It was a sparkling Monday and the start of the spring school holidays when I met up with Shane, Lewis and their three energetic boys.  Shane and Lewis live just off Hyde Park in Darlinghurst along with their twin five year old boys and seven year old big brother.  The boys were keen to do some scootering in Hyde Park that morning so off we went.  I could tell by how quickly they began scootering around that they were frequent visitors and thought how awesome it was that this iconic park served as their front yard.  From there we made our way back through their neighbourhood stopping at Bill and Toni’s for coffee and babycinos (their Saturday morning routine), and some fun and giggly pictures on the footpath. On our our way back to their house, they showed me a mural painted by Wendy Littlewood which had their portraits incorporated into it.  Such amazing gems can be found in the neighbourhoods in the City!

I asked Shane if he would share some thoughts about raising his boys so close to the CBD.  He was quick to say that he and Lewis never really made a decision to stay in the city.  It was more that it never felt right for them to move into the suburbs.  They like being close to their work environments, enjoy the city living vibe and also appreciate the diversity of the neighbourhood which exposes their children to different lifestyles, values and ways of living (as well as reminding them some people are not as blessed as they are).  The parks, bike paths and general ease of getting around make Darlinghurst an easy place for the five of them to live.

When asked what important opportunities Lewis and Shane felt the children had because they lived in the City, Shane replied that “Our children are blessed with daily exposure to the workings and challenges of a modern international city. I like to think that this familiarity will equip them later in life to fit into any city.”   But it is important that within any big city that there is a sense of community wherever you live.  Shane said one of the improvements that could be made to make a city lifestyle even more enjoyable was “if the old concept of a city of villages was embraced by landlords and developers so that some of the basics in retail e.g. bakery, deli, etc move into overpriced rental areas that are just one street off the CBD.”  Definitely a brilliant idea!

And without further ado, here are some images from our morning.

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