian-style shopping arcade in the heart of Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD). Designed by English architect John Spencer, the beautifully crafted arcade was built in 1891, and then opened in 1892. It was the last of the arcades built in Sydney during the Victorian Era. It is the only one remaining in its original form today. Originally, the arcade was known as just the “City Arcade”; in 1981, it was renamed Strand Arcade after the famous street in London which links the City of London with Westminister.
The Strand houses Australian designer labels such as Alannah Hill, Alex Perry, Jayson Brunsdon, Victoria Buckley Jewelry, Terry Biviano, and Fleur Wood.
While I was in Sydney, I sort of wandered into the Strand Arcade by accident. I was wandering aimlessly through Sydney on a cloudy day in January, and I saw a rather opulent looking mall through a large window. My curiosity piqued, I discovered a most magnificent place. A place filled with high-end designers, expensive retail, polished floors, perfectly sculpted railings, and a towering Christmas tree in the rotunda. Never mind that it was a week and a half since Christmas; no mall is complete without that lovely addition, especially during the winter months, or in Australia’s case, the dog days of summer. The interior was very similar to the arcade in Cleveland, only fancier, and a lot more crowded. While strolling past every window in the arcade, I stopped for a bite. I enjoyed a cube of lamington and a cup of coffee, or as they call it, straight white, or was it a tall black? I still cannot remember the coffee lingo down under. As I was enjoying my time in the arcade, I spotted a large clock dangling from the ceiling of the atrium, where I knew it was time to head back to my hotel.
If you must shop till you drop in Sydney, bring your dollars and cents, along with your shoppers sixth sense to the Strand Arcade!
