Newtown, NSW 2042

Newtown is a dirty suburb, street parking is near impossible. An issue, as I don’t feel safe walking to and from the train station. Some of the locals are pretentious and self righteous ‘left wing’, but are in fact antisemitic and racist.

I lived in Newtown throughout 2024. Having gone through the reviews on this website (With no dates) it seems as though alot of them are from 10/15 years ago when the area was alot dodgier.

As of late 2024, most of the troublemakers and dole bludgers have been priced out and pushed out of the inner west and into western sydney (Starting at Earlwood/Ashfield nowadays). However, due to the excellent public service links to Newtown some of these people from west sydney (obvious by tattoos on their face and no teeth from hard narcotics) will still be seen loitering around on hot days and weekends.

On weekday mornings it feels just like a Nice but not exactly fancy inner city suburb where nice looking hipster and young professional people are walking around with suits and high quality clothes, on their way to work or enjoying some kind of day off (Not because they are dole bludgers but because they work from home or have their own business type of people)

The suburb looks much more grungier/dodgy on the surface than what it really is. There are many cafes and restaurants that look like some kind of crack house on the outside but when you go inside its all modern and renovated.

To speak on negatives, there are alot of housing commissions in the area but after a year of living in newtown (Moved recently) I have never had any trouble as male who dresses in plain unpretentious clothes other than hearing noises and smelling strange stuff walking past.

Another negative is that the streets are like overgrown dirty hippy jungles. Because of the overall greeny vibe, people seem to think that maintaining their garden and disposing of waste is evil. Alot of houses have overgrown forestry, and have trees/greenery growing through the cracks of their walls, causing insects and allergies to run rampant, and my car basically got ruined by the amount of leaves and tree grime that would go onto it. The residents rallied up to have the red bins emptied only every fortnight with a new green "Fogo" bin making up the every second week. This bin is for organics such as banana peels, apple scraps ETC. The main extreme drawback, however, is when you dump a heap of these organics in a bin and leave them to rot for two weeks, they become maggot and fly infested dumps. These bins (and also the red ones) End up stinking like a combination of death, maggots, rotten fish, rotten meat, baby diapers, and hippy body odour. worst of all since they only get emptied fortnightly, the bins fill up and get placed on the curbs ages before the bin trucks come. I've had times where I literally cannot walk on the footpaths because they get blocked by thousands of full, dirty, maggot infested death smelling bins.

Overall it is a cool place to live for a creative/open minded young professional or student with great access to everything. People aren't all socialist anti work dole bludgers anymore, however, you do notice that people typically are hippies and will hold extreme views, albeit I found specifically on climate related stuff while being a bit more centered (but not typically conservative) on social and economic topics. If the waste and forestry was managed better it would be quite significantly nicer to live in Newtown; although this negative was outweighed by the positives for me. Overall I enjoyed living there, and had alot of fun as a young creative tech professional in my early 20s.

I remember when King St was the best social, shopping and eating strip in Sydney hands down. It lost the crown many years ago. The area didn't receive enough investment and enhancement. Such a shame. The suburb is still OK to live but not enough to make me want to stay.

Great for a family and I have even met some happy downsizers who want to be close to amenities, friends and their kids - close-knit community, greenery, cafes, schools, day care, healthcare, culture - everything you need within walking distance, and you can get to any side of the city via driving in a reasonable timeframe. The convenience is hard to beat. Have found it filled with down-to-earth, intellectually curious, open-minded folk.

So much character - on one hand, a lot of the streets down the South and North side of King St are actually very leafy, quiet, with lots of families who have taken to living in this very central location.
On the other hand, it is so vibrant, with bouldering gyms, parks, food, markets, brunch cafes and bakeries all within walking distance! The bay for city and water views is also not too far away.

Newtown is cool, hip and funky. Located within the inner-city, it attracts musicians, artists, performers, dancers, and creatives. When you stroll down the famous bustling King Street, it'll be a feast for your eyes. You'll see all kinds of individual style and expression that you simply don’t see anywhere else. There are many restaurants on King Street or explore its many little side streets.
Its bustling nightlife boasts several of Sydney’s famous pubs and clubs where you'll find live music playing nightly. A mix of traditional old-style pubs to the trendiest bars in town.
Famous for the Newtown Festival, King Street Crawl, Newtown school of performing arts. The Newtown locals are passionate and proud about their vibrant home. The homes are mostly terrace-style homes that are beautifully renovated or you may find a blank canvas gem. "Jamie Zimmermann - Sales Agent Newtown - Zimmermann Agency".

Lots of people moving in and renovating/updating some of the old Victorian-style terraces in the area.
Everything is within walking distance (parks, entertainment, restaurants, childcare, medical, transport) in this suburb, which is so key in this COVID19 era.
Surprisingly quiet and safe as well along the South side.
Highly recommend.

Newtown is in pretty good shape for a first home, or a home in general I'd say, as long as you don't aspire to have a massive lawn! Inner city suburbs will always do well if growth is what you're after, and Newtown has quite a few things going for it:
- close to CBD, RPA, Sydney Uni, just about as central as you can get without being too hectic
- very walkable to everything you could possibly need - coffee, great food, groceries, markets, gyms etc
- areas of Newtown have great neighbourly vibes (particularly South side of King st)
- great leafy parks/playgrounds for kids
- good childcare, primary school, secondary school options as well

I don't know about everyone else, but coming from Melbourne, I really like this particular patch of Sydney.
Have lived here for a few years and probably will continue to do so.

Have lived in Newtown for 3 years or so.
Love the area - great food, parks, convenience, culture, community.
Would advise looking for a place with off-street parking, as I did.
I like my part of Newtown, down the South side of King st towards Marrickville/Erskineville where the streets are quiet but still close to everything.

My partner and I have been living in Newtown for the past 5 years or so, and have found it pleasantly exceeding our expectations. Previously we were living in the North Shore - but wanted a change of scene.

There seems to be a lot of folks at our stage of life (young professional couple with 2 kids (3 and a baby) living here, amidst the population of young professional singles and students.
There is a great community feel, with Inner west mums that support each other, help take turns with babysitting, take kids to the park, exchange baked goods, etc. Surprisingly good childcare options.

We've discovered the streets are actually quite adorable to walk about in, lined with terraces with a lot of character, more trees and leafiness than we had given it credit for!
There are such great parks (Sydney Park, Enmore Park, Camperdown Park are the notable ones), all within walking distance - perfect for entertaining the kids, going for a run or having a picnic.
There is an eclectic mix of interesting things to do (open mics, comedy nights, live music, exhibits etc), places for brunch, second-hand bookshops, cheap ethnic food... someone else might also love the craft breweries/pub scene (but I'm not much of a drinker).
Being close to RPA Hospital and Sydney Uni is also a plus.
Closer proximity to the city compared to the some of the further-inner-west suburbs mean that it is easier for me to get to work across the bridge, visit friends, also conveniently get to our favourite bush-walks on the Lower North Shore in <30 min.
Plane noise is nowhere near as prominent as it is in Marrickville/Stanmore/Sydenham/Tempe/St Peters/Leichhardt (which seem to be becoming very popular areas).

In terms of safety, honestly I had lived in Newtown as a single female whilst studying at Sydney University and I never felt too unsafe walking around alone, especially compared to growing up in Southeast Asia! I have never been one to be out past midnight anyhow. There may be isolated incidents but these can happen anywhere, I think I've felt more unsafe in some suburbs further out West. Additionally, now that the lockout laws have been repealed some of the party-goers will stay in the city.

Looking towards the future, I think the suburb will continue to gentrify and be popular with young professionals/young families whilst hopefully still retaining its uniqueness. Sure, there might be more space further out West in Parramatta but we don't need a huge lawn (or the associated maintenance) at this juncture of our lives.

It is really quite ideal for a first home for a young professional single or couple (especially when houses in the North Shore and even North West are far beyond the reach of the average income).

Overall, very fond of Newtown, I'd buy in this suburb as soon as possible as it's bound to get more expensive!
Interestingly, the median house prices in surrounding suburbs (Stanmore, Petersham, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill) have gotten more expensive than that of Newtown this year, so it might actually be *relatively* more affordable.

Newtown is a suburb sitting right in the middle, separating Glebe from Marrickville, cut in half by the filthy King street shopping strip filled with Alternative Hipsters and some of the most seedy and unpredictable characters you have seen in Sydney. The area is a pool of Towering Public Housing, freaks, crime, rubbish and graffiti.

Though the actual Bogan (Ugg boots, Thongs, Flannel shirts, Redneck) count isn’t that high. This area is littered with more extreme versions of this, wearing Nike and Nautica known as “lads”. Quite a noticeable proportion of people in Newtown carry weapons, a lot of knives and in many cases guns, and will likely use it on you anyways for the sake of it, when they mug you, hence why most of the “hipsters” taking up the rest of the area turn a blind eye when you are in need of their desperate help.

King street and Newtown Central near the Station is considered the main part of the area, filled with gangs of youths with shirts over their faces running amok, fighting, ready to take your money in front of park benches where older drug users beg for money while drunk. And as for Forbes street and the top end shops...... God help you there, the only reason people go there is to buy/sell drugs or start a fight.

Just recently, a 711 worker was bashed for the register money, and an off-duty police officer was stabbed, and that speaks for itself.

Newtown is the worst.... Walking home from school, it is hard to watch. Little kids swearing, drinking, smoking near adults drunk fighting at the bus stop. Do not bring your children up around here.

Newtown is a little inner city suburb with a wide range of vintage shops, coffee shops and restaurants on King street, it used to be a great place to visit, but it is slowly going through urban decay and growing more undesirable every day due to it being poorly maintained.

With abandoned buildings on nearly every corner and garbage on the streets EVERYWHERE, the area brings off an unwelcoming sketchy vibe, without mentioning common street crimes rampant and widespread, with drug addicts congregating in most of the public spots, harassing passers-by for change and cigarettes, fighting loud in the street and drinking open in public being a common sight, I’ve even witnessed drug dealers selling in broad daylight in parks not even a kilometre away from the police station, and it is only getting worse, without mentioning the frequent home/car break ins in a lot of parts of Newtown. Newtown is a popular tourist destination and nightlife hotspot for good reasons, with its wide varieties but it’s state is slowly declining with more of the shops and venues closing or moving as more and more scum build up in the streets everyday.

If you are planning to invest in a property in Newtown, I advise you to spend your money on a house in the back of Macdonaldtown station, Newtown station (even though the station itself can get hairy) and Camperdown park, due to these areas still being pretty decent to live in, as they are actually pretty clean and safe for families, with some pretty good community spirit, but these parts can often get expensive, which is not really worth the investment considering how undesirable the surrounding area is getting, but can be considered as good enough, due to this being a suburb close to the city and a wide range of shops to go to. Most of the more decaying, dodgy and filthier parts of Newtown can get expensive as well (inner city Sydney obviously), unless you want to live dangerously close to one of the Housing commission blocks in the south and far north, which should be AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS, as those hellholes are locally known for some REALLY bad social problems, which make it impossible to walk through the depth of of them, the type to throw a brick at your car window and relieve it of your personal belongings.

Newtown is an area, with its demons, but is home to some pretty good schools, such as Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, which hosts a spectacular teaching staff, as well as performing arts facilities.

Newtown is a suburb with good qualities as well as some growing unaddressed problems , a good place to visit, but not really worth the money living in.

Good cafes, restaurants, shops and parks and is more gay friendly than most. But it's slummy. I've had to call the police several times due to crime here, including listening to a drug collecter screaming disturbingly for ages threatening to bash this guy and his children because he didn't give him the drug money. Lots of graffitti (and whilst there are some good ones, mostly theyre just tags), the constant smell of weed (and the expectation that everyone else is supposed to be fine with your second hand weed because that's what 'cool' people do and all), i've seen dodge people screaming or harrassing others for no reason (not sure if drugs or mental health issues), my friend's car got keyed after parking for an hour because it was the nicest car parked there. Felt more dodge than other areas I've been in.

People say it has a welcoming culture (and it probably is better than most areas for gays and maybe blacks) but I found it overall quite hostile unless you are like everyone else and have the exact same opinions as them. The number of aggro, entitled and self-righteous hard-left hypocrits is astounding (and I'm someone who actually used to be left-wing... that was Until I lived here...). Don't believe me - just take a walk and have a look at most of the posters around the whole suburb. Lets act like we are enlightened and care about humanity but really its just ourselves because we hate everyone else we don't know (ironically). Hate all bankers, hate the rich, hate the government, hate the police, hate anyone whose worked hard to make a living, basically hate everyone that's not a selfish druggo dirtbag like us, promote assault against all the people we hate, and then bask in our self-declared 'alternative intellectualism'. All aboard the hate bandwagon, take your pithforks and tin-foil hats on your way in. Don't want to work (cos work is supporting evil capitalists), don't want to pay rent (cos landlords are 'arseholes' and 'squatters rights!' #Firstpump), and then consider ourselves 'slaves' (who need to spread anarchy). While we are at it, lets abolish prisons, abolish surveillance cameras, abolish governments and only then we'll live in some kind of fantasy Utopia where everything will sort itself out *Fistpump again!*. Seriously, no exaggeration, I've seen all of those ... Some people have never had a real problem...or travelled anywhere to see what a real problem actually looks like...or worked in the real world....or even lived a day without weed, it seems.... I've literally heard people here complaining of how awfully hard it is to pay rent this week but are going to go out tomorrow and get trashed anyway, cos Yolo. Not everyone is like this, of course, but this is more common here than anywhere else I've been. It gets old quickly (like one week old). If you're popping by its fine but found it overall a negative place to live in, and found myself much more dissatisfied with life being surrounded by this nutty hostility and anti-ambition culture.

This is a good place to visit for food, coffee, shops (if they are open) or to walk along some of the paid grafitti areas, but def would not recommend living here or bringing up a family for most people (unless you are far-left). Obviously there are different pockets, but overall it was the most negative slum I've been in and I'm so glad to be out of it - anywhere else really.

Now look at the angry Newtowners replying below this - gotta have their exact opinion or else Outrage :)

Newtown is a very poor, nay impoverished man's version of East London, filled with hipsters, rich students who feel their middle class guilt strongly, and the homeless. It's covered in vomit, dirt and poor imitations of Banksy. In its favour, there are some good cafes and it's very near the city, but that's where it ends. In the summer you will feel you are in a hipster desert where the fetid smell of rubbish pervades. For entertainment there is the annual invasion day march, or perhaps the Marxism conference? All attended by uni students whose parents work at KPMG. Try hard area that is like a counterfeit cheap version of Melbourne. Avoid.

Newtown had its heyday thirty years ago and has been in decline ever since. It is now boring, generic, crowded, full of tourists, terrible traffic, trust fund kids, wannabes, foreign investors, people who have no idea about cool or artistic things. There are no more old Newtowns, Sydney has changed in the 21St century.

I've lived in Newtown 8 years and it has grown on me substantially. Although I appreciate the well planned and artistic street art, the tags and ugly graffiti is never cleaned up and it gives Newtown a grungier/dirtier feel then I like . I lived in Surry Hills for 15 years and that council cleans it up straight away. The people here are very friendly and I've got great neighbours . It is very safe if you have your wits about you ... All in all I enjoy the location and I can't think of anywhere I'd prefer to live in the Sydney area. . Newtown is Great !

I love Newtown, you'd be mad not love this place. It's one of Sydney's art capitals. There are many of cool restaurants, great venues, thrifty store, artsy and stylish crowds, there is a university nearby, there is a great hospital, the community is awesome and the people are friendly. So far everything sounds brilliant, and indeed if you manage to live here, you'll be living great. For young people, there couldn't be a better place to live in my opinion.

The downsides are the house prices. An inch in Newtown costs as much as three houses elsewhere. It's very expensive, the rent is SUPER expensive. Sadly the place is very run down and needs a massive push over and rebuild, but who can afford to buy up the place to do it? Everything is so expensive now that it's impossible to ever push over and build a new. That being said, Id recommend living near this place, or within traveling distance, but actually living here would be financial suicide. If you're Rich or a Rich student, then this will be a breeze to you. If you're an average income earner then maybe this is a great place to visit. Newtown is also close to the CBD which means that you will on occasion get undesirables. It's a loud place and a vibrant place, it's a great place to visit, and I would probably live here If I could, but it's not for everyone.

There are allot of gay and lesbians living here, if anyone cares about that? I don't really but some people might. I like it for the close access to everything, the amount of choice, art and beauty. The creative people who come here are ace, great place to network!

Purchased a house on the south side of King St about 12 months ago. I have to say that this side of Newtown has been surprisingly family friendly, with many young families and well behaved neighbors. Plenty of public parks and amenities as well,and the food is good and cheap! Public transport options are vast as we have the option of Newtown station, St Peters station, or the bus. Public transport is 15-30 mins to the CBD (depending on the time of day) and 60 mins walk to Martin Place. Love love love the artsy vibe and chilled atmosphere. Close to RPA, medical centres, Sydney Uni and UTS, as well as Marrickville, Enmore, Erskineville, the new Tempe Ikea and more. From my perspective as a homeowner, the area is continually upgrading with new and better stores, and many renovations underway... Including the controversial renovations to Marrickville Metro (no hate mail please!). Public schools also seem to be of decent quality. In short... If you have the means and after a trendy Inner city lifestyle, Newtown rocks!!!

Newtown is a trendy suburb less than 2km from the Sydney CDB popular with renters.

Netwown is currently overpriced and will slowly trend downwards in the next couple of years.
Buyers will find better value elsewhere in the current climate.

As far as restaurants / cafe's go Newtown has them all, IF you can get a seat. And I do mean IF....The people in Newtown unfortunately has become the home for snobby left wing hypocrits who would happily turn the other way if you were being mugged in the street! Which seems to be hapenning more and more... Parking? Forget it. And as for nightlife, yeah Newtown is the place to be if you like rude security guards, over priced beverages and crowded kitchy nightspots full of teeny boppers and chardonay sipping intellectualists "letting their hair down".
So sure if you would like to buy or rent in a completely overpriced and over rated neighbourhood (thanks to real estate agents still trying to spruik the "Newtown is trendy" line), then by all means this is the place for you

Having bought here in August of last year, I wasn't quite sure if I would like the way of life (coming from the burbs)

I never want to leave. Strolling up to the cafes, shops, gym, station, park Ive been able to sell my car and save a truckload of money.

Never want to go back to the sleepy burbs (although the street is extremely quiet). Friendly village atmosphere on the street and I never feel like I'm in the city until I step onto King St.

Highly recommended

And I can honestly say, I'm sick of this hell hole.
Sure it used to be nice, but now it just seems to be the place annoying yuppies go to act alternative. I can't believe the amount I'm paying to live in this hell, and the real estate are raising it another $30 in 3 months. Luckily that's when my lease runs out - I'm escaping to Melbourne.
Also, living on south king street - there are no good restaurants apart from the pastizzi cafe! (Which I can't afford often after paying $300 a week, sharing)
I've been robbed countless times & it's just not worth it to watch each new generation of Newtown Performing Arts students litter the streets and scream at each other through their polymorph pierced lips.

Having lived in Newtown for more than ten years, I have come to love and loathe various aspects. I love Sydney Park, The Dendy Cinema, access to public transport, the eclectic population (not many desperate housewives or screaming kids around here), and even the daggy old Marrickville Metro appeals oddly enough. I do like the fact that it has a high number of lesbian and gay men living in the area and I like the strong green/left voting tendency of my electorate. But I'm less attracted to the grottiness, street crime, and general downbeat atmosphere found around the area these days. I used to find it somewhat appealing, but as I'm well past my youthful days now, I find much on offer in Newtown to be way too flea-ridden. Recently, I feel more frustrated with Marrickville Council, which doesn't seem to have the funds, the ability or the willingness to clean up the area or seriously improve the amenity. Parts of Newtown (those managed by Marrickville Council) are very shabby, which some (the alternative set) may find vaguely appealing, but in all honestly, living day in day out in a pretty mucky place is a bit grim. While it may like to position itself as an alternative type of place, I don't really see why that means it should look like a dump. Especially when placed in comparison with many other places in Sydney, that are green and clean. Even with its cute cafe culture (albeit on very noisy King St), and so called hip life style, Newtown is not really a pleasant nor healthy place to live.

Newtown has many fabulous pluses- Location to the city, transport, amazing food and a friendly young alternative feel. However, its not for everyone. Safety is becoming an issue in parts- frequent car and house break ins not to mention the noise of many coming home at 3am. If you are young and you dont have a car..go for it you'll love it! Families and older couples maybe not so much. Georgina st has beautiful terraces and the the newtown festival is loads of fun...as long as you dont live near it

A typical inner-western suburb with a twist of quirkiness.
Trendy little stores line the streets and the area is definitely not short on cafes!
Compacted living; perfect for singles or couples.
Easy access to public transport,
cars overrun the narrow streets with traffic that can cause you to pull your hair out

Been living in Newtown now for 12 months. Great food, central to transport, A fine emerging community spirit, community gardens. Friendly and relaxed cafe society. Doesn't suit everyone, but I just love the buzz of the place.

When I first visited Newtown, my initial reaction was disgust. The streets were dirty, buildings were filthy and in need of renovation and the roads are just way too narrow for any decent traffic to go through! Buses often had to turn at such angles that they go over kerbs.

However, after getting to know the place a little better, I learnt to appreciate its beauty and the many qualities of the place. For starters, there are many restaurants, pubs, clubs, cafes and boutiques. It is a very nice feeling to be able to sit at a cafe on Sunday with the papers and sip your coffee while you people watch. The many pubs and venues provide different forms of live entertainment.

Newtown is known for its quirkiness and the shops and businesses are testament to this characteristic. You will often find hippie clothing, exotic furniture ecclectic homewares and designs all along King Street.

I would recommend living in Newtown only if you do not mind the narrow streets, the lack of backyards and terrace style living.