This graffiti store at the end of King street in Newtown is awesome. I love the fact that a store…read moreis pushing and supporting the local street art especially in Sydney. This place sells markers, spray paints, artwork, graffiti magazines and books, tees and hoodies as well as some hip hop cds and vinyl too. I don't go here often, but I always like popping in here randomly and checking out the cool art, the new clothing in store and always enjoy looking at the cool art that's been done on train tickets which is pasted on one of the walls of the shop.

yeah... I was a fan. And I still really like the place and what it has to offer but pretty peeved…read morethat I walked 20 mins to get here only to find that they closed earlier than advertised. Wasn't a happy camper. Ended up wasting an hour of my time trying to get what I needed in the local area. Really think you guys need to stick to the advertised opening hours.... not just for me. But you name it.. they tend to have it here. You can even do cooking classes or something of the sort here. Lots of interesting things to give you ideas for a great meal or inspire you to go beyond what you think you might be capable of. Fake it to you make it even. Staff have always been friendly and knowledgeable. There is ample parking behind the building too which is handy.

Finally a good cooking and foodie establishment has arrived in Darling Street Rozelle on the former…read moresite where The Barn used to be situated. That was a sad day in the community to see The Barn go due to council issues. For a period of time this site was derelict, and now The Essential Ingredient provides another social hole for coffee drinkers to unite and rejoice. Chic, cute, trendy and cosy for those of us who happen to have all the time in the world on any given occasion on a Saturday morning in particular. Am a fan of their cooking equipment in particular, although my preferred choice would still be Victoria's Basement in the city. Still a great effort, and a beautiful delicatessen and an array of tinned gourmet foods including the semi and sun dried tomatoes, and even the tinned jelly beans which will give Crabtree and Evelyn a good run for their money. Its elegant, and it is great to see another quality food establishment with a cafe come here on this massive site again; although nothing can really replace the Barn in my books anyway, and yet my food standards are much higher than they used to be, although still not that high. Look out for their chocolate making classes, they are divine.

Not that I am impoverished in any way, but when it comes to books, if I don't buy online, I almost…read morealways buy second hand, unless it's a spur of the moment purchase and the excitement of owning a certain book that I can see right in front of me outweighs the reality of how expensive that book is, especially when I feel impoverished. With that in mind, I can begin. Berkelouw books is the only second hand book shop in Leichhardt and is situated in the handy location of, right across the road from Norton Plaza. The first floor of Berkelouw is dedicated to new books with the sections divided into the appropriate and expected categories but with the exception of a specials/recommended table. A wall with the new titles and a staff picks shelf. Take a journey upstairs and you'll find yourself in second hand land where a large selection of both literature and reference books await you. If you're feeling lucky you can wade through the shelves of the, 'yet to be sorted' books. Or simply head to the aisle of your interest and navigate through the alphabetical titles there. The second hand section also sells CD's.

Berkelouw is a beautiful book shop, worthy of extended browsing and buying. The second hand…read moresection upstairs is easy to loose yourself in and the ground level of the shop pleases with crisp fresh pages of coffee-table books, paperbacks, kids books and an exciting range of stationary and tid-bits. The wine bar upstairs is also quite nice and is a fantastic place to relax with friends or alone, with a good book and a glass of red. Sadly, the downstairs roadside cafe is not as great as Berkelouw's other elements. Despite the perfect location, directly opposite the Norton Plaza and in the heart of Leichhardt, Berkelouw's cafe prices are quite expensive and, what's more, the prices are not indicative of the standard of the meals, with the food and coffee being of poor quality. If you're after a good location in Leichhardt then you've got it here. If you're after a good book or a great gift, then you've got it here too. If you're after a great breakfast with value for money then there are plenty of good options in your surrounding suburbs.

This gorgeous baby and children's wear shop is somewhere you go if you want to find beautiful…read moreFrench attire for your child if they are going to meet the Queen. Ok, if you have money to burn you may also like to shop here for your kids. Personally I can't justify spending $65 for a singlet that my daughter will grow out of in a few months. The shop girl was very inviting and after a brief wander of the store mentioned that last season's stock is online and you can get up to 50% off on many items. Half price might still be a bit of a hefty price tag for some but if your gift shopping it's worth a look as the clothes really are exquisite.

It's a large fashion store with plenty to choose from, some of the stuff I find a tad tacky but if…read moreyou have a good look around your bound to find some nice bits and pieces that are all pretty nicely priced. Funky Femme is now hosting stock to the Kardashian Collection, not my cup of tea but I know some girls go ape shit for that sort of thing so if you're into the Kardashian Clan you can now purchase their designs, well they probably paid some designer to make it all for them and have never actually seen any of their brands clothes but you know, whatever. I like popping into the store on my way home and having a browse, every now and then I'll come out with a dress or a singlet. It's pretty standard fashion but there are always some cute things in there.

Very nice shop with wonderful things, many hand knitted, plus a small but excellent selection of…read morelocally-produced yarns. Just off George St down a delightful pedestrian alleyway called Nurses Walk. Absolutely worth a visit!

Simple Paradise. Classy food like freshly cooked prawns for lunch…read more A diverse range of stores. Whatever you need is here, including (wait for it) a perfume vending machine! Opulence and class. The restrooms would do with a facelift, otherwise great shops, coffee and service. Also attended a happiness workshop at their kikki.K store here recently, fantastic.

Carlingford Shopping Centre. It has everything you need, is clean and tidy, has lots of restaurants…read moreand cafes, and has plenty of parking. I love this shopping centre.

Carlingford Court (Carlo to the locals) is the ol' faithful of the shopping centre world. Nothing…read morechanges much here from year to year which gives you that comforting feeling of constancy that is hard to find in this ever changing world. Carlo is the place you come for stuff you need not stuff you want - groceries, bread, party supplies, keys cut, contact lenses. It has everything you need to run your errands in one place. The shop owners are all pretty nice. Avoid lunchtime any day and right after work. Not just because these are the busy times and you'll find getting a park difficult but also because this is hungry time and the healthiest thing you'll find here is Oporto. On a side note, a large number of commission houses has opened around Carlo in the last 10 years. This has changed the clientele significantly but does make for good people-watching.