Changes I observed in Newtown today…
- A new Gloria Jeans coffee shop has opened and it looks to be doing brisk business. Very interesting. It’s the only big franchise on all of King Street. (I’m told that the Newts basically ran McDonald’s out on a rail when they tried to open a branch a few years ago.) I did notice a large sign out front though: “This is a locally owned and operated business.” Translation: “Please don’t throw a chair through our window, hippie. We’re not The Man.”
- There are now three gelaterias in Newtown. Three! There’s no way the market can sustain that. There’s one in the old Greek place near the Marly, one where Vinnie’s Gourmet Greengrocer used to be, and a brand new one next to Sushi Boat. The last is really gorgeous and gleaming, and its gelato is very yummy. Uh… not that I would know or anything. (Hmmm. It was only a year ago that I was raving about all the gelato I ate in Italy. Maybe I started the new Australian gelato craze!)
- The “pink store” is gone! I can’t believe it. It was this completely random shop on Wilson Street that didn’t seem to fit into any existing shop genre. It sold clothes, furnishings, flowers, all kinds of crap. As near as I could tell, the only criteria was that the product be pink. Now it’s a trendy kids’ clothing shop or something.
- The 7-11 next to the Post Office has closed! I bet it was because of the exorbitant electricity bills they incurred as a result of their extra-sensitive automatic door, which opened whenever anyone walked past it on the footpath.
It’s so weird going back to Newtown. Now I feel like a tourist…
Sidherian
June 21, 2004 — 9:54 pm
There was a Macca’s on King St many years ago, but it’s an Irish pub now. Official reason for closing was that there was too much other restaurant competition. I think it was one of the first Macca’s ever to be shut down. The pink shop moved to Enmore Rd and then shut down. I think her brand of “Shabby chic” was just too expensive for those of us who have been doing the opshop version for years….
And to do the polite thing and introduce myself, I’m from Livejournal, where Gadgetgirl is one of my friends.
Why yes, I do live in Marrickville, why do you ask.
Kris
June 21, 2004 — 10:43 pm
Hello, Sidherian! Nice to meet another local. I see from your site that you pop in to the Cat Society Op Shop! You should come in when I’m next working and we can meet properly. 🙂
(For the record, Sydney girls, my next scheduled shift is the afternoon of Saturday, July 24.)
Yeah, that’s the Maccas I was thinking of. It was where Kelly’s on King is now. Snookums remembers it from his uni days. He says it was really dodgy too, with lots of syringes in the bathrooms and stuff. *shudder*
Ben
June 22, 2004 — 5:56 am
Is Dendy still going strong down there?
Also, when I went to Sydney Uni, there always seemed to be about 45 Thai restaurants down that way… Always a good time.
Sidherian
June 24, 2004 — 8:21 pm
Hello again! I meant to pop in earlier and say hello again. I’d love to pop into the op shop and say hi. I might even visit Tapestry Craft, & now I’m seriously interested in Tea in the Library.
I strongly suspect the drug taking didn’t help the Newtown Maccas. But really, no loss there!
Kris
June 24, 2004 — 11:10 pm
Well, I won’t be at the op shop on the 24th after all. My roster at Tapestry Craft currently has me working Saturdays, so my op shop days are over for the time being. But you can come see me at TC!
Sidherian
June 25, 2004 — 2:28 pm
Definitely will got to TC.
Once I put my credit card in the freezer…..