There's no single reason why Newtown is considered the indie hub of Sydney. Rather, it's the sum of its parts: a thriving arts scene, a wonderfully diverse food and retail offering and dozens of late-night haunts. And the byproduct? The eclectic personalities who call the area home.
No matter what time of day you're in the area (or what the weather is like), the opportunities for things to do are endless — from grabbing a coffee at first light from Fleetwood Macchiato in neighbouring suburb Erskineville to last drinks at Earl's Juke Joint. In between, you can shop for vintage wares along King Street, admire street art, see an indie film at Dendy and catch a gig at The Vanguard. And we haven't even touched on all the stuff you can eat.
To celebrate some of the small businesses that keep the streets of Newtown and Erskineville buzzing, we've teamed up with City of Sydney to ask you — Concrete Playground readers — what businesses you love to support in the area. Here are your picks.
Read on to discover some of the most popular picks to visit during the day. Then, flick the switch above and we'll dim the lights to show your favourite things to do once the sun goes down.
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There are countless hybrid spaces across Sydney now (cafe-bookshop, barbershop-bar, sneaker shop-restaurant) but Rising Sun Workshop is particularly special. It combined two things that had no business being together — motorcycles and experimental Japanese food — and turned it into quite a successful business (well, actually, it’s a social enterprise).
Chosen by CP reader Sreetama Nayek (along with Cafe Shenkin, Continental Deli, Vina Vegan and Mapo, which you’ll find elsewhere on this list), Rising Sun Workshop has inhabited the multi-storey space on Whateley Street since 2016. Here, you can work on or store your motorbike in the fully kitted out workshop, while sipping coffee and chatting to like-minded bike enthusiasts. Not a rev-head? You’ll still want to visit when you read the next two words: breakfast ramen. After that first slurp of buttered toast broth with bacon, egg and roast tomato, your concept of what constitutes brunch will change forever.
Image: Destination NSW
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Better Read Than Dead is a prime example of how an independent bookstore can thrive in the modern era of screens and snack-sized content. It’s called Newtown home since 1996 and, no matter what time of day you visit, there are always people browsing the floor-to-ceiling turquoise shelves.
So, what’s it doing right? For starters, the range of titles is vast — from Australian and young adult fiction to piercing cultural studies and coffee table books. The staff recommendations are always spot on. In fact, the passion for words is spilling out of the joint with writing competitions, book clubs and author talks happening on the regular (the latter two via Zoom for the time being). And, of course, a punny name doesn’t hurt.
Image: Destination NSW, James Horan
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Erskineville is certainly much quieter than its neighbour, but it does have lots to offer — particularly if you’re a dog owner. Past the station, where Erskineville Road turns into Swanson Street, you’ll find unassuming corner cafe Naked Brew, recommended by Concrete Playground reader Tom Teague.
Owner Kevin Luu has taken full advantage of the cafe’s home opposite off-leash park Harry Noble Reserve by adding a dedicated dog menu. It includes beef liver sprinkle-topped doggie-chinos, doggie doughnuts and even doggie waffles topped with eggs and ice cream. For humans, there are buddha bowls, pork belly waffles, apple crumble french toast and more.
Image: Mad Men Media
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On the corner directly opposite Naked Brew is long-standing pub The Kurrajong Hotel. “The Kurrajong has a soft spot in my heart. Great pub,” says CP reader Lauren Ward.
Last year, the Gurdys duo, Clare and Brett Davis, returned the 1930s pub (which, for a time, was known as the Swanson Hotel) to its former glory — and name. They gave it a serious makeover in the process, including a new bar and kitchen, but kept a lot of the original art deco features. The aforementioned bar keeps things exciting with 12 rotating beer taps pouring limited-edition craft brews from the likes of Wayward Brewing Co, Batch Brewing Co and Hope Estate. Meanwhile, the kitchen puts up refined pub fare, including a mean Sunday roast. And, like its neighbour, the pub is completely dog-friendly, even inside.
Image: Kimberley Low
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If you’re skeptical that big fashion brands actually follow through when they espouse the causes of sustainable and ethical production, you can rest easy knowing that The Social Outfit has these values right at its core. The social enterprise fashion label provides refugees and migrants with employment, education and training to help them build their lives in Australia.
Further to this, it collaborates with dozens of Aussie fashion labels, including Romance Was Born, Ginger & Smart and Citizen Wolf, to save excess fabric and textile waste from landfill. This means a visit to the King Street store could see you nabbing a scarf, scrunchie, bumbag or pants in a high-end label’s print for a fraction of the price.
Image: Luisa Brimble
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Shenkin Erskineville is the flagship venue for the Haikin family’s group of popular Israeli eateries. The corner cafe made a name for itself with its Middle Eastern food, particularly the shakshuka — poached eggs with a slow-cooked tomato, capsicum and garlic sauce served with pita — which may be one of the best brunch dishes you can get in Sydney.
But when Concrete Playground reader Chris Jamieson told us they love to visit Cafe Shenkin “for coffee and pastries”, they highlighted the sleeper hit of this Erko establishment: the baked goods. Owner Arie Haikin worked in his parents’ bakery in Melabis growing up. That expertise now results in freshly baked cinnamon scrolls, burekas, babkas, croissants and more filling the display cabinet each morning.
Image: Brendon DSouza