Sydney gay neighborhood

Travel Essentials

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LGBT+ Rights

Newtown

Newtown in Sydney, Australia, is known for its vibrant LGBTQ+ community with inclusive businesses, events, and vibrant nightlife catering specifically to the queer community.

It’s about seven minutes from The Bank and just down the street from The Imperial Erskineville, so you’ll never be far from some of the area’s best LGBTQ venues.

Marrickville

Marrickville sits right next door to Newtown, around seven kilometers from Sydney’s CBD. Once a major industrial hub, it’s now a popular foodie hangout with a number of craft breweries and a thriving art and music scene.

It also invites the public to bring their favourite vinyl for a spin.

Be sure to stop at Concord Street’s mural dedicated to two late LGBTQIA+ musicians, George Michael and trans electronic music pioneer SOPHIE. The likely drawcard is Enmore Theatre, known for Art Deco interiors, incredible acoustics, and an enviable line-up of musicians, performers and comedians.

At the back, a leather door hides DD’s, a small diner with a handful of seats, a chandelier and an ever-changing degustation menu based around seasonal produce. 

Erskineville

This leafy Inner West suburb is home to Australia’s most famous gay bar: The Imperial, made immortal in The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert.

Dedicated to sustainability, its vegan-friendly menu uses produce from the bar’s patch at Erskineville’s vegetable garden, paired with beers from nearby breweries.

Also on Erskineville Road is The Hive Bar, which embodies the suburb’s ethos of community. Don’t expect a standard lip sync, as these kings and queens always have a surprise ready.

Get a tarot reading each Thursday in the caravan parked in the beer garden and be sure to listen out for the bathroom-specific mix made by Tit regulars Paul Mac and Jonny Seymour.

Another creative hub in Redfern is 107 Projects, an arts charity that transformed an unused commercial garage in the middle of Redfern Street into a multi-use community space.

Regents Court is a luxurious option for those looking for furnished apartments offering chic studio apartments with privacy and comfort. It’s a studio apartment with a double bed and a sofa bed that provides great value for money.

Clovelly Beach and Obelisk Beach

If you’re hoping to chill on the beach during your trip to Sydney then make sure to visit Clovelly Beach.

Order a generous scoop of Turkish mastic ice cream from Hakiki or try the multi-award-winning gelato from Cow and the Moon. Sydney’s own Stonewall Hotel is one of the most popular with entertainment spanning across three levels, including two bars and a drag venue. On weekends, club nights like Honcho Disko and House of Mince take over the basement.

Across the road is gastro pub The Erko, with pool tables, a spacious, dog-friendly beer garden, and a barbecue menu filled with slow-cooked smoked meats.

The area is popular with working professionals and students (it’s very close to Sydney University) and has a lovely, laid-back atmosphere. There are a range of LGBTQ areas (or “gayborhoods”) in Sydney where the community congregates at amazing LGBTQ bars and clubs, as well as at more laid-back coffee houses and restaurants. Bloody Mary’s is an excellent LGBTQ-friendly restaurant in Potts Point’s iconic Gazebo Building with both indoor and outdoor areas.

The pub also sponsors Erskineville’s PACT, a theatre space that showcases works from emerging LGBTQIA+ and underrepresented artists.