Annandale reconnecting with its live-music roots

If living in the inner city is no longer an option but you’re reluctant to leave the buzz of city life too far behind, Annandale is a great place to call home, with a median house price of $1,417,500.

McGrath Leichhardt agent Alister Barrett describes the suburb as “the beginning of suburbia, but in a nice way!”.

“You’re on the city fringe in an incredibly well-planned and historic suburb with better access to the city than the inner east,” says Barrett. “You’ve got the light rail, buses and good vehicle access, plus fantastic bike tracks. It’s a pleasant, street-scaped suburb with sizeable blocks.”

Cobden & Hayson agent Julie Hatch says the area has long been popular with young couples and families targeting the well-regarded Annandale North Public School.

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But the suburb has more to offer than quiet family life. Booth Street village offers a selection of retail shops covering most of your everyday needs. Cafes and restaurants along the strip do a brisk trade and the North Annandale Hotel offers good pub grub, trivia nights and occasional live music.

Annandale’s Trafalgar Studios, recently redeveloped into new housing, once played host to many influential bands of the 1970s and 1980s including Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil and INXS. The suburb’s formerly strong connections to the live music scene are set to be revived this month as the annual Sydney Fringe Festival makes a foray into the suburbs.

Next Sunday will see the official launch of the Off Broadway Precinct in Gehrig Lane, home to this year’s Festival Hub throughout September. The Inner West Council has partnered with the festival organisers to launch a new creative arts precinct along and around Parramatta Road from Annandale to Leichhardt, reactivating old music haunts and repurposing vacant shopfronts and warehouses for arty endeavours.

There will be gigs, exhibitions, panel discussions and performances and you can find the guide online at sydneyfringe.com

40 Railway Parade, Annandale.

1. 40 Railway Parade
Guide: $2 million
4 bed 2 bath 2 car
Rebuilt 2000
Land 253 square metres
Inspect Sat, 10am-10.30am; Wed, 7pm-7.30pm
Agent McGrath Leichhardt, 0413 156 456
Auction September 17
Last traded for $900,000 in 2004
See more at: domain.com.au/2012998090

You’ll find a light rail stop just 150 metres from the front door of this contemporary home which sits opposite the reserve adjoining Whites Creek and enjoys leafy vistas from all three levels. On the ground floor there’s a double garage with internal entry, a bedroom, a rumpus room, a cellar and access to under-house storage.

The open-plan living areas are on the first floor, with a kitchen at one end opening onto a paved courtyard and a deep, north-west facing terrace at the other end for outdoor entertaining. The kitchen comes with marble benchtops, two-tone cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and a gas cooktop. Upstairs, storage has been maximised in the bedrooms and on the landing. There’s a family bathroom plus the master comes with its own en suite. The home comes with ducted airconditioning, a guest w/c and a large laundry.

Room for improvement: Convert the attic space into additional living space.

42 Breillat Street, Annandale

2. 42 Breillat Street
Guide: $1.9 million
4 bed 2 bath 1 car
Built Circa 1900; renovated 2000s
Land 203 square metres
Inspect Sat, 10.45am-11.15am
Agent Cobden & Hayson, 0413 672 287
Auction September 17
Last traded for $1.55 million in 2011
See more at: domain.com.au/2013005017

Beyond the traditional Victorian facade, this home has been reinvented for modern family living. Spanning three levels, the property boasts three separate living areas including a cosy lounge with gas fire and built-in bookshelves and a lower level family room with study nook that opens through glass bi-fold doors onto a landscaped courtyard.

The eat-in island kitchen has a Zanussi oven and opens onto a west-facing balcony with elevated district views. There are four bedrooms, one at entry level and three on the upper level, the main with a balcony, walk-through wardrobe and direct access to the bathroom. Additional features include a secure off-street car space accessed via Pritchard Lane, a European-style laundry and a cellar.

Room for improvement: Update the bathrooms.

58 Wells Street, Annandale

3. 58 Wells Street
Guide: $1.35 million
3 bed 2 bath 0 car
Built Circa 1900; renovated 2014
Land 164 square metres
Inspect Sat, 10am-10.30am; Wed, 5.30-6pm
Agent BresicWhitney Glebe, 0400 995 565
Auction September 10
Last traded for $690,000 in 2012
See more at: domain.com.au/2012996360

An internal courtyard has successfully maximised privacy and natural light in this compact cottage positioned just off Booth Street, Annandale’s village shopping strip. Promising low-maintenance living with little need for a car, the home has two bedrooms at the front, each with built-in wardrobe and fireplace, followed by a bathroom. The combined kitchen/living/dining room opens through bi-fold doors onto a deck and the main bedroom with en suite sits on the opposite side of the deck, connected by a northern passageway used as a study nook, and containing a European-style laundry and built-in storage. The stone kitchen runs along the eastern wall of the living space and has stainless steel appliances and a gas cooktop. There’s access to a lined attic from a pull-down ladder in the hall.

Room for improvement: Investigate the option of a second-storey.