Paddington Reservoir Gardens in Sydney, Australia

These manicured gardens in the Sydney suburb of Paddington include a pool, benches, tree ferns and other vegetation, and a flat grassy area. Paddington Reservoir was once used to store drinking water for part of the city of Sydney. Designed in 1857 and completed in 1866, the reservoir could store a maximum of 2 million gallons at its close in 1899.

The reservoir then served as storage, a garage, a workspace, and a petrol station until part of the roof collapsed in 1990. The gardens were opened in 2009 and are administered by the city of Sydney.

From the street, the gardens aren't visible, but once you climb the stairs or walk up the sloping sidewalk, you can see them down below. Paddington Gardens is state heritage listed and won the Australian Award for Urban Design in 2009, as well as the seal of approval from ABC's Art Nation and Gardening Australia.