Marrickville Suburb Review

Summary: A suburb with plenty of character and one of the better dining scenes in all of Sydney, Marrickville is trendy without being quite as pretentious as some of the other brand-name suburbs nearby, although that has started to change recently.

It still retains a decent bit of authentic grit despite its large ongoing developments & gentrification, and offers a solid balance between city access, diversity of housing types and enjoyable public spaces.

Ever-rising property prices and some noise issues at both air and ground levels hamper it a little, but for the younger professional crowd with a decent bit of money to throw around, it’s still a strong choice in the Inner West for those who like things a little more lively & are willing to settle for higher-density or terrace-style living.

Key stats

Parts of present-day Marrickville bring to mind a lot of the ungentrified, middle-class Sydney neighbourhoods I grew up around as a kid. Gritty yet not dodgy, lively yet not overcrowded, and increasingly trendy yet not completely pretentious, this is now the place that immediately springs to mind for me when I think “Inner West” in the 2020’s.

Marrickville’s a place where there’s still graffiti in the back lanes – a mix of both junk and actual talent – and of small boutique storefronts stuffed to the walls with all manner of knick knacks.

Local characters are still a “thing” here; don’t be surprised to see middle aged men rocking fur coats in the summer or standing on corners in ADIDAS tracksuits… keep your eyes peeled and you may even spot an un-ironic mullet or two out in the wild.

Of course, this is increasingly offset by the ongoing gentrification and development which has taken place in the suburb’s trendier portions, and has only seen this continue with the further building out of the Marrickville Metro project and its surrounding precinct.

Its demographic is gradually changing, and it’s becoming more cashed-up, professional-heavy as opposed to oldschool bohemian as a result as time goes on.

Marrickville’s most obvious attractive feature for many will be its extremely solid array of drinking and dining opportunities all within reasonable distance of one another, combined with easy access to even more of such in neighbouring suburbs nearby.

It’s hard not to be reminded of what Newtown used to be – and, to some extent, still is – with a little less of the high entry price that’s made its neighbour less of a go-to destination for the younger crowd than it once was.

Its storefronts are largely a mixture of older, multicultural dining establishments that have been around for a long time dotted with the occasional chic new-era hipster spot selling their typical organic-everything.

It’s still quite ethnically diverse, with pretty much every major cuisine being represented here. Some of the best sleeper restaurants in Sydney call Marrickville home – a boon for both visitors and residents alike.

Add in a huge range of cafes, and several up and coming boutique beer offerings, and Marrickville’s nothing if not short of things to do.

Not just for the stomach

In terms of daily conveniences, it’s very well equipped as well. Marrickville Metro itself is an evolving public space and shopping hub that has undergone renovations, and its mixture of smaller-scale butchers, bakers, chemists and the like continue to coexist alongside bigger Woolworths and the like.

Put all of these together and add in its mix of doctors, vets and other amenities, and you’ve got everything you’d need in terms of the essentials.

Connectivity is Marrickville’s other major plus, with its own train station (that sees a decent if unspectacular number of services), and semi-regular buses into the CBD. It’s a sub-20 minute train ride into the city, and the metro proper will only add more convenience as well.

While Marrickville’s central portions are pretty concrete-heavy, the suburb offers multiple good public park spaces down by the river, and is well equipped with open spaces and playgrounds for pets and kids alike.

Walking along the waterfront through Mackey Park & surrounds is also a pleasure and something many Inner West suburbs can’t offer, and the suburb is largely walkable in general given its fairly flat topography.

That’s all the good news, but Marrickville isn’t all just smiles and sunshine.

“Gritty yet not dodgy, lively yet not crowded, and increasingly trendy yet not pretentious, this is now the place that immediately springs to mind for me when I think “Inner West”.”

The “rollover effect” of people being priced out of suburbs closer to Sydney city has well and truly hit Marrickville as well, and property prices have greatly increased in recent years – particularly since the pandemic.

It may be teetering on feeling a bit overpriced in the present day for some given it’s not the exactly the most clean-cut suburb in the world; indeed, parts of the suburb are still pretty dirty in general, particularly the areas near its industrial pockets.

Back streets are also often strewn with litter, and there’s a number of rundown and forbidding-looking properties dotted throughout. It definitely doesn’t boast the green-and-clean aesthetic of, say, an Annandale or even an Erskineville, and the prices are not that much cheaper considering the gap.

Expect a $2+ million barrier to entry for a semi detached house – a hefty price to pay given that it’s very terrace-heavy and block sizes are not particularly large in general.

Likewise, it’s no longer a bargain for smaller scale apartment rentals either; there’s little differentiating renting for $650 per week here compared to most of the other suburbs around the city other than the “ritzy” suburbs on the water and the absolute city itself. That’s still a fairly reasonable price for an apartment by Sydney standards, but it’s no longer ‘cheap’.

Noise is also a considerable factor in Marrickville. While many of its terrace-lined back streets are charming and fairly quiet, much of the suburb is oriented around its main arteries of Marrickville Road and Illawarra Road. These are both renowned points of congestion that bring all the expected noise along with them, and make things a pain for drivers to boot.

Its proximity to the airport, while convenient, is also a fairly major issue as flight path noise is a constant factor that has to be dealt with by residents.

The Verdict

Marrickville is a suburb that legitimately lives up to the word “vibrant”, with a ton of the diversity that makes Sydney interesting and without the excess crowds or other annoying issues that typically come along with it. Anyone looking for an enjoyable day or night out should consider the suburb for a visit, as its stores, restaurants, street art and green spaces combine to make for a solid day.

For those considering living here, it can be a bit of a mixed bag. The price of its terraces can close the market for many, and the aircraft noise may turn off some potential renters as well.

For those who enjoy things lively and put a priority on convenience and getting out and experiencing their suburb, Marrickville delivers in spades. As a result, it’s probably best suited to young professionals looking to enjoy a painless commute then come back and dine out or enjoy its social aspect.

While larger families will probably find it hard to accommodate, smaller families and those with small pets will likewise find much to praise here. Retirees or those in need of larger personal spaces will likely want to look elsewhere, however.