Marrickville Suburb Review

The new Newtown.

Summary: A suburb with plenty of character and one of the best dining scenes in all of Sydney, Marrickville is trendy without being pretentious. It’s still got a bit of authentic grit despite its large ongoing developments, and offers a solid balance between city access, diversity of housing types and enjoyable public spaces. Rising prices and some noise issues at both air and ground levels hamper it a little, but for the younger and establishing crowd it’s an excellent choice in the Inner West.

Key stats

Parts of present-day Marrickville remind me a lot of the ungentrified, middle-class Sydney neighbourhoods I grew up around as a kid. Gritty yet not dodgy, lively yet not crowded, and increasingly trendy yet not pretentious, this is now the place that immediately springs to mind for me when I think “Inner West”.

Marrickville’s a place where there’s still graffiti in the back lanes – a mix of both junk and actual talent – and of small boutique storefronts stuffed to the walls with all manner of knick knacks.

Local characters are still a “thing” here; don’t be surprised to see middle aged men rocking fur coats in the summer or standing on corners in ADIDAS tracksuits… keep your eyes peeled and you may even spot an un-ironic mullet or two out in the wild.

Of course, this is offset by the gentrification and development which has taken place in the suburb’s trendier portions, and is only set to continue with the further advancement of the Marrickville Metro project. Its demographic is gradually changing, and it’s becoming more hipster-heavy as a result.

Marrickville’s most obvious feature is its incredible array of drinking and dining opportunities all within reasonable distance of one another. It’s hard not to be reminded of what Newtown used to be – and, to some extent, still is – with a little less of the price that’s made its neighbour less of a go-to destination than it once was.

Its storefronts are largely a mixture of older, multicultural dining establishments that have been around for a long time dotted with the occasional chic new-era hipster spot selling their typical organic-everything.

It’s still quite ethnically diverse, with pretty much every major cuisine being represented here. Some of the best sleeper restaurants in Sydney call Marrickville home – a boon for both visitors and residents alike.

Add in a huge range of cafes, and several up and coming boutique beer offerings, and Marrickville’s nothing if not short of things to do.

Not just for the stomach

In terms of daily conveniences, it’s very well equipped as well. Marrickville Metro itself is an evolving public space and shopping hub that has undergone renovations, and its mixture of smaller-scale butchers, bakers, chemists and the like continue to coexist alongside bigger Woolworths and the like.

Put all of these together and add in its mix of doctors, vets and other amenities, and you’ve got everything you’d need in terms of the essentials.

Connectivity is Marrickville’s other major plus, with its own train station (that sees a decent if unspectacular number of services), and semi-regular buses into the CBD. It’s a sub-20 minute train ride into the city, and the metro proper will only add more convenience as well.

Marrickville’s back streets offer greenery and a bit of peace

While Marrickville’s central portions are pretty concrete-heavy, the suburb offers multiple good public park spaces down by the river, and is well equipped with open spaces and playgrounds for pets and kids alike. Walking along the waterfront is also a pleasure and something many Inner West suburbs can’t offer.

That’s all the good news, but Marrickville isn’t all just smiles and sunshine.

“Gritty yet not dodgy, lively yet not crowded, and increasingly trendy yet not pretentious, this is now the place that immediately springs to mind for me when I think “Inner West”.”

The “rollover effect” of people being priced out of suburbs closer to the city has well and truly hit Marrickville as well, and property prices have greatly increased in recent years. It may especially feel a bit overpriced for some given it’s not the cleanest suburb in the world; indeed, parts of the suburb are still pretty dirty in general, particularly the areas near its industrial pockets.

Back streets are also often strewn with litter, and there’s a number of rundown and forbidding-looking properties dotted throughout. It definitely doesn’t boast the green-and-clean aesthetic of, say, an Annandale or even an Erskineville, and the prices are not that much cheaper considering the gap.

Expect a $1.3 million barrier to entry for a freestanding house – a hefty price to pay given that it’s very terrace-heavy and block sizes are not particularly large in general. Likewise, it’s no longer a bargain for smaller scale apartment rentals either; there’s little differentiating renting for $500 per week here compared to most of the other suburbs around the city other than the “ritzy” suburbs on the water and the absolute city itself.

Noise is also a considerable factor in Marrickville. While many of its terrace-lined back streets are charming and fairly quiet, much of the suburb is oriented around its main arteries of Marrickville Road and Illawarra Road. These are both renowned points of congestion that bring all the expected noise along with them, and make things a pain for drivers to boot.

Its proximity to the airport, while convenient, is also a major issue as flight path noise is a constant factor that has to be dealt with by residents.

The Verdict

Marrickville is a suburb that legitimately lives up to the word “vibrant”, with a ton of the diversity that makes Sydney interesting and without the excess crowds or other annoying issues that typically come along with it. Anyone looking for an enjoyable day or night out should consider the suburb for a visit, as its stores, restaurants, street art and green spaces combine to make for a solid day.

For those considering living here, it can be a bit of a mixed bag. The price of its terraces can close the market for many, and the aircraft noise may turn off some potential renters as well.
For those who enjoy things lively and put a priority on convenience and getting out and experiencing their suburb, Marrickville delivers in spades. As a result, it’s probably best suited to young professionals looking to enjoy a painless commute then come back and dine out or enjoy its social aspect.

While larger families will probably find it hard to accommodate, smaller families and those with small pets will likewise find much to praise here. Retirees or those in need of larger personal spaces will likely want to look elsewhere, however.