I suspect if there was anywhere else I would be happy to live in Sydney, aside from Surry Hills, it would be nearby Chippendale. It’s a suburb with a lot of cultural diversity, with an active arts scene (there are lots of great galleries in the area), and even with a lot of history, it’s also an area undergoing dramatic change (the Central Park complex is located on the suburb’s fringe).

I guess that’s why I really like the Beams Festival: it seems that it’s very much a product of the environment and the community in which it takes place. There’s edgy street art, there’s music and dance, and there’s even something for the kids. As we wandered around last night, it was great to take in and really enjoy all of the elements. Hey, we even watched and enjoyed the teenage hip-hop dancers.

This was only the third year of the Beams Festival in Chippendale, and only the second time I’ve attended, but there’s something really fantastic about the festival which already makes me anticipate next year.