In a suburb previously considered sleepier and with less happening than its Inner City neighbours, Chippendale’s recent retail and commercial revival has given the suburb a whole new lease of life.
Chippendales’ past history was one of factories and warehouses. Most of those businesses have moved on and the buildings that housed them have been converted into trendy workspaces and residences. The area has also become one of Sydney’s leading creative hubs with a growing number of arts, media, advertising and design businesses adopting it as their base.
With new shops, galleries, cafes, bakeries and restaurants popping up there’s now so much more to see and do in Chippendale. At the heart of the action is the Central Park development which was built on a former industrial site and has become one of the city’s most eye-catching examples of urban architecture. There’s a residential tower with exterior hanging gardens, a shopping centre with dozens of retailers, a huge cinema, scores of trendy eateries and a huge expanse of greenspace at ground level to stroll around and escape the grind.
Other places to get away from it all include neighbouring Victoria and Prince Alfred Parks where you can swim, exercise and walk your pooch.
Workers cottages, terraces, converted warehouses and modern high density units are among the types of dwellings you can expect to rent in Chippendale.
Houses and terraces have the characteristic old-world charm that you find around much of the Inner City and the modern apartment buildings offer attractive amenities like gyms, pools and cafes.
Current average rents in Chippendale are $900 pw for a three-bedroom house and $750 pw for a two-bedroom unit.
Chippendale sits between Cleveland Street and Broadway with Prince Alfred Park at one end and Victoria Park at the other. It’s in an enviable position for public transport services and getting to the CBD and surrounding suburbs is a cinch.
With the high level of trains, buses and traffic on Cleveland Street and around Broadway, however, noise can be a factor.
While parking and carspaces are at a premium in Chippendale, they’re a privilege many are willing to do without given that the suburb is so conveniently positioned in relation to the CBD, universities and public transport.
