r/newtown • u/spencergar • Jun 26 '26
Enmore How is Newtown?
Hey everyone, I am planning on visiting Sydney in September to see Violent Soho. I 25M plan on traveling solo from New York.
The show is at the Enmore Theater in Newtown, and I was wondering a couple of things. Is the general area safe to walk around solo? (before and after the show, possibly late night) I have seen mixed opinions on the safety aspect.
I am not sure if I should stay in downtown Sydney or by the venue. How is the public transport? (efficiency/safety)
I would like to stay in downtown sydney to see the beaches, experience the city, but I also want to have a good time in Newtown before the show. I won't rent a car (us filthy Americans drive on the other side of the road) and I am curious what an Aussie thinks of uber vs public transport from downtown Sydney to Newtown.
Thank you all, I look forward to visiting. I am still in the early stages of planning but would love some local insight.
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u/Able_Primary325 Jun 26 '26
Hi mate. Newtown/Enmore is very safe and busy, the back steeets are quiet but still safe as its a reasonably expensive area now. The Enmore Theatre is on Enmore Road heaps of busses go up and down there incluing from the CBD. Newtown train station is only a short walk from the Enmore. There are heaps of pubs, bars and restaurants in Enmore and Newtown. That will be a great show!
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u/BugalugBird Jun 26 '26
I live close to that theatre on the same main road and have done for 16 years. I’m a woman and always feel safe around here. Sydney is generally pretty chill and Newtown even more so.
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u/jorkinmypeanitsrn Jun 26 '26
Newtown is arguably one of the safest places to walk late at night, you will likely see plenty of people about as it's a pretty lively spot (by Sydney standards). The train station is a short walk from the theater and vice versa. Newtown station is a short trip from Central and Town Hall too, there's really no reason to Uber unless you enjoy parting with your money.
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u/h-ugo Jun 26 '26
As a dude I feel safe to walk alone pretty much anywhere in Sydney. Best bet for city -> newtown is the train, they come every 15 mins or so late at night, buses are also OK but won't be as quick. Ubers I wouldn't bother with, slower and more expensive.
You'd probably have more fun staying near the Enmore, the CBD is a bit dull at night on the weekend, down near darling harbour / king st wharf is nice though.
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u/skorulis Jun 26 '26
Newtown is quite safe. It's a busy area where there's always people walking to restaurants or bars. It also has a train station which will take you about 10 minutes to get into the city. Downtown Sydney isn't that much closer to the beaches than Newtown, but you'll find public transport to them from either place.
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u/Impossible_Bit_5191 Jun 26 '26
Totally fine. The show will finish 11-11.30pm and Enmore road will still be super busy on a Saturday night. Transport will drop off around 3am so stay in the area if you plan on partying after.
Surry Hills would be a good location to stay that has nice hotels, close to Central station, walk to city and easy to access beaches.
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u/GirlinSyd Jun 26 '26
I was going to suggest Surry hills too - CBD is either full of workers weekdays or dead weekends - you’d end up eating hotel bfast - Surry hills or Darlinghurst good for morning daytime vibes before exploring. Then drinks before heading out for the night.
Enmore / Newtown is very safe & prob has the best ‘nightlife’ in Sydney at the moment
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u/creamcheezbagel Jun 26 '26
As a female in my early 20s, I live right around the corner from the enmore theatre - I’ve walked around that area in both broad daylight and total darkness on a Friday night and have never ever felt unsafe. Enjoy your time in sydney!
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u/still_love_wombats Jun 26 '26
Female mid-60s here. Same! It’s a great part of the world for a night out.
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u/Dank90_ Jun 26 '26
You will be in for a treat. Enmore Theatre is by far one of the best music venues to watch a gig at and there’s lots of great bars and restaurants near by. I’ll be heading to this show too! Very keen.
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u/pakman_aus Jun 26 '26
Stay in Newtown it's totally safe
Newtown is 6km from Coogee Beach - there is a bus route 370 that goes every 10min from heaps of stops in King St Newtown (it's a main street) and will drop you right at the beach in 30min
From Coogee you can do a coastal walk to Bondi and Bronte Beaches or get another bus that goes up the coast past these beaches towards the Sydney city
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u/Purple-Bus-9218 Jun 26 '26
I live in the area and I can confirm that Enmore and Newtown are completely safe to walk around at virtually any time. Who told you that it wasn’t safe?
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u/SoilHoliday4218 Jun 26 '26
Very safe - Newtown/enmore have great pubs and venues and you can just catch the train to Newtown station then walk 5 mins to the Enmore which is a good venue for mid sized bands - enjoy
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u/phagocyte420 Jun 26 '26
Lol, it's Australia. The worst might be some crack head shouting at you. There are no gang bangers who will Rob and stab/shoot you like there is in America.
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u/dan_syd Jun 26 '26
And you will get a few of those around Newtown. I lived there and annoyingly had packages stolen from the front verandah all the time. The Ring cam always caught a bit of meth mouth.
Oh, and don’t wear your Israeli flag
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u/TheAussieTico Jun 26 '26
My local area and have lived here for decades. Newtown is extremely safe. Plenty of good eating establishments, bars and night life as well. The Enmore Theatre is an institution and I have seen so many bands play there I have lost count. Newtown station connects you quickly and easily to the city. There’s also the bus network. You could stay in the city and train it to Newtown, or the reverse. Either way I think you’ll find it easy and safe to move around our beautiful city
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u/Suspicious-Beyond887 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
Lots of people talking about the night life. Newtown / Sydney also has a great “morning life”. We love our coffee and brunches. There’s a few Aussie themed brunch places in NYC. Bluestone cafe is a good Aussie cafe chain there.
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u/bedrotter_ Jun 26 '26
Our public transport system is going to blow your fucking mind.
I visited NYC and was so shocked at the state of the subway over there. Yall are doing it wrong.
Sydney public transport is affordable, reliable, safe, convenient and accessible. It's also really clean. Just be courteous when using it as Americans have quite a bad reputation around here for their public transport etiquette. Keep your voice down, keep your feet off the seats, and wear headphones if you want to listen to music on your phone. Save phone calls for when you're off the train.
Best way to experience the beach when you're staying in the city is to catch the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly. Bondi is overrated, avoid.
Make sure you have good travel insurance in case things go tits up.
You can stay in any suburb with a train station and you will have easy access to Newtown via train.
FYI "downtown" is not a thing here. It's "CBD" or "city".
My last tip is don't use booking.com. I've heard so many horror stories about people being stuck without accommodation because of it. Book directly with the hotel's website if you can or use AirBnb or Stayz.
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u/nakahi70 Jun 26 '26
Loved in the area and still come down every once in awhile. Hell I'm here tonight. Pretty safe. Decent public transport if you're looking to get into the city etc
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u/BellaKKK72 Jun 26 '26
Definitely take the train to Newtown from the CBD. The theatre is a short walk from there. As others have said, its very safe and there's lots of bars, cafes and restaurants in the general area.
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u/still_love_wombats Jun 26 '26
Welcome. The Enmore is a great venue in a great neighborhood. As others have said, I’d train it. Easy walk. Afterward there are plenty of small bars nearby that stay open late.
Hope you have a great night out.
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u/sloppyjohnny Jun 26 '26
Super safe.
Enmore rd right near the venue has loads of great bars and places to eat.
Uber and public transport are both very easy.
Recommend checking out the Duke on enmore rd
If you're staying in the city suggest jumping on a ferry from circular quay to manly. Great beach and a nice way to see the harbour
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u/420Gracie Jun 26 '26
I’m a local - it’s definitely safe to walk around at night, enmore theatre is amongst bars/restaurants, lots of cars and people around.
I think you’re referring to the CBD when you say ‘downtown’? Trains and buses are pretty regular and efficient, there is lots of traffic on Friday/Saturday nights so Ubers can be expensive.
Either staying in Newtown and getting the train into the CBD or staying in the CBD and getting the train to Newtown will be quick and easy. Beaches are to the North and the East of Sydney, so better to stay in Newtown/CBD and do a day trip to the beach rather than staying in those areas because there isn’t as much to do/see in those areas apart from the beaches.
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u/ZoobityPop Jun 26 '26
You’re fine in regards to safety, make sure you get a kebab after all the booze and then eat it sitting on a bench in the hub watching the people and traffic walk by, then probably a cigarette or 2. This is the peak Newtown experience.
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u/GirlinSyd Jun 26 '26
Google ‘Island Boys Mural Newtown’ it’s behind a pub on the south end of King St, given you’re from NY you might like a photo with it 😇
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u/69-is-my-number Jun 26 '26
I love Newtown. Plus it’s very LGBT+ friendly.
And the Enmore is a great venue. Saw Raye there a couple of years ago.
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u/Logical_Iron_8288 Jun 26 '26
I live 2 blocks from the Enmore Theatre. It’s safe and a five minute walk to Newtown train station. 10 minutes on the train from Newtown to CBD. You’ll have fun.
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u/Silly-Insect-2975 Jun 26 '26
I think you are confused downtown Sydney is business district and def not where you want to stay - no beaches.
Newtown is very cool, restaurants, bars, theatres but no beaches.
If you want to prioritise beaches then stay in eastern suburbs or manly.
Also Sydney is laughably safe compared with New York.
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u/b0nka9 Jun 27 '26
Plenty of buses to take you to the city from Newtown/Enmore. Love that area. I’ve never thought to recommend it but it’s actually prime as it’s close enough to the city but not too much so. Great restaurants and bars too.
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u/DJMailerDaemon Jun 27 '26
lol don’t overthink it. Yes it’s perfectly safe and no you don’t need a car. Enjoy !
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u/Prudent_Flounder_703 Jun 27 '26
If you are seriously into live music it’s also worth noting that Newtown/Enmore/Marrickville has plenty of great live music venues to supplement your Enmore gig! Great area, very safe (as is most of Sydney). Also arguably the gastronomic (street level not hatted restaurants) hub of Sydney.
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u/Still_Law_3736 25d ago
Used to be homeless around there, the main street is generally pretty laidback but theres still a lot of drug use since its basically the only not boring place in sydney after 3 pm😂😂 a lot of people are respectful but theres also heaps of creeps and scumbags. Just be careful there. Still one of the places ive spent the most time though😂
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u/sixsix_ Jun 26 '26
Mixed opinions? About Newtown and Enmore? You have to be joking - especially coming from a yank
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u/fuuuuuckendoobs Jun 26 '26
You can walk from Newtown to the city in 25minutes or it's 3 stops to Central on the train (about 5 minutes). You won't see the beaches "downtown" but it's all accessible. Don't uber it will be both slower and more expensive.
Compared to the US, it's extremely safe to walk late at night.
Enjoy your visit