Newtown Suburb Review

Summary: Sydney’s current darling of upbeat nighttime entertainment, Newtown is a buzzing hub with massive variety in places to both drink and dine – both on the cheap and for those willing to indulge. It’s one of the last remaining bastions of alternative culture within close proximity to Sydney city, and while its popularity means it’s lost some of its original grit and prices are rising, it’s still an easy go-to recommendation for students and younger professionals who don’t need much peace and quiet to be happy.

Key stats

If there’s any suburb in Sydney which most benefited from the effects of negative imagery and media demonisation which caused Kings Cross to become a relative ghost town, it’s Newtown.

Its formerly niche “bohemian” entertainment offerings have now become a bustling – some may argue too much so – hub of people from all walks of life looking to sample its great range of high and low end restaurants, pubs, bars and more; if you’re after a varied night out, there’s almost certainly going to be something that slakes your thirst here.

The majority of Newtown’s most accessible action is centered around its main thoroughfare of King Street – a long, lively and extremely varied stretch of road that offers cuisine of basically every type one could imagine, including some really inventive initiatives and combinations. Its strong international influence can be felt not only in its food but in overall atmosphere, with a blend of European and Asian that doesn’t lean too far in either direction unlike most other ethnically-tinged Sydney suburbs.

“If there’s any suburb in Sydney which most benefited from the effects of negative imagery and media demonisation which caused Kings Cross to become a relative ghost town, it’s Newtown.”

Perhaps the best part about Newtown’s food diversity is that it’s actually possible to have a meal here for a decent price – probably best personified by the admirable Lentil As Anything restaurant/initiative that operates on a “pay what you feel” basis. Of course, those looking to throw around some extra cash can find higher-end dining options as well, and there are enough swankier bars serving overpriced cocktails to cater to all but the most discerning of hipsters.

Nightlife

It’s this variety that’s one of Newtown’s calling cards. While many other Sydney suburbs have a handful of choices of places to down a pint, Newtown is full to the brim with rustic pubs, pretentious urban bars, and yes, even proper live music houses and everything in between.

As a result, the suburb’s demographics skew far younger than many other inner city locations – a testament to its orientation around partygoing, music, and other such fun endeavours, if not its affordability as a place to live.

King Street is Newtown’s main thoroughfare

Popularity equals Price

Property prices here have become quite eye-popping in recent years given how “alternative” the suburb presents itself to be. Hence, the popularity of share houses in which students and those wanting to save some coin has soared proportionally, with the appeal of being able to divvy up the rental bill a definite plus. Its connectivity to a main train line (Newtown Station is a great gateway to King Street and sees frequent trains) as well as an abundance of schools have made it more appealing to cashed up professionals and families, with an increase in both rent and purchase prices as a result.

It’s mainly either expensive, narrow terrace houses or high-density apartment living to choose from, with the former now setting buyers back a pretty penny around the $1.1 million dollar mark, and the latter hovering at $500 or so for a 1-bedroom for renters. As a result, many younger residents have found it a better option to relocate to the likes of nearby suburbs such as Marrickville or Tempe, and simply either walk or take a short train ride into Newtown for some night time entertainment instead.

Traffic & Transport

Traffic on King Street is typically terrible too, and at night time it’s all but impossible just to cross the road as most of the people driving here are doing it for the sake of being seen rather than the aim of getting from A to B. Bus access also suffers as a result; as with most other central suburbs, stick to the train line if at all possible.

It’s a pretty penny to pay for a suburb that still feels quite dirty in places, and isn’t exactly the most welcoming-feeling at night. Of course, where there’s pubs and bars, there’s alcohol, and where there’s alcohol there’s idiotic behaviour – and as a result, Newtown is a suburb in which you’ll be wanting to keep your wits about you at night no matter how crowded the scene is. There’s not much greenery to speak of other than a few pockets and Camperdown Rest Memorial Park (which technically isn’t Newtown’s), either, and no one would ever exactly describe current Newtown as “leafy”.

This balances out somewhat by the fact that the streets are full of character during the day – its older and funkier terraces are quite cool, and there’s still some actual street art/murals as well as performers around. It’s also actually reasonably quiet away from the main party areas, although traffic noise is always a factor given those geniuses who seem to love to rev their cars until the early hours of the morning.

Amenity-wise Newtown is a little lacking in larger-sized shopping options and supermarkets, and while its many boutique and artsy stores are charming, a number of them are dying off due to the increasingly climbing rental prices for storefronts. Gentrification is starting to truly kick in, and there’s a worry that Newtown may soon end up just as “vanilla” as most other highly priced suburbs as time goes on.

The Verdict

Whether this is a positive or negative for what you’re looking for in a neighbourhood will be in the eye of the beholder, however those who aren’t fans of alternative culture have far more options of where else to live – so why pick Newtown in the first place?

There’s still time to enjoy Newtown for what it is, however, and younger types and those of the partygoing persuasion who want easy access to awesome food and drink would be hard pressed to find somewhere more suited to providing a base for some night time fun.