Looking for the Bridge? Don't follow Bridge St
Bridge St is one of the major east-west roads in the city centre, running just behind Circular Quay. It goes nowhere near the Harbour Bridge. The road is one of the earliest in the colony of New South Wales, and the site of the first government house, very near the first settlement. It was also the site of the first bridge built in Sydney, over the Tank Stream, which was Sydney's first water supply. The Tank Stream has long since been buried and become an underground drain. The name Bridge St remains.
The city has a very rough grid system, with George St being the major city street running all the way from Central Station in the south to Circular Quay and The Rocks in the north, with Pitt and Castlereagh St running parallel through the city centre. City blocks are small.
There are maps and directional signs to nearly attractions located every few blocks.
By train
Trains run both ways around the city circle stations Central, Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St James and Museum. Each of these stations has services every five minutes. Most of the city is no more than ten or fifteen minutes walk from a train station.
Another city station, Martin Place, is mid-town on the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line and has services every 10 min to Town Hall and Central.
Town Hall, Wynyard, Martin Place and St James stations are located within 1km of each other, so unless you are feeling particularly energetic, catching the train or bus between them will take longer than the walk.
On foot
Most of the attractions below are within a 1.5 km radius, and are easy to walk around.
By car
It is unusual to drive between city centre attractions, and it can be problematic if you are unfamiliar with the area. Attractions in the city are not signposted from the city roads. The only directional signs you will see will point you out of the city, across the harbour bridge or to the west or east. There is a one way system and few right hand turns are permitted. Some right hand turns are legally possible, but are difficult to find breaks in traffic. The quickest route from where you are to your city destination will not always be apparent from a map, and even the best GPS will struggle in the canyons of the city.
If you are driving into the city, best to navigate straight to a parking lot nearby. If you are going between multiple desinations in the city, walking is usually the quickest way.