In defence of Parramatta Road & Redfern

[MARYROSE02]

Elsewhere, someone was criticising two of Sydney's 'gems'! Well, nobody would ever call Parra Road pretty but it is Sydney's historic route to Parrmatta, going back over two hundred years now. I would never enjoy driving it in the rush hour but outside of that it's not unpleasant to travel and you certainly get to see a lot of Sydney. I think you'll find that all the big cities have their own version too.

 

Redfern? I used to say that I would not venture there after dark without an armed guard but it has much changed over the last few years. There were always some pleasant historic terrace-lined streets - George and Pitt - the same George & Pitt in the CBD - and the narrow streets in between.

 

You can't beat a location so close to the City and to Sydney Uni & Technology Park. I got off the train one Friday night about 9pm, stopped for a meal in Redfern Street, then carried on walking back to Surry Hills. There's a new & trendy little quarter around the corner of Chalmers & Redfern Sts - pubs, cafes, restaurants.

 

I often do my supermarket shopping at Woolies opposite Redferen Oval beacause it's the one supermarket where I can park right outside the shop.

 

Maybe I just look at Sydney through those rose-coloured binoculars and I'm looking from the wrong end.

 

I've said it before - it's Australia's 'Big Apple'!

[Petals]

I lived in Redfern back a long long while ago. We had lived at Neutral Bay before moving to McMahons Point, one of those old houses that were made into apartments and we could walk down to the water. The next place my friends and I moved to was a renovated Terrace in a little street in Redfern. It had been converted to two apartments we were in the top one. Sweet factory across the road.

 

In those days it was fine, very close and handy for the city and we had a lovely landlady. There was the pub near the station that was a bit of a problem but nothing major, inner city living that is what you get.

 

Of course this was before a lot of you were even on the planet :laugh:

[MARYROSE02]

I lived in Redfern back a long long while ago. We had lived at Neutral Bay before moving to McMahons Point, one of those old houses that were made into apartments and we could walk down to the water. The next place my friends and I moved to was a renovated Terrace in a little street in Redfern. It had been converted to two apartments we were in the top one. Sweet factory across the road.

 

In those days it was fine, very close and handy for the city and we had a lovely landlady. There was the pub near the station that was a bit of a problem but nothing major, inner city living that is what you get.

 

Of course this was before a lot of you were even on the planet :laugh:

 

There is a narrow street that runs parallel and in between George & Pitt, can't remember the cross streets - Wells maybe at one end, James at the other. Anyway, there was a chocolate or sweet factory which had a very distinctive but not unpleasant aroma. My dentist is in Pitt St and I often would come out, turn first right and right again into the narrow road past the factory.

 

The pubs by the station are probably closed - London Tavern was one I think. Baden Powell - demolished, Redfern Inn? on George St - closed.

 

I drove down Elizabeth St, turned right into Redfern St, left into George St, there's a new educational complex at the bottom. I turned right then left then right into Botany Road by The Cauliflower Hotel then right into McEvoy..

 

On the way back from my brother's I meandered thru Punchbowl, stopped to shop, Lakemba RSL, got lost in Campsie, ended up in Enfield then up to Liverpool Road, Ashfield, Parra Road which is interesting to drive along, as I said before, but particularly from Leichhardt onwards.