I wouldn’t live in Newtown.
Try Stanmore. It’s an old, leafy suburb, and it’s right next door to Newtown, but it isn’t IN Newtown. I’ve lived in Stanmore and I loved it. My dad lived in Newtown, and I guess that’s OK if you like being kept awake all night by drunks, emergency vehicles, and doof doof music.
From Stanmore/Petersham, Newtown is about two minutes away on the train. The CBD is about five or six minutes away. It’s a nice part of Sydney to live in.
But avoid Erskineville which is a kind of “ghost” suburb hidden behind Newtown. Every time I have ever tried to get there I somehow manage to go around or through it without ever knowing I’m in it. Last time I was picking someone up and having got hopelessly lost pulled up to call him for directions - I was stopped outside his front door. But I think I worked out the trick for next time - you can’t turn off near The Bank.
I used to work in the city many years ago and because I have very flexible working hours and few commitments I used to regularly treat myself to long lunches and work back late. I took advantage of the museums and art galleries that are in the CBD and used to visit all the historic sites, many of which happen to be pubs. Once in a while I would go for a ferry ride to have lunch somewhere else on the harbour, even Manly sometimes. The walk across the bridge on the pedestrian path is free and good fun on a nice evening.
I heard a long range weather forecast recently that indicated that Sydney is going to have the mildest Summer for many years. I think the guy said less than 10 really hot days although he predicted more than average rain.
Sydney can be a bastard of a place to get around, I live here and find most other capitals easier to manage, but there is no shortage of things to do no matter what your interests are just let us know.
There was a Sydney Dopefest once, sort of, almost twice, sort of but Sydney Dopers are rarer than John Howard backers at the moment, however any and all assistance will gladly be given. For instance you’ll need a flanno to fit in with the Melbourne Rage Against The Machine fans.
Actually one of the funniest things coming up is The Big Day Out where the flanno clad RATM fans will stake out the D barrier down the front to see RATM close one main stage and have to sit through Bjork closing the other - delicious.
I lived in Newtown for the last 5 years and was not woken once like that. North Newtown in particular is a lovely quiet pocket, but still very handy to lively King St and the station. Stanmore/Petersham are main road hell, when I lived in Petersham we used to get hoons racing down our little side-street with police chasing them, at least once a month.
Erskineville is a lovely suburb with a nice village-y feel, it would be my second choice after Newtown.
Agree, but should point out that it depends on where you live. You live on or one street off King Street, yeah, you might have that problem. I live at the other end of Newtown (closer to St Peter’s station than Newtown station) and my only real annoyance is the New Theatre practicing, but that’s just a couple of hours a night.
North Newtown was Right Out of My Budget (good lord, you want what for THAT??) but for his rental allowance there are some lovely old terraces he could get. Course, nobody has mentioned that rental properties anywhere around here are scarce as hen’s teeth and competitive as hell.
That said, Stanmore and Petersham are lovely, it depends on what you’re into. And any street with easy parking around the Enmore Theatre is right out (I lived a block off it for a while and it sucked a lot.)
Erskineville is lovely, and we looked at houses there, too. It’s a bit quieter but still with nice cafes and pubs, and of course an easy walk up to King Street.
But I still vote Newtown, you couldn’t dynamite me out of there. Plus, I like to go to Camperdown Cemetery, but I’m a bit of an old tombstone freak, so there you go.
Cheers,
G
Yes, I have to admit, my dad was in that awful 60s/70s block in Brown Street, next to the Library. You could see the King St lights from his bedroom window. It was pretty noisy. Off King Street further would probably be fine.
I’d agree with Erskineville too. Erko’s a nice little spot.
I also love the Australia Street/Camperdown Park area, but I’m not sure about living there. It’s great for pottering around.
OK, one tip coming right up: don’t use “mates” in this way. I’m struggling to come up with a neat way to delineate the way “mate” is and isn’t used here, for your future reference. Here goes.
You can use mate as a synonym for “friend”. You can use the plural in this context, but always limited by reference to the person whose friends you are talking about eg “I went to the pub with my mates” or “John’s mates are a bunch of loudmouth boofheads”).
You can also use “mate” in the singular as a generic “name” for strangers with whom you are interacting (you might say: “Thanks, mate” to a taxi driver as you get out, or a person in the street who gives you directions). What you don’t do is use the plural in this context.
Seconded (I nearly posted something identical).
Usual rules apply with Australian English as with any other dialect/language/custom/etc that is not your own: we understand international English, and it’s best to stick to that if you are in any doubt at all. Use slang only when you are very comfortable with doing so. You won’t offend anybody in Sydney if you speak to them as you would in New York or London, but you will look silly if you try to use Australian slang before you are ready.
I’d be wary of words like “mate”.
Edit: And forget online lists of Australian slang. They seem stuck in the 1940s, and nobody speaks like that, especially in Sydney. “Strewth! Stone the flamin’ crows, cobber!”
You can also use “mate” for someone who has really annoyed you. As in “Thank you…mate”.
“Thanks for your help mates” sounds like the phrase “Arrrrgh me hearties” will be next.!
Funny you should say that. I bought a book yesterday fridge magnets are bastards by journalist Mark Dapin partly on the strength of just such a comment. He was talking about media bashing :
‘Yes,’ I agreed. 'We make everything up. And what job do you do mate."
I was using the inflected 'mate" in its country-town sense, as a synonym for female genitalia.
It is a very funny book
OK, I don’t know of “mate” to equal “female genitalia”. I know it to mean copulate, but that isn’t an Aus-specific usage at all.
Can I herd us gently back towards to the OP here? I have lived in a bunch of the inner city suburbs including the aforementioned Newtown, Marrickville/Stanmore and Petersham. Of the lot of them, I would go for Newtown or Erskineville. Erskineville has a nice, funky village vibe. Newtown has an energy and buzz to it but is more grungy. That said, I wouldn’t choose to live in either suburb, I would go for city central or Woolloomooloo. OOOOh - or do you surf? You could rent in Manly and catch the ferry to work. Now that would be nice!
[different hijack] I was talking to the people renting one of the houses behind ours this morning. Turns out their rent is $7000 a month :eek: [/hijack]
I believe he’s trying to find a diplomatic way of saying “The person in the quoted text was calling someone a cunt”. 
Why the hell would you pay that sort of rent? You’d have a mortgage on a decent house wiped out in a couple of years with those sort of repayments.
Stanmore is great if you are into plane spotting - 737s coming into land 100 m overhead.
I vote for Chippendale - there are plenty of units available*, it is close to the CBD and quiet.
ShakWave,
Get a copy of the local gig guide from a pub and check out the live music. There are some great local act playing in pubs around town.
Find out where the street fairs are - around this time of year there are lots of street fairs in the main streets of inner city suburbs.
There is heaps of stuff to do in Sydney - depends what you are into.
Shakwave hasn’t told us much about his likes and dislikes, but based on what he has told us, I’m now leaning towards the southern end of the CBD, Darling Harbour, Surry Hills, or even… yes, Redfern (there are some nice bits).
One other thing about Newtown - and I’m sure a Newtownian will be along to tell me I’m wrong - is that you really, really need to be OK with cockroaches.
About my likes, I am into music especially live rock music, with a slight interest in jazz. I enjoy clubbing from time to time, and am interested in learning how to surf. I used to read quite heavily but then dropped out of the habit.
If surfing is a priority, then try one of the eastern surburbs beaches, e.g., Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly, Coogee. They are all about the same distance from the CBD, and take no more than 30 minutes by public transport each way.
If you want to live close to the CBD, then I’d support threnodyangelfire’s suggestion of Glebe.
Or Maroubra. Meet up with the local lads.
The Chaser v Bra Boys on YouTube.
ShakWave, pick up a copy of Drum Media from any pub to find out whats on.
Just in time for Christmas shopping amidst the heat and the faux-snow displays!
The New Year’s Eve fireworks are pretty spectacular and I’m sure that you’ll enjoy them. And once they’re finished you can ring home to all of your friends and bag them out for still being in 2007.
Now thats a great idea!