I had no idea my suburb was so incredible, until the New York Times told me

My suburb was a sleepy backwater until 2007, when we woke up one morning, shocked to find ourselves featured in the travel pages of The New York Times .

In a piece entitled “ In Dulwich Hill, Sydney, Finding the World in a Few Blocks ”, reporter Jennifer Gampell wrote that while “Dulwich Hill is just 10 minutes south-west of Newtown, yet it retains a charming ‘Old World’ simplicity and sense of community long since gone from nearby Sydney neighbourhoods”.

If only The New York Times had asked us, we would have said: “We know”. Successive generations of migrants have arrived in my suburb since World War II, transforming it into a multicultural oasis. At the 2021 census, 60 per cent of the residents reported having one or both parents who were born overseas. Other than English, the top languages spoken at home are Greek, Arabic, Vietnamese, Portuguese and Spanish.

The other defining event of this inner-west suburb, just seven kilometres south-west of the CBD, was the arrival of the light rail in 2014. The L1, which connects Dulwich Hill to Central in just 36 minutes, triggered a rush to buy one of the area’s well-loved Victorian, Federation or art deco houses and apartments. Now, within a few months, the new Sydenham to Bankstown metro line will open, making any city commutes even faster. Not that we’re keen on leaving our area – not for nothing do locals proudly wear T-shirts depicting Dulwich Hill landmarks with the caption “Dully Chill”.

Today, there is a small collection of shops around the railway station, but the suburb’s main retail centre is on the top of the “hill”, or ridge that runs through the suburb. These shops are found around the intersection of Canterbury and Marrickville roads, running back down Marrickville Road for several blocks. Bursting at the seams with cafes, fruit stores, a florist and bars, this area has really come into its own.

Our much-lauded eateries map the suburb’s migratory waves. There are Greek restaurants serving mouth-watering yeeros and other varieties of meat on the spit. Charcoal chicken is another popular staple, with both Lebanese and Greek varieties available. The popular Greek-run Honey and Walnut Patisserie exists to satisfy your sweet tooth. A boy I know swore it was called “Honey and Warm Up”, which would have been an apt alternative. The award-winning Gleebooks bookshop opened 16 years ago, and there’s been an explosion of new eateries, including the Lucky Chinese, Mali Ston Wine Bar, Tamaleria & Mexican Deli, Goldie’s, Abla’s Pastries, The Eate and Sushi Sapporo. There’s live music almost every night at Butchers Brew Bar.

The numerous parks in Dulwich Hill have recently been transformed by the GreenWay, which links many of them and allows residents to walk, jog, skate, scooter or cycle for exercise and recreation to neighbouring areas such as the Bay Run and the Cooks River path. It runs alongside the light rail.

Of course, nothing’s perfect. A pub without pokies, as can be found in the neighbouring suburbs of Petersham and Marrickville, would be nice.