A couple of Darlinghurst stories made it into Hyde Park’s annual public photography show, Sydney Life, this year.

Roslyn Sharp took thousands of photos of local icon Theresa Kompara (otherwise known as Mrs Christmas) in front of her Victoria Street home (itself otherwise known as ‘the dollhouse’).

Theresa’s the most fascinating mix of eccentricity and sweetness you can imagine – I interviewed her a month ago for a profile, but so far noone has bitten for the feature so I may write it up here.

Another local, Diego Ibanez, has been haunting the streets lately, snapping people walking through the neighbourhood – including us – but it’s this picture that made it into Sydney Life.

Neither photograph won the Sydney Life Prize, though all 22 finalists are in the running for the people’s choice award – it’s open and on show in the Central Walkway of Hyde Park North, Sydney, until October 25, 2009.

Walking past the Naval base at Woolloomooloo, we often pass the huge Fleet Base car park.

In a neat inversion of the Situationist slogan (“Beneath the paving stones, the beach!”), hidden above the cars is a native rooftop garden.

Embarkation Park (or as Malcolm Turnbull’s dog apparently calls it, Bark Park) has been around for a few decades, and the garden extends from small shrubs to larger native trees. It’s an ‘intensive’ type green roof, built on a layered system, according to this report for the council. It’s an off-leash park and it’s open between sunrise and sunset.

According to this Navy newsletter, it’s a “known shooting gallery.” It’s also a hotspot for gay cruising. But with a spectacular view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and the rest of the city skyline, it’s also one of the best vantage points for New Year’s Eve fireworks and other harbourside celebrations.

So honours for the first Woolloomooloo green rooftop may actually go to the top of this Navy car park.

Spotted on McLachlan Ave, Rushcutter’s Bay, underneath the railway line is this addition.

Someone, crack the code!

UPDATE (28/8/09):

This one on the left is fading, it’s on Liverpool Street between Womerah Avenue and Victoria Street in Darlinghurst – just across from the Green Park Hotel. The one on the right is newer, it’s on Liverpool Street, near Darlinghurst Road (thanks, Blake).

So now we have:

A is for “azimuth”
C is for “cephlapod”
E is for “entropy”
K is for “kibosh”
M is for “modulate”
N is for “nebulous”
T is for “thought bubble”
Y is for “yesterday”
Z is for “zipper”

Riddle or just randomly chalked letter clarifications?

Walking home last night, about 10.30pm, I caught ZAP in the act.

Nonchalantly, I walked through the car wash between Victoria Street and Darlinghurst Road, silently cursing myself that I’d left the camera at home. All the while, 2 capped men plastered a “J” on the wall of the stencil gallery, adjacent to the rapping dinosaurs.

This morning, their handywork was up for all to see.

Strange message, Zap.

UPDATE: 21/8/09

Mystery solved. But like most solutions to mysteries, it’s a bit disappointing.

On the corner of Victoria and Surrey Streets, Darlinghurst, sits a one-time laundrette.

Months ago, we noticed a development application plastered on the wall outside with plans for a new pharmacy.

The DA was approved, according to the City of Sydney Council’s records, on 22 January this year.

Inside it is still the shell of a laundry.

Outside it is a partly boarded up wall of graffiti, chicken wire, stickers and posters for upcoming gigs.

With the cost of the development estimated at $65,000, is the continuing state of disarray a sign of the GFC?

Walking past the Green Park Hotel this morning, I caught sight of a familiar couple.

Keep your eyes peeled.

They get around those two.

The car wash between Victoria Street and Darlinghurst Road is home to a veritable stencil gallery, but it’s been quiet for a while.

It was shut for a couple of months over summer, and the latest car wash business to step in to the space – Star – might have dampened enthusiasm. But this week, we spotted some new activity.

Looks like the artist, ZAP, might have done a large scale paste-up to get around the proprietor.

Two dinosaurs rapping? Hip-hop gesticulation?

A month ago we blogged about our favourite local French cafes serving takeaway coffees in styrofoam cups.

At Strawberry Cream, on Victoria Street, today – looks like the message got through!

Always keen to see what new gelato flavours Messina has on offer, I was delighted to experience their latest creation on the weekend.

Liquorice.

Signor Palumbo saw my eyes light up as I spied the new tub. He confessed that this was batch no. 3 of liquorice, but that it had indeed taken 3 attempts to perfect. First it was too aniseedy, then too sweet.

Now, by God it is truly creamy and altogether sensational.

We love having a coffee at the local Frenchie, Strawberry Cream, on Victoria Street. It’s a perfect spot to sit and watch the crowd stream by.

But the $2.70 takeaway coffees from Strawberry Cream come in styrofoam cups. Besides any environmental considerations, styrofoam cups don’t work with coffee. It just doesn’t taste as good.

Same at Le Petit Creme, just around the corner on Darlinghurst Road, where a takeaway coffee is $3.00.

Fortunately, Sel & Poivre on Victoria Street has excellent takeaway coffee. In paper cups. And at $2.50 it’s the cheapest of the three.

Plus Sel & Poivre’s country pate baguettes and rillettes are fantastic.