Sydney/Inner West



The Inner West of Sydney stretches from the small inner city suburb of Chippendale (south of Central Railway Station) to the secondary railway hub and business-retail centre of Strathfield and also Sydney Olympic Park to the west. Particular areas of interest to the traveller include Newtown, Glebe, Balmain, and Leichhardt.

Understand
The Inner West suburbs are among the oldest parts of Sydney. They developed along Parramatta Road, which runs to Parramatta at the source of the Parramatta River. The architecture of the Inner West ranges from terraced houses to mansions and reflects its development in the Victorian (1840–1900) and Federation (1901–1914) periods. The area is quite culturally diverse, with several town centres with distinct cultural atmospheres, such as Italian (Five Dock, Haberfield and Leichardt), Greek (Marrickville), Portuguese (Petersham), Chinese (Ashfield and Burwood), Korean (Strathfield) and Vietnamese (Flemington). Its proximity to the central business district makes it popular with commuters and an alternative base for business.

Geographically, the Inner West is punctuated by a series of major bays in the north, creating picturesque riverfront areas that are popular for water sports, walks, runs and bike rides. Popular waterfront restaurants are also located in this part of the Inner West.

Suburbs
The Inner West is itself a diverse area. Parramatta River forms a series of picturesque bays and peninsulas in this area. The formerly industrial working-class areas facing the water are now fashionable suburbs, such as the Balmain, Drummoyne and Abbotsford peninsulas, with waterfront walkways and picturesque parks such as Cabarita Park and Ballast Point Park. Further inland, there are bustling, student-orientated suburbs in Newtown and Glebe and the cosmopolitan European chic of Haberfield, Leichhardt and Petersham. Meanwhile, around major railway stations such as Marrickville, Ashfield, Burwood and Strathfield, bustling Asian influenced town centres contrast sharply with quieter boulevards with elaborate houses built around the turn of the 20th century. Meanwhile, smaller centres such as Summer Hill, Dulwich Hill, Croydon, Homebush and Abbotsford are instead known for their cafes and slower-paced village atmosphere.


 * Newtown's main street, King Street is architecturally probably the best preserved Victorian high street in Sydney. Neglect preserved it in the first place - no money was to be made by knocking things down in the twentieth century, and now regulation favours conservation rather than demolition. Along its length you'll find the usual mix of shops in a major city's boho zone: secondhand book shops, over thirty (at last count) Thai restaurants, Vietnamese restaurants, cafés, clothing shops and an assortment of odd quirky little places.
 * Glebe also has some intact 19th-century terraces. The main shopping strip is Glebe Point Road, a trendy area home to many specialty stores, cafes and restaurants. The Tramsheds houses restaurants and a supermarket in a historic tram depot building. An unexpected sight nearby is the Sze Yup Temple on Edward St, dedicated to Kwan Ti &mdash; a 3rd-century Chinese folk hero. In its 110 or so years, it has burnt down twice and been twice restored. Also nearby, Toxteth Park was the mansion of George Allen, prominent lawyer and local politician whose estate originally covered much of the area. It is now used by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
 * Balmain was once an industrial working-class neighbourhood, but its proximity to the city and prime waterfront estate attracted richer folk. It's now a trendy village of upmarket residences, cafés and restaurants. Gentrification has led to some interesting quirks: the heritage-listed Working Men's Institute is occupied by a restaurant, and the industrial monster of the Colgate-Palmolive Building, a former soap factory, now houses posh harbourside apartments which can be seen when taking the ferry to Balmain.
 * Haberfield is a heritage-listed "garden suburb" from the Federation period, featuring tree lined boulevards and picturesque homes. Its town centre has a distinctly Italian village atmosphere.
 * Strathfield has a few well-preserved Victorian country mansions built on wide tree-lined avenues by wealthy merchants in the 1880s. Some have been converted into schools. One notable precinct is the Woodward Avenue Heritage Conservation Area, bounded by The Boulevarde, Woodward Avenue and Albyn Road. The commercial centre of Strathfield, around the station, vies with Eastwood for the title of Sydney's Little Korea, and much of the shop signage is in Korean.
 * Burwood is 10 km west of the Sydney central business district. The outer parts of the suburb feature architecturally distinctive heritage buildings, including the Appian Way, a street known for its architecturally designed Federation-style homes. The commercial centre of Burwood, around the train station, is today best known for its Chinese eateries and restaurants.
 * Homebush is a small suburb to the north of Strathfield that retains a tranquil garden suburban feel with historic houses built on tree-lined boulevards. There is a multicultural village centre with a wide variety of Mediterranean cafés and Asian restaurants. To the west of Homebush lies Flemington, which has a village centre with a distinctly South-East Asian flavour and is the location of Sydney's main produce market, Sydney Markets.
 * Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb on the boundary between the Inner West and (Outer) Western Suburbs. It is best known as the venue of the 2000 Olympic Games, but also has expansive parkland, including Bicentennial Park. ( Note : SOP is covered separately on Wikivoyage)
 * On the southern banks of the Parramatta River is Rhodes. This suburb features a complex of high-rise apartments for extensive views and lively parks along the waterways.

By bus
From the city, various Sydney Buses routes run regular services to the Inner West. Route numbers in this area begin with 4 or 5; useful routes include the 431-434 to Glebe/Balmain, the 436-440 and Metrobus 10 to Leichhardt, 422-428 to Newtown, the 480-483 to Strathfield Station and the 500 route up Victoria Rd through the suburb of Drummoyne. Most buses are "Prepay Only" between 7AM and 7PM; you must buy tickets from designated outlets such as newsagents or convenience stores, as they are not available for sale on board.

The Inner West suburb of Burwood is the north-west terminus of the route 400 bus which runs from Bondi Junction to the airport. Using this bus and changing onto a train is a cheaper alternative to using the train directly from the airport. However, the bus is subject to Sydney traffic, and a train will usually be better for time.

By ferry
Sydney Ferries run a scenic route from Circular Quay in the city centre to the area via the inner harbour and the Parramatta River, stopping at various wharves along the way. Ferries are the most convenient way to visit the waterfront suburbs of the Inner West. The most useful wharves for travellers are those at Balmain, Drummoyne, Cabarita and Olympic Park. The river service continues on to Sydney's second business centre at Parramatta.

By light rail
The Inner West can also be reached by the Inner West Light Rail, which travels from Central station via Darling Harbour to Glebe and onwards to Dulwich Hill. This is an interesting way to travel, as it follows the old goods (freight) lines which serviced Sydney's ports.

By train
Only the more southerly parts of the district are served by rail lines:
 * The T2 Inner West line services this district, stopping at Redfern, Macdonaldtown, Newtown, Stanmore, Petersham, Lewisham, Summer Hill, Ashfield, Croydon, Burwood, Strathfield and Homebush, with some trains proceeding further west. Newtown, with its eat street and bars, is serviced every 15 minutes until late.  Strathfield is a major interchange station, and also has very frequent express services to the city.
 * Further south, the T3 Bankstown Line stops at Erskineville, St Peters and Marrickville.

Parks and gardens
Directly south of the Sydney Harbour and Parramatta River, the Inner West has plenty of quiet bays and headlands with views. These are best reached by ferry or car, as the main railway line is located further south, away from the irregular coastline.


 * The Homebush Bay Circuit is another car-free and mostly flat foot and cycling track that passes through Bicentennial Park and Sydney Olympic Park, crossing Homebush Bay via a bridge. It also connects cafes and commercial areas in the suburbs of Rhodes and Wentworth Point. Best accessed by train from Rhodes station, or by ferry from Sydney Olympic Park wharf.
 * The Homebush Bay Circuit is another car-free and mostly flat foot and cycling track that passes through Bicentennial Park and Sydney Olympic Park, crossing Homebush Bay via a bridge. It also connects cafes and commercial areas in the suburbs of Rhodes and Wentworth Point. Best accessed by train from Rhodes station, or by ferry from Sydney Olympic Park wharf.

University of Sydney
The University of Sydney was founded in 1850, the first university in Australia and Oceania. Located right at the boundaries of central Sydney and the Inner West, its Camperdown campus has grand sandstone buildings with detailed stone carvings and is well worth a visit. It takes 20 minutes to walk from Central station and you'll pass through Victoria Park, a large quiet haven bounded by two busy roads. The University also houses a few interesting museums and galleries, which may be closed over the Christmas break.


 * The Clock Tower, a classic example of Neogothic design, sits at the end of the long walkway from Victoria Park. On the other side of the building is the Main Quadrangle, which has a single jacaranda tree in the courtyard that can be caught in full purple bloom during late spring.

Events

 * Newtown and Enmore are also home to the Sydney Fringe, Sydney Mardi Gras Fair Day, zine and comic fairs, Walk The Streets, and other alternative festivals and activist events during the year.
 * Newtown and Enmore are also home to the Sydney Fringe, Sydney Mardi Gras Fair Day, zine and comic fairs, Walk The Streets, and other alternative festivals and activist events during the year.

Self-guided walking tours

 * Balmain’s Industrial Heritage Walk. The Inner West Council has leverage tech and developed a new interactive self-guided audio walk offering a snapshot of Balmain’s rich industrial and labour heritage.
 * Balmain’s Industrial Heritage Walk. The Inner West Council has leverage tech and developed a new interactive self-guided audio walk offering a snapshot of Balmain’s rich industrial and labour heritage.

Markets

 * Glebe Markets.jpg regular markets in Glebe and Rozelle (near Balmain) are a great place to shop with the locals, look for unusual bargains, and try interesting street food. Held in the grounds of the local public primary schools the are on every Saturday and the Rozelle markets on Saturday and Sunday.
 * The Carriageworks in Redfern hosts the Eveleigh Markets, which consist of a farmers' market selling local farmers and producers of artisan food products, held every Saturday 8AM-1PM, and an artisans' market for local and independent artists of all types to exhibit and sell their work.
 * The Marrickville Organic Food Markets are held at the Addison Road Centre and has a good mix of organic produce straight from the farmers, secondhand items and food stalls in a leafy compound. Held every Sunday from 8AM to 3PM. There's also Reverse Garbage inside, which sells bits and pieces of things saved from the dump.
 * The Sydney Markets at Flemington are a whole lot messier than the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, and even a little maniac on Fridays and weekends, but there's undoubtedly a wide range of cheap fresh vegetable and fruit produce under one big warehouse. There are gorgeous flowers on sale if you get there early (before 9AM). There's also an assorted secondhand market on Saturday.

Eat
The Inner West is really a great place to eat, with a choice of "Eat Streets", where you can get to, and stroll along and do some menu inspecting before you choose your favourite.

Ashfield
Contains a large population of Chinese people and is known among the Sydney Chinese community as 'Little Shanghai' where you can find a decent amount of cheap and authentic Chinese/Shanghainese food not far from the station along Liverpool Road.



Burwood
A highly multicultural suburb, located about 15 minutes from Central Station, there are a few dining options to be had which are particularly convenient if you are staying in the area. Burwood Road is where you will find most restaurants and businesses. Conveniently located right at Burwood Station, if you head left/south upon exiting you will find many Asian restaurants and businesses, whilst heading to the right you will find a range of outdoor dining cafés and restaurants and Westfield Burwood.

Balmain
Balmain is a cosy neighbourhood with lots of cute houses and quirky shops. Ballast Point Park is a great spot for a picnic with a view over the Harbour bridge. You can get to Balmain by ferry or bus. There are also a lot of pubs around and a good selection of restaurants, mostly located around the main street, Darling Street.

Glebe
Concentrated on Glebe Point Road, there is a variety of excellent restaurants to suit a range of budgets.

Leichhardt, Haberfield and Five Dock
The suburbs of Leichhardt, Haberfield and Five Dock are Sydney's Little Italy, with a mix of residential buildings, restaurants (Italian and others), cafés, eateries and individual retail outlets, including several bookstores and grocery shops. Norton Street in Leichhardt has historically been the busiest of the three, but it has fallen on tough times with the piazza-styled Italian Forum rattlingly empty, and Haberfield and Five Dock are perhaps more vibrant these days.



Marrickville
Located 7 km from the CBD, Marrickville is well known for its multicultural working class Greek and Vietnamese heritage built under the flight paths of Sydney airport. These days, some describe it as the 'new Newtown' as it is now an emerging area popular with students and artsy types. Trendy cafes and bars mix with old school good value eateries in this suburb.

Newtown
The King Street strip is a cheap eats paradise, with food from all corners of the globe, including a strong Thai presence. Try also the Portuguese bakeries of nearby Petersham for their famed custard tarts.



Drink
The Inner West suburbs of Glebe and particularly Newtown have a thriving nightlife scene. Newtown is renowned as one of Sydney's main alternative suburbs and is also frequented as a nightlife hotspot away from the chaos of the CBD. King St is lined with many funky pubs and bars and it is convenient to walk from Newtown Station to most of these venues.

Cope

 * The Marrickville Metro shopping centre (34 Victoria Road, Marrickville) has two supermarkets, a Kmart and a typical range of specialty stores.
 * Church St Medical Practice (Church St, Newtown) is one of the best general practice clinics in the Inner West.

Go next

 * West - the Inner West is only the tip of the vast area west of Sydney's city centre, known as "Greater Western Sydney". Inner and Outer western Sydney are separated by a substantial green strip, made up of Sydney Olympic Park, a huge cemetery, golf courses and the Cooks River. For the visitor, the easiest way to cross into Greater Western Sydney includes by ferry further upriver (or use the train, or Parramatta Road) to reach Parramatta. The train will also take you to the multicultural foodie destinations of Bankstown and Cabramatta.
 * East - the ferry, train or bus will also take you back down-river to the city centre. Cross town to experience more late-night shenanigans at City East.
 * South - from the city centre, you can also take the train south to visit the laid back St George and Sutherland Shire districts in the south of Sydney.
 * North - cross Sydney Harbour to visit the North Shore. Apart from the regular passenger ferry that criss-crosses the river, an interesting way to cross the river by car is via the Mortlake-Putney cable ferry.