Somehow, we are already approaching midterms here in Sydney! After a busy few weeks of tests, assignments, and papers, I’m finally finding time to check out more of the city and get back to sightseeing. Throughout the stressful past few weeks, I quickly got bored of sitting in the library for hours on end and decided to check out some of the other cool places that I had heard about on our massive campus.
In order to accommodate for the immense 60,000 undergraduate students at the University of Sydney, there are a number of different eateries, cafes, courtyards, and buildings to both shop, get food, and do work in. A lot of these places are operated by the University’s Student Union, known as the USU. In the beginning of the semester, I opted for the USU’s “Access Membership”, which provides discounts and deals all throughout campus. This membership has already more than paid for itself. With 15% off at most eateries, discounts in the school store, and coffee deals (free coffee for every 6 you buy), the savings really rack up.
With cost savings, spectacular views, and free wifi all throughout campus, these have been my favorite places to spend time on campus:
- Courtyard Café
This Café is by far my favorite place on campus, potentially even in Sydney! Hidden in a courtyard behind the University’s main grand hall, this open air café is popular among the select students that know of it. The pizzas are honestly some of the best I have ever had! My favorites so far have been caramelized onion and brie and the “bianco” pizza. They have lunch specials like a quarter pizza and half a salad, or daily pastas of the day for pretty cheap. It’s not just the food that is an enticing factor, but also the ambiance of the café. Based on a Swedish open air café, the ceiling is lined with sky lights and low hanging lights with large sliding doors along the front wall that are usually always open, as Sydney’s winters are pretty mild. On top of the extensive coffee options (coffee in a cone, cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites, etc.) there is also a bar with Australian wines and craft brews. There is really something for everyone here at the Courtyard!
- Abercrombie Terrace
Abercrombie Terrace is one of USyd’s newest eateries on campus. The Abercrombie Building is the new business building on campus. It is a beautifully designed modern building that looks a like Northeastern’s new science building, ISEC, with its large spiral staircase, and white modern aesthetic. The Terrace is a big café with long wooden tables and a wrap around deck outside the building. The Asian inspired menu includes poke bowls, sushi, dumplings, curries, sandwiches, bahn mi, and more. Rumor is this café also has the best coffee on campus. Being a business student, a lot of my classes are in the Abercrombie building, making it the perfect place for me to refuel with a coffee before a long three hour lecture or to catch up on readings between classes. My go to has been their iced coffees, which when you take advantage of coffee happy hour (3:30-4:30) and your access card for a 15% discount are a good steal.
- New Law Building
The law school here is comprised of a number of lecture halls and classroom buildings on Sydney’s main campus. Their newest building, cleverly named “New Law Building” is situated on the northern side of the Camperdown campus and has a beautiful, unobstructed view of the Sydney skyline. The outer edges of each of its four floors have floor to ceiling windows and plenty of tables and couches to sit and do work. Going up there makes writing essays or studying for tests a little more bearable, as gazing out to the city skyline provides for a perfect mental break and is good motivation to stay focused. Luckily, not many people know of this special location, so I usually have no problem finding an open table or somewhere to sit. The building is next to the library and a couple of cafes as well, so printers, coffees, and snacks are never too far away.
- Taste Baguette
In the first couple of weeks in Sydney, while searching for the best cafes to work in within the city, ironically Taste Baguette was one of the top hits. Taste Baguette is located in the heart of the Camperdown campus, right off of Eastern Avenue. This café has amazing brunch and lunch dishes and a wide array of coffee drinks and smoothies. On the other side of the café, is a small window to the law building, where you can order baguette sandwiches or coffee to go while walking by on your way to class, which is super convenient. The vegetarian baguette I got in a rush on the way to one of my lectures in the area was amazing, and surprisingly not too expensive. Like many of Sydney’s other on campus eateries, Taste Baguette has a wide bar selection and late afternoon snacks, making campus a fun social place to meet at after class.
- Wentworth Building
Sydney’s Wentworth building is their equivalent of Northeastern’s Curry Student Center. However, it is probably about five times the size. In order to accommodate for the University’s large student body, the Wentworth Building contains many amenities for teachers and students combined. When I wondered in there for the first time in search of the student card center to collect my ID, I came across an Indian, Thai, middle-eastern, Italian, and Latin American restaurant, along with a subway, a couple cafes, a smoothie place, and a mini market with grab and go snacks. On the upper floors there is a hair dresser, a school store, an STA travel center, a couple of ATMs, and much more. Compared to Northeastern’s student body, this school has been a huge adjustment in terms of class sizes. The amount of students you see between classes is crazy! It’s been a nice change to get used to, but I am looking forward to Northeastern’s tight-knit student body community when I come back in January.
With so many tempting places to visit (and spend money at) on campus, its easy to spend all day at campus. I’ve loved getting the lay of the land of this sprawling campus and can’t wait to do some more exploring!
