In a sign that Islington has moved on from its colourful past, the first stage of an $8-million development will open soon, that will include a bar, artisan bakery, a gelato store, restaurants and shop-top apartments.
The three-storey development will stretch across four blocks on Beaumont Street and will be collectively known as Islington Village.
Twenty years ago, the Maitland Road region of Islington was often described - rightly or wrongly - in three words: "prostitutes and bikies".
But the gradual yet relentless influence of inner-city gentrification has tamed the seedy underbelly of the suburb, while retaining its quirky charm.
These days walking the streets of Islington has a very different connotation, with punters perusing second-hand stores with coffee in hand or making the pilgrimage from brewery to brewery.
Islington Village owner Lindsay Parker believed the area's rise was inevitable when he bought the site nearly 25 years ago.
Mr Parker said with Newcastle quickly increasing it's inner-city population density, Islington was finally on the cusp of reaching its potential
So how's it feel to see his predictions coming true?
"It's satisfying to say the least," he told Hunter Means Business.
"The ingredients were always there; it's central with good public transport. It's still a bit early on, but once the bar opens, it will be quite a special little place."
A wine bar and a hatted chef
The bar - called Closed - wouldn't look out of place in Marrickville, Brunswick, or any other inner-city suburbs that's undergone its own urban renewal. Think a romantic punk vibe, with plush velvets and industrial elements that create a captivating contrast.
The venue spans two floors, and features a casual downstairs bar and an exclusive upper floor cocktail area with a large open-air terrace.
"There will be no TVs or gambling, just lounges and booze - that way I remember old wine bars, where you argued about politics and solved all the world's problems," Mr Parker said.
The kitchen will be run by hatted chef Alannah Miceli, who has created a sustainable "raw, rotten and loud"
"'Raw' is using local, fresh and foraged ingredients, 'rotten' draws heavily on the use of pickling, fermenting and curing in the menu and 'loud' is for the colours, flavours and experience we want to leave our guests with," Ms Miceli said.
She also plans to use "obscure and forgotten cuts of meat" in the interest of using the whole product, "with zero waste throughout the whole menu".
The cocktail menu will be home to one of NSW's strongest legal drinks, The Cure, which has a sweet and tangy flavour profile. Many of the cocktails incorporate pickling, fermenting, and smoking techniques.
Closed will have a soft opening this month, before officially opening on June 28.
Dining, gelato, a bakery and apartments
The boutique bakery will be the next stage of the multi-block development and will be located next door to closed, with plans for it to be serving artisan pastries within the next six months.
"Blonde Boy - the hairdressers - will become the gelato shop and other buildings will be built from the ground up," Mr Parker said.
"I'm still working out what the restaurant will be. There's already Italian across the street, and I don't want to compete or take away from the area.
"We'll have something a bit different, could be Asian or maybe a good steak house."
The three storey buildings will feature shop-top apartments, with nine units ranging from studio apartments to two-bedroom units.
Mr Parker admits the development is "a little bit of a gamble", but believes people are ready to rediscover Islington.
"I know the locals are really going to support us, all the nearby traders are enthusiastic to see it happen," Mr Parker said.
"I think for the locals, they're protective of Islington. They know the background and they've probably had to defend it every now and again.
"For everyone else, I think people should have a second look at Islington. Not everyone has realised how much it has changed."
Hunter Means Business is a weekly column proudly flying the flag for the region's economic sector, published every Tuesday. Got a tip? Email jamieson.murphy@newcastleherald.com.au
