Reasons Glebe is the best/worst suburb

Somethingyousaid.com’s Matt Lengren offers three reasons Glebe is the best (or possibly worst – perception is key) Sydney suburb in which to live:

Local Characters
Whoever coined the phrase ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’ must have been living in Glebe at the time. Living on a street interspersed with drunks, stoners, drifters – virtually anything you could think of – makes for interesting midnight 7-Eleven runs or 3am returns from the city (via the Pyrmont Bridge Pizza/Kebab joint). I live roughly 100m from the bus stop which is plenty enough distance, it would seem, to come into contact with at least one “homeless*” woman asking for change and/or detailing her terrifically exciting morning up to that point. One night, my housemate and I were enjoying a cigarette on the road-front balcony of our indescribably tight two-storey terrace, when a heavily-inebriated passer-by felt it necessary to tell us he could ‘take youse both with one fuckin’ hand!’ Need I say more?

*She’s literally asked me for change after I’ve seen her walk out of her place.

Underrated night-life
Having been in a relationship for half-a-decade and living with two single (one self-proclaimed ‘Pussy King’) blokes lends itself to a number of regrettable nights out taking part in the ‘circuit’. If the shoe were on the other foot, I’d obviously be struttin’ my stuff – and sweeping the talent pool at every club, jks – with my boys, but it’s not so I’m not. The Little Guy and the Different Drummer are obvious stand-outs in terms of watering holes, but the AB, Toccy and [MVP] Friend in Hand would comfortably hold their own against all other inner-city rubbity-dubs. The Different Drummer is actually directly responsible for my proudest brush with Rugby League fame: meeting Dallas Johnson (he’s on the right, not the young, clearly-built-for-contact-sports unit in the middle).

Proximity (close yet distant)
Considering it’s pretty much in the city, Glebe feels semi-tucked away in its own little pocket. Glebe Point Road is worlds away from being as much of a prick to drive on/navigate as nearby main arterials Parra Road, Broadway, King St, Cleveland St etc. Wentworth Park is a stone’s throw for anyone keen to have a flutter on the dish-lickers; the beach is an easy drive to the east; getting to Newtown costs about 70 cents in cab (if you ever got sick of drinking in Glebe).

So, pack up your things, get a raise from your employer so you can afford the rent, and set up shop in Glebe. I’ll have a cold beer ready at the Friend in Hand!

Words by Matt Lengren