Sydney/Lower North Shore

The Lower North Shore is the metropolitan area on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour and is surrounded by Middle Harbour to the east and Lane Cove River to the west. The region extends as far north as Chatswood, where beyond that is the Upper North Shore.

Understand
If you have ever walked the steps of the Sydney Opera House and wondered what lies on the other side of the harbour, it is time to explore the Lower North Shore. Connected to the city by Sydney Harbour Bridge, the region offers travellers spectacular views of the harbour, hidden harbour beaches and a peak into the lives of some of Sydney's most affluent residents.

The commercial and geographical centre of the district is North Sydney, a large business hub with skyscrapers (housing mostly financial services companies), shopping malls and a small nightlife scene. Just south of North Sydney is the harbour and the densely populated suburbs of Milsons Point and Kirribilli. It is here where you will find the northern foundations of the bridge and a waterfront promenade with excellent views of the city skyline and the Opera House. It is also where you will find Luna Park, a historic theme park by the water.

To the east is the visually stunning Mosman peninsula which includes the suburbs of Neutral Bay, Cremorne and Mosman. Throughout this area are quiet harbour beaches, natural bushland reserves and magnificent mansions with private jetties. It is also where you will find the world famous Taronga Zoo.

To the west lies historically significant suburbs such as Lavender Bay and Wollstonecraft. Most of the houses are Victorian-era terraces made of sandstone. There are also some natural headlands that off an opportunity for short hikes.

Finally, the north of the area and reaching the upper border of the region are the commercial centres of Crows Nest, which has a popular food and bar street, and Chatswood, a mega shopping zone with 3 large shopping malls and a long shopping street.

By car
There are harbour crossings that connect the Lower North Shore to the city: the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. For North Sydney, Milsons Point and Kirribilli you have to take the bridge, and take any of the first set of exits to your left as you come off the bridge. For points further north, you can use the bridge or the tunnel. Then for Cremorne and Mosman, take the 'Military Road' exit and head east. For Chatswood, continue on the freeway until you reach the Chatswood exit.

By train and metro
The North Shore Line (/) serve the central core of the region between and. Trains for the Lower North Shore depart from Central, Town Hall and Wynyard stations in the city. Services run every five minutes or so during the day.

Sydney Metro's M1 line connects Chatswood to the The Hills district and Epping, Macquarie Park and North Ryde from the west of Chatswood. .

By bus
Regular buses run from the city throughout the Lower North Shore. From Chatswood there are regular bus services to the City, North Sydney, Crows Nest, Ryde, Macquarie University, Gladesville, Northbridge, Mosman, and the Northern Beaches.

By ferry
West of the Harbour Bridge, Milsons Point and McMahons Point are on the F3 and F4 routes, providing connections to Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, Balmain and up the river towards Parramatta. Both wharfs provide access to North Sydney for ferry travellers. You can walk there from Milsons point, or get the bus connection from McMahons Point.

Just to the east of the Bridge the F5 route connects Kirribilli with Circular Quay.

The rest of the eastern area of the region also has ferry services, to Mosman, Cremorne, Neutral Bay and Taronga Zoo services.

To the far west, a little known private ferry operation connects the Lane Cove River to Circular Quay and Darling Harbour by Captain Cook ferries.

The ferry may be a slower way of travelling around the region. Services can be less frequent than trains and buses, cost more, and take longer. So, check with Transport NSW if your interest is purely in the fastest trip. On the other hand, every trip is a bargain priced harbour cruise, letting you see the most scenic side of the area.

By foot
You can walk across the Harbour Bridge from the Rocks, directly into Milsons Point. It takes about 20 minutes brisk walking. Be careful on hot (or rainy) days since there is not much shade or shelter along the way.

By bicycle
There is a dedicated cycleway on the western side of the bridge, fully separated from cars and pedestrians. On the city end, follow the Kent St Cycleway north, or enter from Observatory Hill. From the Milsons Point end, the entry is the stairs west and south of the station. Once you leave the bridge, there is only a patchy network of bicycle lanes and the roads can be narrow and steep. Plan your route in advance. Lime eBike and Mobike are available on the southern (city) side of the bridge. You can ride them over the harbour bridge, but you have to return them back to the city within a reasonable time to avoid excess charges, so they are not really useful for more than a cruise over the bridge and back.

By car
Away from the railway line and ferries, a car can be a good option for getting around the Lower North Shore. North Sydney and Milsons Point are business districts, with parking at a premium on weekdays. The shopping areas of Chatswood and Crows Nest generally have 3 hours of free parking available. Other tourist spots and the harbour can have parking metres or paid parking.

By public transport
The public transport system in the Lower North Shore is mostly designed to get locals from the area directly to North Sydney and the city. Therefore, connections between the hotspots (Taronga Zoo to Balmoral Beach for example) are not that easy. Because of this, day trips to places are excellent (e.g. city to Taronga Zoo by ferry and city to Balmoral Beach by bus) and many travellers will prefer to do day trips from the city to one place. If you do want to get around using public transport, it is best to use Google Maps or a similar tool that can help you determine the best combination of trains, buses and ferries to get you around. For the most part services are on time and not crowded.

By foot
Exploring the harbour on the north side is ideally done by foot. There are walking trails and paths along the water. The overall region is too large to walk, so you'll have to combine walking with some other form of distance transport: public transit, car or bike.

Harbour parks, walks and picnics

 * Extensive walking opportunities are available in Lane Cove National Park. Lane Cove Park is developed, with well formed walks, cafe, etc. Entry fee is payable for cars to enter. Cyclists and pedestrians are free.
 * Harbour views from parts of the district are spectacular. In addition to the normal views, Sydney Harbour has occasional fireworks displays, the most impressive of which is the New Year displays at 9PM on New Years Eve and at midnight on New Year's Day. Visitors hoping to watch the New Year fireworks from a North Sydney vantage point need to be prepared to arrive at around midday on New Year's Eve to claim a spot in one of the public parks. The area is frequently restricted access on New Year's Eve and visitors may not be allowed to bring alcohol into the area
 * Walk around the foreshore from Kirribili to Lavender Bay along the Luna Park promenade.
 * Extensive walking opportunities are available in Lane Cove National Park. Lane Cove Park is developed, with well formed walks, cafe, etc. Entry fee is payable for cars to enter. Cyclists and pedestrians are free.
 * Harbour views from parts of the district are spectacular. In addition to the normal views, Sydney Harbour has occasional fireworks displays, the most impressive of which is the New Year displays at 9PM on New Years Eve and at midnight on New Year's Day. Visitors hoping to watch the New Year fireworks from a North Sydney vantage point need to be prepared to arrive at around midday on New Year's Eve to claim a spot in one of the public parks. The area is frequently restricted access on New Year's Eve and visitors may not be allowed to bring alcohol into the area
 * Walk around the foreshore from Kirribili to Lavender Bay along the Luna Park promenade.
 * Extensive walking opportunities are available in Lane Cove National Park. Lane Cove Park is developed, with well formed walks, cafe, etc. Entry fee is payable for cars to enter. Cyclists and pedestrians are free.
 * Harbour views from parts of the district are spectacular. In addition to the normal views, Sydney Harbour has occasional fireworks displays, the most impressive of which is the New Year displays at 9PM on New Years Eve and at midnight on New Year's Day. Visitors hoping to watch the New Year fireworks from a North Sydney vantage point need to be prepared to arrive at around midday on New Year's Eve to claim a spot in one of the public parks. The area is frequently restricted access on New Year's Eve and visitors may not be allowed to bring alcohol into the area
 * Walk around the foreshore from Kirribili to Lavender Bay along the Luna Park promenade.
 * Harbour views from parts of the district are spectacular. In addition to the normal views, Sydney Harbour has occasional fireworks displays, the most impressive of which is the New Year displays at 9PM on New Years Eve and at midnight on New Year's Day. Visitors hoping to watch the New Year fireworks from a North Sydney vantage point need to be prepared to arrive at around midday on New Year's Eve to claim a spot in one of the public parks. The area is frequently restricted access on New Year's Eve and visitors may not be allowed to bring alcohol into the area
 * Walk around the foreshore from Kirribili to Lavender Bay along the Luna Park promenade.

People watching

 * Chatswood's, very close to the train/metro station, has regular musical performances, an ethnic food market on Thursdays, and occasionally performances from buskers.

Buy
Chatswood can feel like one big shopping mall. Westfield, Lemon Grove, Chatswood Chase and the Mandarin centre merge along the Victoria Avenue into a seemingly endless stretch of fashion, food and just about everything else. The major chains are all there, with many of them having more than one outlet. There are also many smaller shops and centres lining the main shopping mall. Chatswood Chase is an upmarket shopping centre with designer clothing stores and the upmarket department store David Jones. Chatswood Westfield is a mainstream shopping centre with cheaper clothing stores. Chatswood Mandarin is a smaller shopping centre with an Asian food court, a cinema, and a Chinese supermarket on the ground floor.

North Sydney has plenty of shopping options during the week, but feels eerily quiet on weekends when most businesses shut shop.

Crows Nest and Lane Cove have a good selection of local shops to browse, and both have a good community feel.

Eat
The Lower North Shore has plenty of great eating options. Milsons Point has a good selection of Italian and Thai restaurants and cafes, many overlooking the Bridge and Harbour. North Sydney has plenty of food courts for office workers, although not much for evenings and weekends. There are numerous restaurants with a variety of cuisines in Crows Nest near the junction of Pacific Highway, Falcon Street and Willoughby Road, and in McMahons Point, along Blues Point Road. St Leonards mostly has cafes for office workers. Chatswood has a fantastic selection of East Asian restaurants, and the shopping malls have plenty of quick options. Neutral Bay and Mosman have also countless options all the way down Military Road (and if visiting the zoo, it would probably be advisable to try this rather than use the cafes at the zoo).

North Sydney
Packed with office workers during the week, you will find most options (although not all) are closed during the evenings and on weekends.



McMahons Point
It is a great option to walk down Blues Point Road from North Sydney and choose a good restaurant. The architecture and atmosphere is very pleasant, and outside seating is popular. Unlike North Sydney these cater mostly to residents and are open evenings and weekends. Check the prices on the menus at the door, as there are some premium places along here you could stumble into.



Chatswood
There is almost no limit to the options to be found in Chatswood. The two shopping malls provide large food courts, and there are plenty of authentic Asian restaurants within a few minutes walk of the train station.

Lane Cove and Longueville
An eat street with more local appeal.



Bars and clubs
The suburb of North Sydney is known as a playground for young Sydneysiders, in particular for teenagers and people in their early twenties. There are a number of nightclubs and pubs located within walking distance of North Sydney train station.

Stay healthy

 * Royal North Shore Hospital, Pacific Highway, St Leonards. . fax +61 2 9926 7779. The Royal North Shore Hospital is a fully equipped public teaching hospital. It has an emergency room.
 * Chatswood Medical & Dental Centre, 270 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood. . No appointments, just turn up. Payment by cash or credit card.  They are used to seeing travellers there.  Daily 8AM-10PM.
 * Forum Medical Centre, Pacific Hwy, St Leonards (cnr Herbert St). . M-F 9AM-5PM; Sa Su 10AM-2PM.

Go next
Take a ferry south or go over the bridge to the city centre. Head east to Manly and the rest of the Northern Beaches or west to Macquarie Park. Up north is the Upper North Shore.