Centred around the eclectic shopping and entertainment strip of King Street, Newtown is a bohemian neighbourhood in Sydney’s inner west. It’s considered the heart of the city’s alternative scene, with independent bookstores, multicultural eateries and live music venues. Rows of terrace houses line its streets while the University of Sydney campus hugs its northern end.
Things to do in Newtown
Spend a day soaking up the comings and goings of King Street while browsing the vintage stores and designer boutiques. It’s been dubbed “Eat Street” due to its large number of cafes and restaurants where you can dine throughout the day. Enmore Road is another popular local shopping strip and lined with atmospheric Victorian buildings that house one-of-a-kind stores and global eateries.
Want to experience Newtown’s legendary nightlife? Catch a show at the iconic Enmore Theatre where international bands and touring comedians regularly perform or discover one of the neighbourhood’s underground venues. Jazz nights are held at The Vanguard, while The Courthouse Hotel is a classic colonial pub with an atmospheric beer garden.
If you’re travelling with kids, they can enjoy the fenced playground within Camperdown Memorial Rest Park. Originally home to the Camperdown Cemetery, it was transformed into a public park in 1948 and now features large expanses of lawn where you can play ball games. Of particular note is a protected patch of kangaroo grass that is a remnant of the turpentine-ironbark forests that once blanketed the area.
Getting around Newtown
Newtown is a 20-minute drive from Sydney’s CBD and 15 minutes from Sydney Airport. Trains connect between Newtown railway station and destinations across Sydney while buses also travel throughout the area. The suburb is compact enough to explore by bike or on foot.