The Inner West is the description Sydney-siders give to the area that sits in between the CBD and the beginning of the suburban sprawl. It has all the buzz and bustle of the city alongside a lot of local charm. The name usually refers to Enmore, Stanmore, Camperdown, Petersham and Marrickville–arguably the heart of the Inner West. These suburbs have come a long way from their years as working class migrant areas, with rows of terrace houses. The Inner West is now home to a thriving mix of students, families, professionals, and creatives. There’s a strong sense of community in this part of town, and it comes alive on weekends.
Highlights
One of the best times to visit Marrickville is on a Sunday morning. The Addison Road Markets are open between 9 am and 3 pm each week with all the things you’d expect: organic fruit and vegetables, free-range meat, fresh sourdough bread and cheap potted plants.
The food stalls are the best part; sticky bacon and egg rolls, fat dumplings, crumbly home-made muffins, fresh juice, coffee-carts and even a chai tent. Du Liban is also best visited early in the day for an amazing breakfast and coffee.
It is conveniently close to Frank’s Pizza, another cheap and cheerful Inner West establishment. On the corner of Australia Street and Parramatta Road, the old warehouse space is always full and at just $15 for a large pizza, you really can’t go wrong.
After all that eating, you’re probably ready for a drink and a night out. The Factory on Victoria Road is a theatre space that hosts comedians and live music. It’s in a dimly lit industrial part of town, which is great for atmosphere, but it’s a good idea to catch a ride there rather than walking.
Just up the hill is the Enmore Theatre–host to some of the biggest acts to tour Sydney. It’s a beautiful old space, full of character and just the right size to get a rowdy, dynamic crowd, but still feel intimate.
Cheap cheats
The Inner West is changing, and it isn’t as cheap and humble as it once was. Housing prices have increased significantly in the last 10 years, and more and more cafés and small bars are opening their doors alongside the rundown old family owned shops.
Lucky for you, it is still one of the best places in Sydney to get a cheap dinner. Illawarra Road, just down from Marrickville Station is the spot to get Vietnamese Pho. This traditional rice-noodle broth is a simple and warming blend of spices, fresh mint and bean shoots, and usually chicken or beef.
It’s a beautifully fresh and fragrant dish, and for just $10, you will leave satisfied. Don’t be fooled by the old tiled-floor and fluorescent lights at Pho Ha Noi Quan; it’s popular for good reason. For somewhere a little nicer, Pho Hai Duong recently reopened as PHD with bright red walls and big timber tables that will seat all your friends.
Useful Info
Accommodation
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay, rentals in and around the Inner West have long been a favourite for students. The market can be competitive, however, and prices have gone up in the last five years. For a room in a share house, you can expect to pay anywhere between $200-300 a week, depending on how much you care about having an outside toilet. Hotel and hostel accommodation are harder to come by in the Inner West. Cambridge Lodge in Stanmore is close to the station and has a range of short-term options for less than $100 a night.
Community facilities
The Inner West is part of Marrickville Council, which hosts a number of libraries and community centres. There is a lot of public space, like the Cooks River Cycleway, which winds from Marrickville through to Tempe and Enmore Park, which has a large and modern undercover community swimming centre.
Campus facilities
The Design Centre at Enmore is the local TAFE campus. The Enmore campus is just a street away from the cafés and bars of Enmore Road and has a range of design courses from jewellery to graphic and textile designs. The campus is home to a specialist design library and has a busy mix of full-time and part-time students.
Pricing
The Inner West is comparable to much of Sydney regarding pricing, with a coffee usually setting you back about $3.50. Restaurants and cafés are on the cheaper side than other parts of town, and there is a range of excellent pubs offering ‘counter meals’ as good as you’ll get anywhere. The Henson, The Vic and The Oxford Tavern (formerly a nude bar, but recently gentrified) have specials each night of the week, with a burger costing $15-$20.
Local legends
Baklava at Hellenic Bakery
Open since 1977; the Hellenic Bakery looks and smells like any village bakery in Greece might– the shelves are stuffed with all kinds of traditional sweets, from galaktoboureko (a custard-based slice) to kataifi (almond and walnut pastry) and of course baklava (filo and honey). They also serve hot spinach and feta and lamb pastries all made on site from family recipes. The staff chat to most locals in Greek, their white aprons covered in flour and sugar which is as authentic as it gets.
Hellenic Bakery
371 Illawarra Road, Marrickville
Breakfast at Cornersmith
Cornersmith is a relatively new addition to the area and one that has quickly become a favourite. The café is celebrated among locals for its simple approach to good food and quality tea and coffee. The space is stripped back and rustic, and the menu is hearty and old-fashioned. Famous for their house-made jams, pickles and chutneys, there’s something old-worldly (and brilliant) about how they cook. They have a herb garden out the back and try to use as much locally sourced and seasonal produce as they can.
Cornersmith
314 Illawarra Road, Marrickville
Background
Though it has changed over the years, the Inner West has always been a melting pot of cultures. In the post-World War Two years, Marrickville was a destination for Greek migrants. The houses were large, and the land offered room for market-gardens and big families.
In more recent years, the area has become home to many Vietnamese migrants – traditional Asian grocers line the streets, and it’s famous for banh mi (pork and salad rolls) and pho (noodle soup).
Bordering light-industrial sections like Tempe and Sydenham, the area has also been home to many small businesses and production sites. These days, you are more likely to find an artist in residence in the old warehouses and studios, or a converted live music venue like Red Rattler, which champions itself as an artist-run initiative.
