An American tourist has been left ‘stunned’ by Sydney, which compares favorably with New York City.
The Californian woman was stunned by the “clean and beautiful” buildings during a walk through the city center on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old said the skyscrapers exude “New York vibes” but with a much higher standard of hygiene, noting that it “doesn’t smell like human poop.”
The solo traveler admired Sydney’s architecture, particularly its Victorian-era sandstone buildings, in the video posted to TikTok.
“It really feels like I’m in a movie, the buildings are just beautiful,” she said as she wandered past shops in The Strand Arcade.
“I feel weird because I’m having so much culture shock… in a good way.”
The woman said it was strange to see residents so accustomed to their city and “just going about their daily lives” amid the beauty that captivates a newcomer.
She revealed she had “no expectations” outside of the Sydney Opera House and wasn’t even planning on going there; only came to the US Consulate General after losing her passport in Brisbane.
Some Sydneysiders were shocked to hear her praise for their CBD (pictured), while others said it made them ‘reflect and appreciate’ the city
Some Sydneysiders were surprised by the high praise for their city, others ‘confused’ by her glowing assessment.
“I almost choked on my coffee when I compared Sydney to New York,” one user commented.
“It’s so weird to hear people getting baffled by Sydney,” wrote a second.
“Take back the insulting ‘it reminds me of NYC’,” said a third.
Others said the comparison made them “reflect and appreciate” the city.
“Loved seeing you walk around Sydney, I lived there for over 20 years and love seeing it with new eyes,” one user wrote.
Another said the video “really made me smile seeing you enjoying exploring the city.”
The Californian previously told Daily Mail Australia that she fell in love with Australia immediately after arriving in Perth at the end of September.
“The whole experience has been really humbling for me. I love the vegetation and wildlife you have and how everyone looks after each other. “I’m learning a lot,” she said.
A solo American traveler (pictured) is baffled by Sydney’s CBD, even going so far as to compare its skyscrapers to those in New York City
She was almost moved to tears when she saw young children taking public transport with their friends or alone; something rarely seen in her native California.
“It surprised me, but it tells me how safe you guys are compared to the United States. [In America] “You don’t really see kids going out alone like that anymore and when they do, you just worry about their safety and wonder where the parents are because it’s really not safe there,” she said.
She added that Australian food and produce was better than in the United States and that she appreciated that restaurants did not charge for tap water.
‘Australia is super multicultural and diverse and it’s a really happy place. “The only thing I don’t like is that everything closes at 5 p.m.,” she said.
The latter comment is a criticism often leveled at Sydney and other Australian cities, where high prices and strict regulations have severely hampered nightlife.