Newtown’s best shops
Local, sustainable and superb shopping is still thriving along King Street and Enmore Road.
Swop Clothing Exchange
This funky little store is offering something otherwise lacking among the area’s many vintage and secondhand shops: a community marketplace where clothes are currency. Sydneysiders can bring their unwanted retro, vintage and high quality on-trend clothes in exchange for store credit or cold hard cash. à112 Enmore Rd, Newtown 2042. swop.net.au. Mon-Fri 11am-7pm; Sat, Sun 10am-4pm.
The Rock Crystal Shop
Looking to enhance your endurance, courage and leadership skills? Pick up a carnelian (red agate) egg with burnt orange and red veins. à39 Enmore Rd, Newtown 2042. 02 8068 8576. therockcrystalshop.com.au. Tue-Fri 10.30am-5pm; Sat 10am-4pm; Sun 10am-3pm.
The Flower Room
You’ll find a tamed selection of neatly categorised flowers. There are paper daisies and native foliage in one corner next to a wall of pastel roses, bulbous chrysanthemums and impressive kale flowers. Across the room you can browse a display of colour-coded orchids in front of shelves filled with succulents and bonsai plants. à282 King St, Newtown 2042. 02 9550 3100. theflowerroom.com.au. Mon-FrI 8am-6pm; Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 9am-5pm.
Red Cross Op Shop
Walking into Newtown’s Red Cross Op Shop is like entering somebody’s lovingly designed living room. Sure, they’ve got a killer window display of chic mannequins and racks of meticulously organised outfits, but everything in between – the fake flowers, the cabinet display of crockery, the cosy book corner – really makes you feel at home. à2/ 359 King St, Newtown 2042. 02 9517 9209. redcross.org.au/places/ retail-store/21/newtown-nsw. Mon-Wed & Sat 11am-7pm; Thu, Fri 11am-9pm; Sun 11am-5pm.
Better Read than Dead
The downstairs area houses the latest fiction and has an excellent children’s section. Head one level up and you’ll come to cookery, gardening and ephemera, while the third level contains art on loan from the Corrigan Collection. Book club meetings are hosted in store monthly; Our top pick is the ‘Bad Women Book Club’, exploring the ‘difficult’ women of literature. à265 King St, Newtown 2042. 02 9557 8700. betterread. com.au. Sun-Thu 9.30am-9pm; Fri, Sat 9.30am-10pm.
The Social Outfit
The store provides employment and training in the fashion industry to refugees and new migrants. Shop for a silk T-shirt or linen jumpsuit and the person who made it directly benefits. à188 King St, Newtown 2042. 02 9550 3691. thesocialoutfit.org. Mon, Wed 10am-6pm; Thu 10am-8pm; Fri, Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 11am-5pm.
Repressed Records
Find vinyl imports and reissues at the lowest prices (almost always under $30): new albums from artists like Sharon Van Etten and Hockey Dad and banging bargains in the decadespanning R’n’B and hip hop section (that Saltn-Pepa vinyl is a must have for $10). à413 King St, Newtown 2042. 02 9557 6237. repressedrecords.com. Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 11am-5pm.
Milk & Thistle Boutique
Milk & Thistle’s pieces are often easy-fit, modern cuts in everyday outfits like linen jumpsuits, Tencel slip dresses and cotton knits. Fabrics are natural and each item is produced in a limited run. ■ à592 King St, Newtown 2042. 02 8021 3544. milkandthistle.com.au. Wed, Sat 10.30-5.30pm; Thu 10.30am-6pm; Fri 10.30am-5pm; Sun noon-4pm.