Sydneys once-sleepy office district now buzzes with nightlife, chic hotels, and a lively waterfront.

The areas fortunes have shifted many times over the decades.

When the Rocks was redeveloped in the 1960s and 70s, hundreds were displaced from public housing.

They Sydney Opera House at dusk

The Sydney Opera House.Credit:Max Earey/Alamy

Then the pandemic emptied the place out.

Ai Yoshi/Getty Images

Now the CBD is changing again.

These were imposing buildings that most people had never been inside of, he told me.

The W Hotel and Darling Harbor in Sydney, Australia

The W Sydney, on Darling Harbour.Ai Yoshi/Getty Images

Hospitality makes them more porous and vibrant.

That vibrancy was on full display during our stay.

There was an international opulence to the design, with high-tech features and contemporary art from around the world.

Artwork at the Art Gallery of New South Wales

An installation by Ugo Rondinone at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

A nice touch is the daily tea service, where guests can hear the stories of local Aboriginal figures.

An installation by Ugo Rondinone at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Celebrating cultural heritage and diversity is an integral part of the CBDs reinvigoration.

Pair of photos from Sydney, one showing oysters and anchovies, and one showing a sunlit building exterior

From left: Oysters and anchovies at Le Foote; the Capella Sydney hotel.From left: Andrea Veltom/Courtesy of Le Foote; Timothy Kaye/Courtesy of Capella Sydney

Midden was a hard table to book, as are other restaurants in the area.

Tables were turning fast, with diners of all ages digging in to superb Middle Eastern small plates.

I was struck by how relaxed and happy everyone seemed.

Pair of photos from Jimmy’s Falafel in Sydney, one showing a crowd outside the exterior, and one showing the interior

From left: The casbah-chic interiors at Jimmy’s Falafel; the after-work crowd outside the restaurant.From left: Courtesy of Jimmy’s Falafel; Jiwon Kim/Courtesy of Jimmy’s Falafel

From left: Courtesy of Jimmy’s Falafel; Jiwon Kim/Courtesy of Jimmy’s Falafel

And walkable.

Central to the mission is the foregrounding of works by Aboriginal and women artists.

It was a revelation.

An adult and a child look at artwork in a museum in Sydney, Australia

Visitors at Naala Badu, part of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

In fact, we have this other history.