Tell us about yourself?
I grew up in Melbourne but moved to Brunswick twelve years ago with my Dutch husband and son after living in the Netherlands. I’m a radio broadcaster for 3CR and freelance writer and editor. My earliest memories of Sydney Rd are of driving along it in pre-dawn darkness as a child when we were on our way to visit my grandparents in NE Victoria. It literally was the road to Sydney.
What was the last thing you bought on Sydney Road?
I bought some sweets from Zaytoune near Albion St to take to a friend’s party. They’re super friendly and make the second-best Lebanese pastries and sweets in Brunswick. My neighbour makes the first-best!
What shop do you visit the most?
It’s not the most exciting destination but it’s actually IGA. We get fresh produce elsewhere but Sydney Road IGA is brilliant for groceries. I ride there and do a big shop and get it all home-delivered for only $3:50. How good is that? And they deliver in re-used cardboard boxes or you can take your own re-useable bags. At least eight people in my street work, or have worked there, so shopping there is kind of compulsory.
What do you like about the people in Brunswick?
The best thing about the people in Brunswick is the diversity; Italian, Greek, Lebanese, music, hipsters, art, mums-in-clogs. It’s all there, walking down Sydney Road.
What would you like to see change
I’d love to see separated lanes for bike riders. Even though we live so close we didn’t shop there as much as we wanted when my son was younger, we could have with separated bike lanes and so many locals want to. Wider footpaths and trees would make it an awesome street to sit outside and enjoy watching the world go by.
Favourite Sydney Road quirk / what do you think is unique about the road?
One thing Sydney Road has that many other strips have lost is a great mix of businesses. In amongst the cafes and bridal shops there are still old school cafes, glaziers, local butchers, greengrocers and fabric shops. Although I am sad about the disappearance of our independent hardware stores more recently.
A memory/story you have on Sydney Road
The day we moved into our house in Brunswick I felt like a break from unpacking boxes and walked up to Sydney Road. The first shop I went into was the Salvos op-shop just north of Albion St where a turquoise earthenware cannister called out to me. I bought some zaatar manoushe from a Middle-eastern bakery on the other side of Sydney Rd (it was the best bakery but is no longer there) and took it home and ate it in our empty kitchen looking at my new turquoise cannister. I felt very much at home.
Favourite place to eat/get coffee/shop
My favourite place changes so much because Sydney Road keeps changing. Browsing at Brunswick Bound has always been a consistent favourite way to spend sometime.
If you were showing a friend around from out of town where would you go?
The one place that everyone loves discovering, young, old, no matter their interests, is the Mediterranean Wholesalers. We take it granted now but whenever we take visitors there we see it through new eyes as they discover it for the first time.
Check out @postcardfromthenorth post over on Instagram
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