Parramatta – Week One

Well the time has finally arrived and my work has moved from Sydney to Parramatta. This means a longer and less direct journey to work.
The journey consists of getting to Redfern Station and then catching a train. Most morning get a lift to the station with Sue but other times I have to catch the bus. Getting the bus means leaving home 15-20 minutes earlier and the connections are not always reliable. Coming home it is a train back to Redfern and time it so that Sue drives past the bus stop before the bus comes.
The new building at Parramatta is great. It has a 6-star energy rating, and recycles its water so that it uses 80% less water than a conventional building. Air-conditioning is via chilled beams. These are pipes with cold water running through them that cool the air so it falls from the ceiling and is circulated naturally. There are no ducts or fans blowing air about and it is very comfortable.
The layout of the office is mostly open plan. Only the MD and the General Managers get offices. There are lots of meeting rooms on each floor and a number of ‘quiet’ rooms. Quiet rooms are small rooms that you can go into when you want some privacy. They are meant to be used for a short time only and cannot be booked.
Each floor has a well-equipped kitchen and a breakout area. The breakfast has tea and coffee making facilities, a TV and comfy chairs. I have noticed lots o people having their lunch here and socialising. In the old office there was no such place and people often ate lunch at their desks. It is quite incredible how interior design can change the culture of a company.
The top level is level 16 where no one works. There are three small meeting rooms, a large breakout area, a rooftop garden and a BBQ. There are views from the city to the Blue Mountains, or as I like to say a 180° vista of places you would rather be.The building itself is in a formerly sleazy area of Parramatta. There is a tattoo parlour a few doors down and a very dodgy looking pub. Yesterday half of the bus station was closed after two teenagers were stabbed and earlier in the week someone was bashed.
We are just across the road from the station, which is very convenient, and a tunnel under the station leads to Westfield shopping centre, which is almost big enough to have its own postcode. It has all of the shops you could possibly need (except for a map shop and a camping shop, both of which are elsewhere in Parramatta).
Parramatta was founded in 1788 and has many historical buildings several of which are in Parramatta Park, which was formerly the backyard of the Governor’s House. I have yet to explore these.
The library is right next door and the day I went in, half of the company was in there signing up.
Once I get used to the travelling and learn the parts of town to avoid it may not work out too bad. Those that have to come from the Shire or the Northern Beaches might get sick of the travel well before me.
Oh and one more good point, the train journey is smooth enough to allow me to write a blog.