Newtown

Old rail yards turned markets and maker spaces, beside Redfern's buzz. Gritty, creative and walkable, with green pockets close by.

Harbourside paths, pocket parks and big-city buzz. The CBD hides a few four-legged-friendly corners — just mind the no-go zones like the Botanic Garden.

Terrace streets beside Sydney Uni and Redfern's buzz, leafy and walkable. Inner-city character with green pockets close by.

The very tip of the peninsula, where ferries dock and Illoura Reserve hands you front-row harbour views. Tiny, historic and built for a slow waterfront wander.

Darling Harbour-close and city-dense, with Wentworth Park's green just over the road. Urban, studenty and handy for a quick lap between the high-rises.

Art deco charm, leafy quiet and Beare Park's off-leash harbour lawn down the hill. The east's hushed corner, glamorous and genuinely dog-easy.

A leafy inner-west village of cafes, quiet lanes and a friendly local pace. Walkable, low-key and reliably dog-welcoming.

Spice Alley, hidden bars and Central Park's green roof, all a stumble from Central. Small, arty and dense, with pockets of lawn for a quick stretch.

Tight, hilly and caffeinated. Darlo crams cafes, courtyards and dog-welcoming corners into every block. A short lead-walk from the city, big on character.

Wedged between Newtown and Glebe, with Sydney Uni's leafy grounds and quiet terrace streets to wander. The inner west's calm achiever — the buzz close by, the pace nicely unhurried.