So, where do you do your shopping?

Most Sydneysiders would probably think of Paddington as synonymous with shopping. Picture women in "street style" fashion, wandering along Oxford Street, arms laden with glossy carrier bags.

With that image in mind, you might wonder why, since I moved to Paddington, every single one of my female friends has asked me "So, where do you do your shopping?". Of course, they're not picturing glossy carrier bags containing the latest designer fashion. No, they're picturing something a little more mundane - plastic or "green" bags filled with groceries. Think shallots not shoes; sweet potato not sweaters; detergent not dresses; carrots not carats. Indeed, this necessary shopping question was one I asked myself before moving here.

Since, everyone (well the women, anyway) has asked, I'll give you all an answer. As I say in my profile one of the pre-moving-here things I knew about Paddington was that parking is difficult. With that in mind, I decided I would want to do as many as possible of my regular chores on foot. That way I get the triple benefits of not stressing myself out looking for a park, adding some incidental exercise into my day, and getting to see more of my new suburb, all at the same time. So, to do (most of) my shopping I use this

and these .



When I told my daughter I was buying a "granny trolley" to do my groceries, she was horrified, saying "Oh mum, you can't possibly use a granny trolley in Paddington!", in her most derisive tone of voice. I know she was just concerned to make sure I didn't embarrass myself by being too daggy in front of my Paddington neighbours. But, she needn't have worried. While it wouldn't be fair to say that everyone has one, granny trolleys are nevertheless common, well-accepted shopping equipment in Paddington, and by no means daggy. They gain extra kudos by having the "green" benefit of allowing you to do your shopping without using a single grocery bag, plastic or otherwise.

I then had to decide where I would take my beautiful orange granny trolley. When we bought our terrace, we saw a building at the end of our street emblazoned with the words "IGA Opening Soon". Their definition of soon and mine must be a little different, because eight months later it's still not open. Never mind. There is an IGA on Oxford Street, but it's down the other end of Oxford Street to me and, truthfully, I haven't been inside it yet. Nor have I found a large grocery store in Paddington.

There is, however, a Thomas Dux at the Five Ways, about a seven minute walk for myself and my trolley.

Five Ways' Thomas Dux supplies most of my fruit, veg, dairy, bread, eggs, etc. Meat might come from Thomas Dux or the wholesale butcher conveniently located in my own street about two minutes' walk away. To date, fish has been lovingly hand caught in Darwin by my best friend and her husband, and brought down for my freezer. Sometimes I will venture across to the Entertainment Quarter markets at Moore Park for organic fruit and veg. I haven't yet walked there, but I should give it a go; I expect it would take about half an hour, so no buying anything too perishable then walking home on a hot summer's day.

The rest of the groceries, I have to admit, take me out of Paddington, usually in my car. Depending on my mood and what else I might be doing this might involve Coles at Edgecliff, Coles at Kings Cross (a truly interesting experience), or Woolworths at Woolloomooloo, Double Bay or Bondi Junction. As with so many of my new neighbourhood discoveries, I'm enjoying finding my way around and creating new grocery shopping habits for myself.