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How Chippendale Became a Hip and Happening Sydney Suburb

It took some time for Chippendale to evolve from a working-class suburb to what Travel + Leisure magazine now refers to as one of the hottest neighbourhoods in Sydney. But it was only a matter of time for this area adjacent to Surry Hills, Redfern and Ultimo, where urban renewal and gentrification began in the early 2000s.

After Carlton & United Breweries in Blackwattle Creek announced the closure of Kent Brewery in 2003, Chippendale’s gentrification slowly started. However, it took the locals almost a decade later to enjoy the urbanisation and changes happening all around.

The old brewery, redeveloped with a $2 billion funding, became a major mixed-use site for an apartment complex, offices, event hubs, retail spaces and restaurants. By 2013, One Central Park East was Chippendale’s busiest community centre.

With its vertical gardens and the Central Park Mall in the lower levels, One Central Park East was cited for its functional, sustainable and aesthetic design by international construction data company, Emporis.

Its rise followed a massive residential and commercial redevelopment converging with the public parks on Balfour Street and the Chippendale Green, which were built before the buildings between 2009 to 2012.

The public parks had a special landmark — an art installation called Halo, designed by Jennifer Turpin and Michaelie Crawford.

This sculpture has a large ring that tilts or turns in the direction of the wind. Its concept was inspired by this suburb’s brewery heritage. The circle ring stood for the brewing-vat support and its off-centre placement represents the stirring of brew and tipsiness.

In due time, Chippendale’s very own lifestyle precincts highlighted some of the widely-praised establishments in Sydney, especially on Kensington Street. White Rabbit Gallery, built on a car manufacturer’s depot, became a favourite visual arts venue, whilst Spice Alley became the go-to place for Asian food.

Industrial warehouses in Chippendale were redeveloped into dwellings of different sizes for young professionals, small families, immigrants and students attending the universities nearby. Given the demographic, there are heaps of affordable establishments around the suburb. It’s a short walk to everything residents need: bakeries, cafes, groceries, shopping, galleries and green open spaces.

Chippendale’s housing is a mixture of high rises, two-storey brick buildings and Victorian-era terraces. Despite its boom, the neighourhoods are fairly peaceful. It’s close to Central Sydney too.

Sydney’s Central Station Clock Tower is 100 Years Old

A century before smartphones and digital watches, commuters in Sydney relied on the Central Station clock tower, standing 85 metres high, for the accurate time. On 12 March 2021, this major Australian landmark, visible from Surry Hills, turned 100 years old.

Preserved throughout the years, the clock tower “has seen more than 73,000 rotations of the hour hand and 876,000 rotations,” according to Transport for NSW chief Andrew Constance.

“The clock tower was designed to dominate the surroundings as a beacon, and it remains one of our most recognisable landmarks,” Mr Constance said.

A Brief History of the Clock Tower

Construction of the Central Station’s sandstone building, designed by prominent architechts Philip Thalis and Peter John Cantrill, started in 1901.

The railway station was built on the old Devonshire Street Cemetery on Surry Hills. It had all the modern features of that period, including restaurants and comfortable waiting rooms.

The train station opened in 1906 but it took until 1921 for the completion of the clock tower, which was skillfully designed to align to the nearby streets: Albion, Broadway, Foveaux, Pitt, Valentine and Wentworth Avenue.

“The tower, which will be situated near the north west corner of the station will be a commanding feature, and will be provided with a clock which will be visible from most parts of the city,” an annual report from the Sydney government underscored during the planning of the Central Station, per the NSW Heritage listing.

Photo Credit: NSW State Archives & Records

In 1920, architect Walter Liberty Vernon worked on the clocktower, which has 272 steps from the clock face and 303 steps to the flag pole.

Each of the four clock faces, which have an intricate mechanical working inside, has a circumference of 4.8 metres. Its hour hands measure 2.3 metres whilst the minute hands are exactly three metres long.

1937
Photo Credit: Archives & History Resources

1952
Photo Credit: Archives & History Resources

1986
*Photo Credit: Archives & History Resources*

2000
*Photo Credit: Archives & History Resource*s

This landmark was meant to be seen around the city for workers to sync with their pocket watches on their way to work thus the tower earned the nickname “The Working Man’s Watch.”

In 2011 to 2012, the government commissioned Otto Cserhalmi to refurbish the landmark.

Whilst the external architecture has not changed much in the modern period, the Central Station has had a number of improvements inside for its kiosks, bookstores bars and food and refreshments areas.

Looking back at the expansion of Central Station, Sydney and the addition of the clock tower which began operating 100 years ago! Standing tall at 85m, it was so visible around the city that it became known as ‘the working man’s watch’. pic.twitter.com/Wv0txu5WND
— NSW State Archives (@nswarchives) March 11, 2021

Meanwhile, an upcoming major city development threatens to block the view of the clock tower, with the construction of the Atlassian skyscraper and technology hub on Lee Street. The State Government approved this $1-billion project to improve Central Sydney’s connections with bordering suburbs like Chippendale, Redfern, Surry Hills, and Ultimo.

Chippendale Rent Reaches New Low, Declining 15%

Over the past year and across 57 suburbs, Chippendale included, median rents dropped by 10 percent or more. As a result, residents across the city have managed to save money as their property owners decreased the cost of their rent.

In Chippendale’s case, the median asking rent of the suburb dropped to $550, having decreased by 15.4% over the last year. Traditionally in-demand areas had increased unit supply in order to keep up with the influx of residents and visitors, however the strict border restrictions brought about by the pandemic keeps them unoccupied, decreasing rental demand.

Areas high in demand with people from abroad such as tourists, international students, and new migrants suffered as a result of the pandemic pandemic, receiving significantly less visitors and residents moving in from other countries. With the lockdown on the rise, the increase of jobs that required remote working meant inner-city living was becoming less ideal.

For instance, Millers Point witnessed a 30.5% decrease in their median asking rent down to $695, and the city of Sydney’s median asking rent dropped by 20% down to $600. Demand has been steadily increasing, however, and workers are beginning to move back into offices as the pandemic becomes more contained.

Pilsner from Surry Hills Brewery Wins Best Beer in QLD

Sydney Brewery in Surry Hills has bested 485 entries and 71 breweries at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show (RQFWS) Beer Award to win as Grand Champion Beer for 2021.

As the biggest winner of the annual event, Sydney Brewery will take home a $5,000 Lion Bursary investment, allowing the business to sustain or improve their award-winning beer. The brewery may also be featured at the Kingdom of Beers event in Brisbane from 9 to 11 April 2021.

The judges especially loved the Sydney Brewery Pilsner. RQFWS Beer Advisory Group member and judge Steve Henderson said the Sydney Brewery Pilsner was an outstanding example of the style.

“Pilsner is a hoppy lager, so we look for elevated hop intensity balanced with the rest of the beer,” he said.

“Since it’s a light style of beer it’s very difficult for the brewer to hide any faults and the team at Sydney Brewery has overcome this challenge.”

Hours after the event, which was held at the Brisbane Showgrounds, Sydney Brewery proudly posted their trophies on Instagram.

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“First competition of 2021 and we had our best results ever! Congratulations to our foundation Pilsner, taking out Champion Lager and Champion Beer of show! And we took out Champion Small/Medium Brewery, we are so proud about that one. Congratulations to Scott Hayward and our Brewery team. And congratulations to all the other winners, well done.”

This year’s RQFWS Beer Awards gave away 39 gold medals and the advisory group acknowledged that they had more entries compared to 2020. The group also said that the quality of submissions also improved and made it harder for the judges to pick the best of the best.

Locals See Problems With Cleveland Street Traffic Flow Changes in Surry Hills, Redfern

Transport for NSW has been distributing leaflets among residents of Surry Hills and Redfern, announcing that it’s seeking feedback on the planned traffic flow changes on the long stretch of Cleveland Street.

However, some locals are pushing back on the proposal as concerns of clogging on the intersecting streets have been raised, despite Transport for NSW saying that it will improve the safety issues of this key east-west road.

Among the changes include:

Reducing the speed limit of Cleveland Street, between City Road and Anzac Parade, to 40km/h
Installing new traffic lights on the intersections
Removing right turn access from Cleveland Street to Wilton Street, Walker Street, Young Street and Crown Steet
Returning the left turn access on Cleveland Street to Baptist Street
Installing “No Right Turn” signs on the concerning streets

But members of the Cleveland Street Action Group said that the traffic flow changes will open the possibility of motorists creating “rat runs” or unintended short cuts in the side streets so drivers could avoid heavy traffic and other obstacles.

In particular, backstreets like Boronia, Rainford and Mort Streetshave been identified as potential rat runs.

“These intersection improvements will improve Cleveland St traffic flows at the expense of local roads, adding to dramatic changes in local amenity and increased risks of vehicular conflict with pedestrians, cyclists and people (men, women and children). Increased traffic does not help property values either,” Annette Tolhurst, the group’s coordinator, said.

Ms Tolhurst said that they are not asking Transport for NSW to scrap the plan but for the agency to do a “proper impact assessment” by listening to the community.

“Our only hope is to try to have it paused until proper consultation can happen,” the coordinator said.

The group also called on residents of Surry Hills and Redfern to complete the survey from Transport for NSW.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said that the State Government should hold off on its plans to implement the changes after proper consultation.

An average of 49,000 motorists use Cleveland Street on a weekly basis. From 2014 to 2019, about 217 crashes were reported on the busy road, which has resulted in 42 serious accident cases, including one death.

New Hollywood? Marvel Filming Moving to Moore Park Studios

Moore Park is set to be in the spotlight in the next few years as it becomes the new Hollywood hub. Big studios from the United States, including Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), are set to move their production to the suburb’s studios.

Reports cited that Marvel boss Kevin Feige wants the MCU to relocate to Moore Park in the next five years. At least four productions are already planned whilst more movies and television shows are still in development:

Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 (Chris Pratt)
Captain Marvel sequel (Brie Larson)
Dr Strange sequel (Benedict Cumberbatch)
Black Panther sequel

Fox Studios Australia’s head office in Moore Park is on Driver Avenue but it has nine massive sound stages for hire by local or international productions. Filming Disney/MCU movies in any of these sound stages is done using green screen technology. According to reports, most of these facilities are fully booked for the next two years.

The Moore Park site is also within walking distance of The Entertainment Quarter, the precinct that has heaps of bars, cafes, restaurants, and other retail stores, which are projected to get more business when Hollywood moves in.

The MCU previously filmed in Georgia, Atlanta, and London in the U.K. but a source from the studio said that Mr Feige wants Sydney to be their new home. A major reason for the move is due to productions shutting down in the U.S. and the U.K. as their COVID-19 cases have yet to go down.

Other Hollywood megastars like Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts and Sean Penn are coming to Sydney in the next few weeks as well.

Ms Lawrence is filming the Fantastic Four franchise reboot under the MCU, whilst Ms Roberts and Mr Penn are working on a TV show, titled Gaslit, with Australian actor-brothers Joel and Nash Edgerton.

Bastardo in Surry Hills: New Italian Food Retreat from an Old Player

When it comes to food, there’s no doubt that the Italians have conquered Sydney and whilst there is a handful of Italian restaurants in Surry Hills, a new player, Bastardo, is making waves because it’s a really interesting take-off from an old favourite.

Anyone who has been to the tapas bar Bodega x Wyno in the last 15 years will get the same vibe from its latest sibling site next door. Bastardo is definitely a refreshing addition to the Porteño precinct on Holt Street with its mint green tables, bright orange floor and colourful artwork.

The Porteño crew has opened this Italian trattoria as inspired by the owners’ Sicilian and Argentinian/Genoan background and having a meal at Bastardo feels a lot like visiting an extended family.

The team picked the name “Bastardo” because their food is the “bastardised” alternative to Italian dishes. Everything will be simple and classic, made the way it should be enjoyed as comfort food.

Bastardo’s menu features a great selection of fresh pasta like Corn Agnolotti (brown butter, capers, sage), Paccheri (cuttlefish, panchetta, tomato white wine), Tajarin (bottarga, butter and lemon) and the Culurgiones (potato, onion and ricotta with Napoli sauce).

Sister site Bodega’s grilled swordfish and porchetta are also on the list, along with choices of salads and the unique-tasting bullhorn pepper stuffed with anchovies and pepper.

For almost two decades, a generation of customers has loved dining at Bodega. In this new normal, a new peer group is bound to make Bastardo their Italian food retreat.

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Bastardo opens from 5:00 p.m. to late night. For the menu or table booking, check their official site or follow their Instagram.

“Food was unbelievable. Service – fantastic! The team helped us make some decisions and made some really good recommendations. The whole process from making a booking to getting the bill was seamless,efficient and professional. Looking forward to checking out Humble next. Thank you for an amazing night.”
Matt Gellert

“A delicious new restaurant from the Bodega crew, with a lovely vibe and mouth watering menu. We had the entre special (tiny fried pizza!), followed by the crab pasta and potato pasta. All were delicious. For an aperitif, the cocktail list is short but super – the goldfather is a must! Wine list also comprehensive, and we tried a unique Italian style Chardonnay. Great for date night or a catch up with friends.”
Abbie

“Super cool ambience and the food was incredible. Do not leave without ordering the corn agnolotti and olive oil + fennel cake! Will definitely be back when I return to Sydney.”
Carolyn Stebbing

Rainbow Pathway Installation at Prince Alfred Park Almost Complete

A wonderful initiative three years in the making will soon be unveiled at Equality Green in Surry Hill’s Prince Alfred Park as work has been underway for the planned 90-metre rainbow pathway, a permanent tribute to the LGBTIQA+ community.

In a post on Facebook, the Surry Hills Creative Precinct Inc. showed a 3D photo of the rainbow path installation.

It won’t be long before Sydneysiders can take a rainbow stroll on the very site where they celebrated the passing of the Marriage Equality law in 2017, with more than 30,000 votes.

Amidst the pandemic, officials in the City of Sydney and the Surry Hills Creative Precinct Inc. planned to commemorate this monumental vote with the rainbow pathway.

“The path will represent both the progress we have made towards equality and the long way to go before our LGBTIQ communities are free of discrimination,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said during the announcement of the project, which was followed by a public consultation.

This will be the second rainbow pathway in Sydney after the installation in the intersection of Bourke and Campbell streets in Darlinghurst.

A third colourful walkway, stretching 50-metres long, will also be unveiled at Coogee Beach promenade in mid-February 2021 in time for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrations.

Nomad in Surry Hills Sets a Special Menu for A Day of Valentine Indulgence

Valentine’s Day might feel a little different this year following a turbulent 2020 but Nomad in Surry Hills is still determined to make this day of hearts memorable with an extra special menu.

On Sunday, 14 Feb. 2021, wine and dine with your loved-one at this Foster Street eatery and indulge in the very best of what Nomad has to offer. To ensure a COVID-19 safe seating arrangement, early booking is now open until the 12th.

This year, Nomad’s Valentine’s Day menu will feature oysters, Wagyu Bresaola, Clarence River Baby Octopus or Margra Lamb Shoulder with some Baklava Petit Fours to sweeten the deal.

Nomad has been back at its old address since November 2020, following a temporary stay at a nearby location on Commonwealth Street.

In September 2019, Nomad was forced to shut down due to an unfortunate kitchen fire. Owners Al and Rebecca Yazbek thought they could quickly rebuild the restaurant, but the damage was apparently so extensive that their plans to return to their former home took longer.

The change, as well as the ensuing lockdowns, prompted a reset, prompting Nomad to reopen with a better layout and design, as well as a completely improved menu.

Chef Jacqui Challinor has been carefully creating and curating flamed-kissed dishes like the tasty Rib-eye (dry-aged for six weeks!) or the Wood-roasted Eggplant. Meanwhile, long-time patrons of the Surry Hills venue will still be able to order favorites like the raw Hiramasa Kingfish or the Truffle-Honey-Pecorino Zucchini Flowers.

Nomad’s extensive charcuterie selection with cheese and bread is also still the main fare, best paired with wine.

For enquiries, phone Nomad at +61 2 92803395 or follow their social media page.

“Just about the best restaurant in town. Magnificent food and great service with a brilliantly curated wine list to boot. Go there, man.”
Cameron Budge, Facebook

“I can’t rate this restaurant highly enough. The food is clever and delicious. Wish I could go eat here once a week!”
Bec E, Google Reviews

“Welcome back, Nomad. Nomad has returned to their original space – you have to look hard to identify what’s changed as a result of the kitchen fire, but that’s not a bad thing – it was good before, it was good up the road and its good upon return. The eggplant was seriously delicious and the beef salty and cooked perfectly. You can’t not order the iconic icecream sandwich. Reliably good.”
Champagne Aficionado, Trip Advisor

Surry Hills Shopping Village Closes for Redevelopment as a Modern Lifestyle Precinct

Surry Hills Shopping Village has closed in January 2021 to make way for a massive redevelopment following Council’s approval in December 2020 of a new lifestyle precinct.

To stand on the 1.2 hectare site on the corner of Cleveland Road and Baptist Street, will be the new Surry Hills Village. TOGA will be behind its redevelopment with the help of SJB Architects.

Once completed, the commercial area, which started out as a basic shopping centre in the 1960s, will become a revitalised and modern residential, dining and retail precinct with more than 100 apartments, as well as a range of restaurants and entertainment establishments.

The new village will also include a lush and beautiful public park, a market-style retail area, and a pedestrian laneway that will link Baptist and Marriot Streets.

Expected to set shop into the precinct are Coles supermarket and Vintage Cellars, as well as heaps of providores, cafes and boutiques.

TOGA CEO Fabrizio Perilli said that Surry Hills village will be the “melting pot of the city’s finest restaurants, bars, art, music and culture” and will shape the next chapter of this community.

Surry Hills Shopping Village was once dubbed the “murder mall” for its rundown appearance. The new owners bought the property in 2017 without any idea of its reputation and submitted complex plans that took more than a year of deliberation and consultation with the Council and the community.

Perilli said that with Surry Hills Village, the formerly neglected site will finally be rid of its old reputation.

Though pegged for completion sometime in late 2023 or early 2024, over 30 units priced between $875,000 to $2.8 million have already been sold before the construction. Work on the site will actually start in late 2021.