Paddington Reservoir Gardens.

©Monique Perrin/Lonely Planet

Paddington Reservoir Gardens

Sydney


Opened to much architectural acclaim in 2008, this impressive park makes use of Paddington's long-abandoned 1866 water reservoir, incorporating the brick arches and surviving chamber into an interesting, photogenic green space featuring a sunken garden, a pond, a boardwalk and lawns. They've even preserved some of the graffiti dating from the many years when it was boarded up and abandoned to feral cats and stealthy spray-can artists.