Located as the base of the Sydney Tower, Westfield Sydney is a high end shopping center in the…read moreheart of Sydney downtown. Its major retailers are stores like Myer and Zara, with luxury brands like Gucci, Fendi, and Chanel. It is owned by the Centre Group, which was previously part of the Westfield Group, a multi-national based in Australia. The Westfield Group was split in 2014 into a Australia/New Zealand portion (Centre group which owns this mall) and the Westfield Corporation, which owns many shopping centers in Europe and the US, including many that I've been to (Westfield Old Orchard, Westfield Century City, Westfield Topanga, and Westfield Culver City). We spent a bit of time here while waiting for our reservation at the Sydney Tower, whose customer entrance is located in this mall.

We went to the Queen Victoria Building to look at their beautiful architecture and discovered that…read moreit is connected to a mall. Quality/Quantity - 10+ dining choices - See website. 6+ "quick" food choices. Approximately 235 businesses. Atmosphere - Good size mall, it actually connects to the other major mall in the Queen Victoria Building. They have the Sydney Tower Eye here $35 - $195 admission. The tower also has a restaurant and bar. Skywalk $50 - $195. Events, see their website. Free wifi, we did not use it. Open 7 days a week, from 9:30am or 10am to 7pm or 9pm. Open late on Thursdays - until 9pm. Service - Self service for us. Valet parking available; we take public transportation or ride share. Price - Depends on what you buy, eat, or drink. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1960 with your 75 worldwide shopping centers. 2014 - Spin off from parent company. 2018 - New ownership, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.

For a shop that merits itself on stocking 'bargains' and 'clearouts,' there are a miraculous number…read moreof nice pieces in here, just be prepared to work those shopping muscles (and those jabbing elbows) as there is just SO much stuff. I found that the specialty in here was party dresses, namely those short strapless ones. There were variations of this model in every colour and fabric imaginable, I was impressed. There's also a whole load of casual gear, so if you're looking for just some laidback, cheap wear, this place is ideal. Of course, no big bargain store would be complete without the odd horror, but hey, who said you needed to get fancy dress outfits solely from fancy dress shops?!

Yet another "disposable fashion" Bargain Store, Big Bargain clearance store is HUGE with an…read moreeclectic range. Sprawling across two shops on Oxford St, you can find anything here from feathered crotchless panties and Australian flag bikinis to cheap and seriously nasty jewellery and sunglasses, to half-finished sample clothing for $10. In the manner of SES though you can always find something nice in the store for around ten bucks, and they have some great genuine-vinyl biker-style jackets for around the forty dollar mark. Don't be alarmed though, most of the stuff on the racks is nice- the horrors I mentioned above are the exception not the rule!

This many century old beauty in itself is worth visiting. Located right in the heart of Sydney,…read moreAustralia, it offers stained glasses, high ceiling and 4 stories of fancy shops and lots of cafes and restaurants. Sitting on the ground floor, I got myself a pot of hot tea and a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie and soaked in the atmosphere. The shops are more on the high-end side but some can be fun to walk through.

The Queen Victoria Building (QVB) was built in 1898 and designed by 28-year old architect, George…read moreMcRae, replacing the original Sydney markets on the site. Built as a monument to the long reigning monarch, construction took place during a severe recession. How? The elaborate Romanesque architecture was specially planned for the grand building so the Government could employ many out-of-work craftsmen - stonemasons, plasterers, and stained window artists - in a worthwhile project. The Stained Glass The visual message of Sydney's coat of arms on the cartwheel stained glass window, is that the beehive depicts business, the sailing ship - trade, and the dolphins - the harbor. Panel 1 (on the left-hand side) represents the Council of the City of Sydney and symbols of architecture, while the letters I.G.B., on panel 3 (on the right), represent Ipoh Gardens Berhad, the Malaysian company who restored the QVB in 2009. The symbols are of property developers - the builders. The bottom central panel represents the heraldic symbol of a finished building, and the joining of two hands denotes the fusing of two cultures. The Queen's Secret Letter There is a letter from Queen Elizabeth II to the Citizens of Sydney, to be opened and read by the Lord Mayor of Sydney in the year 2085. The Queen Victoria Statue Outside the QVB, on Town Hall Place, facing The Town Hall are the Royal Wishing Well and Queen Victoria's statue. My experience: This is the second time I have visited this building and on the second time, I found even more hidden historical things of note. It's a remarkable way to feel like you've stepped back in time, whether that's through shopping or through grabbing a coffee or tea and sitting in the atrium, taking it all in. TIP: Go to Haight's for some chocolate!

World Square in Sydney is a melting pot of shops housing multitude of options on its premises. From…read morefood, electronics, clothing and even grocery! It's pretty much a one-stop shop and couldn't be any more convenient. It was a quick walk from our AirBnb and not far from China Town either. Bring your wallet, and maybe come hungry!

Plenty of shopping and restaurants in the area! This part…read moreof Sydney has a large Asian influence and amazing delicious restaurants to boot! They have a large selection of shops and restaurants ranging in prices from affordable bakeries and sushi to upscale restaurants. Walking around, I got some sushi, some souvenirs for everyone and a pair of novelty socks all on the same shopping strip! This was a great area for just walking around!

The Strand Arcade, established in 1891, is a premier heritage-listed retail destination located in…read morethe heart of Sydney's CBD. It is celebrated as the only Victorian-style shopping arcade in Sydney to remain in its original architectural form, characterized by its ornate cedar staircases, tiled floors, and a majestic tinted glass roof. Less historic is the JB Hi-Fi store in the basement. I pretty much stayed on ground level to take it all in. And I did manage to purchase a nice mini wallet at a leather shop in the middle aisle.

Beautiful place to see and visit but the variety of stores is small. Definitely pass through and a…read moretake a pic.

A buzzing place in Chinatown near the rail stop. Ground floor a bazaar and another section an array…read moreof restos. Upper floors are in mall-like and second fl great Asian supermarket .

A very large Asian indoor market located in downtown Sydney, it reminded me very much of the Korean…read moreshopping malls located in multi-level buildings that were very popular in K-Town LA 10 years ago. But unlike in LA where they are not frequented, Market City was definitely hopping on a Friday afternoon. The vast majority of retail stores are Far East Asian (Chinese and Korean). There are grocery stores located in the bottom floor, along with beauty stores. There are also stand alone carts selling various knick knacks. It was worthwhile perusing them, and my brother ended up buying quite a few things.

Secret underground pop-up designer fashion laboratory alert!…read more (That would make a great Japanese cartoon title.) So you know Westfield Pitt St Mall ain't your average Westfield, right? That's it's designed and planned and decorated to within an inch of its life and is chock full of hella cool shops and eateries and all the things that get your little urban commando hearts beating faster then your average hipster. Well head down the escalators, ya big ol' fashionista, because there's another surprise for ya: on the below-ground level and there you'll find a concept store called 100 Squared that gets a whole bunch of amazing, emerging local fashion designers and collects them all in one place for your shopping pleasure. It's like the king of all pop-ups, curated for style and quality. And the best bit? It's a place for the new generation of fashion talent, all these great up-and-comers, to show off their mad sick skillz. Love it.

I had the opportunity to get invited to a Yelp hosted party here, and came out of interested…read more 100 Squared is definitely a breath of fresh air for Westfield, which is a shopping mecca for all the common brands (Zara, Gucci, Gap, etc). Instead of focusing on brand names, this is basically a marketplace/bazaar for independent designers who want another channel to showcase their products. I'm not a fashion designer myself, but I'm also a designer - just from a more digital perspective. I can relate to the "not work for the man" part so I like this place a lot because it gives another outlet for independents or small businesses to hustle their wares. So 5 stars for this place because it supports small business / independents. Anyway, there are clothes (women's fashion), and jewelry. But beware that the clothing sizes are more designed for "hipster" sizes. (i.e. if you're beyond say a size 10 or Medium - result of having a vegan or soy milk diet, then theres probably nothing for you here other than jewelry). But then again, theres even less for guys unless you're into cross-dressing at hipster sizes. PS - 300th Review!!!

This shop has to be one of the funnest I've been to. Ever…read more Popshop's entire purpose is to sell fun things. Things that are fun and funny and make us laugh. Whilst some of them may hint at practical purposes (like spaceship shaped ice trays), mainly they're just there to be fun. And fun they are. There is moustache themed paraphernalia aplenty at Popshop, with fingerstache tattoos, moustache chocolate lollypops, moustache straws and fuzzy stick on 'staches. A few of the other items that stood out on my last trip to Popshop included bobbly-head flamingoes, witty flipbooks, bacon flavoured toothpaste and many other things designed to lift the corners of your mouth, such as an audible fart book. I made the mistake of testing one of the buttons of said book, which was followed by an extremely awkward 10 seconds in which the book blurted out an extended and, might I say, varied fart. I then attempted to put as much distance as possible between me and the farting book (not an easy task in this tiny shop) whilst fellow shoppers avoided my eye contact. As I left the store, the man working in the shop picked up a handful of stock, setting off a chorus of squeaking rubber chickens and decapitated limbs. The man smiled to himself and I smiled too, knowing for certain that he had the best job in the world. Ever.

Popshop: my go-to store for quirky, fun gifts both for myself and others…read more They've got an array of knick knacks from heart shaped individual sized pans to make pretty pancakes and eggs, to moustache everything to dinosaur bubble guns, books that will make your eye pop out of your head from the high level of amusement, cards for every occasion and much more. My inner kid always comes out a bit more after a visit to this shop!

Free entertainment????! I'm in. The mall is a great space…read morefor street performers and I have to say some are top notch....and just wow! Worth dropping a few bucks into their bucket. It's quite the thoroughfare where you can spend hours people watching and there are plenty of food vendors attached where u can grab some grub...sort of like going to the movies. High end stores and arcades are also part of the mall, and there is always some company flogging something like false eyelashes to get the ladies or ladyboys lining up. I line up for the free cups of tea or the free tastings of chocolate. A continual kaleidoscope of people, sounds and products.

It's taken a few years to get it to this state, and there's still a bit left to do, but Pitt Street…read moreMall is definitely looking good! The opening of the new Westfield definitely gave it an added shine, but there's no lack of other shops in the area, with a large Myer, Mid City and The Strand to choose from, plus all the others that inhabited the pedestrianised shopping strip. Come lunchtime, the area becomes a hub of activity as city-types make their way to the numerous food courts on offer. Although it never actually gets quiet, as tourists and local inhabit the area almost constantly, especially when the sun's out, but the refurbishment also meant the creation of a more pleasant area to hang out as opposed to the run down precinct that used to occupy the space. It seems to have character as well, hence why I now choose to come here if I need to go to Westfield for whatever reason, as opposed to the Bondi Junction one. It just feels much nicer! You'll also find the place occupied by street artists, which I'm generally not a fan of, but I can live with it.

I love little shops like this, they are so much fun to explore. They are a combination of Antique…read moreshop, Junk shop (and I don't say "junk" with a negative connotation, I love junk shops) and museum. I often wonder how shops like this survive, but I am glad they sometimes do, when you walk around a place like this with jammed with so much treasure and trash that you can barely move, it is like entering another world (they don't even have a shop sign), I really find it fascinating. I never know what I will find, never anything I need but always something I want which I had never thought about before. They sell old cutlery and crockery, old books, vinyl, cameras which are probably 100 years old, teapots, old clothes a great place for costumers. Some of the old toys are fascinating too. If you are a fan of Antiques Roadshow this shop will be your dream come true.