As we walk into Reverse Garbage in Marrickville we are met with gigantic paint brushes and pencils…read more The exterior of this recycling warehouse is almost an art installation more so than a shop. "You can't look for something here. You just have to look and hope you find something." I am told when I ask what we are looking for. The answer to my innocent question both profound and vague. We scour the aisles looking for props and set pieces for the music video we've been hired to make. The gigantic dinosaur head is no good, nor are the various blow up hippopotami with back packs on. There are buckets full of circuit boards and shelves full of old digitised and erased film and audio reels. It would seem that everything you could ever imagine would be, at one point or another, housed within these walls. There's a book section out back and I sneak in to have a look, I should be looking for music video props but can't help myself and scour the children's section looking for Seuss. No such luck, there never is. I find 'The Little Match Girl' by Hans Christian Anderson and being that it is in great condition and only $1 I decide to buy it, even though I know that it will make me depressed. A warehouse full of everything you need as long as you don't know what you need.

This place is simultaneously the biggest hoarder of crap and a gold-mine. Depending on what you're…read moreafter. If you're after 20 of the same birthday card, 100m long reams of paper, a never ending supply of pipe cleaners, rolls of carpet and maroon velvet or manikin feet and arms, then you may just be in luck. Or, rather, if you're not exactly sure what you're after then you may be in luck here too. I'm a bigger fan of The Bower, a similar joint next door with a tad more class, but a trip to Reverse Garbage can be rewarding - we bought 50 cardboard drums from Reverse Garbage which we used as seating for a performance and then recycled into punch bowls, a fortress and super-sized bowling pins in the future. Perfect for a themed party, you can pretty much base your theme on whatever you find the most of at Reverse Garbage. NB: Specified items may or may not actually be stocked by Reverse Garbage. But rest assured that similar such crap will be.

Need some new undies? While target and K-mart do cheap Bonds gear and other brands of underwear,…read morethis place has a bigger range, and the prices are cheap. Not drastically cheap, but cheaper than Myer. Depending on what you are after, sale stock will be quite reasonably priced. There is also a big range of bra's which is something that definitely don't come cheap anywhere else but here. I was lucky and found the exact type that I wear on sale here. I went back a few months later and they had a whole different range in, I suppose that's the way it goes with factory outlets. There is a full range of women's, men's and kid's underwear and some pyjamas, as well as sports clothes and tracksuits. Brands include Bonds, Berlei, Jockey, Holeproof, Slazenger and Everlast.

It's convenient it's inexpensive and it's fairly close to me…read more Don't expect any big name brands but if you are shopping for food and everyday items it's good, the food court is also pretty good. Thumbs up

A relatively inexpensive shopping centre in the Inner West, containing a few of the bigger chain…read morestores (Kmart, Woolworths, Aldi, Liquorland, McDonalds, Dick Smith etc) and plenty of smaller stores too. Definitely hard to get to by public transport, your only options are essentially buses to Bondi Junction or buses to the city. Quite a large carpark, parking is free (limited to 2 hours undercover) - with plans to redevelop and expand the shopping centre upwards - with hopefully some larger chains to open up.

You might drive past and think, oh, I need more than fruit, I have to go to a supermarket. But stop…read moreright there, this place has loads of stuff that just might cover your shopping list and save you going to Marrickville Metro or some other horrific place. The fruit and vegies are in abundance, as you would expect, and they are fresh, good quality and reasonably priced. There is also fresh bread, a fridge with deli meats, a thousand kinds of cheeses, dairy products and milk. At the back there is all kinds of pasta and sauces as well as toiletries and cleaning products. The back freezers have ready made pasta, ice cream and things like frozen berries. The righ hand side wall is tin central, with any kind of food in a tin or jar you would want. I wish I could do a whole inventory but I think its safe to say that this place has pretty much everything. Special mention for the bunches of flowers at the front of store near the registers. They are always beautiful and look amazing, fantastic quality. And extremely cheap! I would recommend getting flowers here than at a florist, as they are top quality and last for ages.

Just stopped in for the first time. More than just fruit, it's a full grocery store, with milk and…read morecheese and tinned goods and 3kg jars of sauerkraut. Lots of Asian foodstuffs, too. Prices seem reasonable for a small independent outfit. The fruit and veg is abundant and prices seem pretty good for the in-season stuff. Some of it's not as shiny and spotless as the stuff you get at the big grocery chains, but who cares?

I first discovered Monster Threads' clothing at their stall at Glebe Markets, a stall which I…read moresought out every weekend to check out their new designs and to see how many shirts/singlets I could afford that week (sadly, it was more often none than some). Discovering the Monster Threads shop in Newtown was fantastic - now I didn't have to refine my Monster shopping days to Saturdays! Their t-shirt, singlet and hoodie designs are intelligent, quirky and artistic, illustrated by artists from Europe, USA, Asia and Australia. Their jewellery is unique, quirky and affordable, my current favourite being a bendy limbed and tarnished Pinocchio hanging like a puppet from a long chain. You can buy Monster Threads products online, but a trip to their Newtown store is much more fun as you can completely immerse yourself in the world of Monster Threads, with pencil cases, wallets, plates, mugs, prints, toys, cards and wallets. Monster Threads now has five stores in Australia and New Zealand, which must mean that my love for them is not as original as their designs, but also that my options extend beyond Glebe markets.

Monster Threads is possibly my favourite clothing shop ever. With exception to the Women's clothes…read moreI seriously want everything in the shop. The style would not be to everyone's taste, but if you want cool, cute, crazy, arty clothes and stuff then Monster Threads is the shop for you. Some of the jackets and pants on sale are truly bizarre. I love them, but don't think I could wear them. I cannot stop buying the t-shirts though, they are fantastic, featuring fantastic designs of elephants, bears, aliens creatures, an array of cute monsters and all kinds of other innovative design. The level of imagination present in the stock at Monster Threads is truly impressive. Other than clothes they sell accessories, which are just as crazy and creative and home-wares like very weird mugs and all kinds of other beyond belief items. I hope Monster Threads is a great success as I will always be their customer.

Addison Road Centre is the country's largest not-for-profit community centre. It's host to a bunch…read moreof different groups (including Reverse Garbage), but I come here for the organic markets. Every Sunday from 8.30am to 3pm, the place is buzzing with stalls and shoppers. There's a bunch of food available for noshing right away (great smoothies, juices, coffees, cakes, wraps, spring rolls, etc) as well as a huge range of fruit and veg, dried pasta, cheese, wine, tapenades and more. If you're set on eating organic, look out for the yellow Certified Organic signs on the stalls, or ask the operators. If you keep walking towards the back, you'll also find a bunch of clothing, soaps, cards, antiques and enviro-friendly stalls too. There are a few tables scattered around and usually some musical entertainment, or keep walking to the end of the line and you'll find a grassy field to sit and guzzle your purchases. The 428 city bus stops right outside the font gate or there's plenty of free parking available in the surrounding streets.

If you like bo-ho in the city then this is THE place to be. Organic Food Markets are located at The…read moreAddison Road Centre Marrickville and are on every Sunday rain, hail or shine. From the eclectic to the eccentric, from organic to conventional, eco-friendly, chai-tentingly chillaxing this market would have to be THE best Organic Market Sydney's Inner West around. This can be seen in the choice of foods/produce to specialty products is a true reflection on how diverse the population who shop here week-in week-out. Such is their devotion some will travel from as far as Blue Mountains simply to achieve their weekly Organic fix! Best bit being that they are on rail, hail or shine! This market has something for everyone including the kids:jumping castles, pony rides, babycino, eco friendly baby food and clothing and SO much more. The Raw and Vegan community are more than able to be satisfied at this market, as well as those with a sweet tooth! Could NOT recommend this market highly enough than already done! Do an online search for these markets and the number of blogs are a testament as to its love not just by the public but by the stallholders as well!

It's a vintage shop located in the heart of Newtown on King Street . It has a very good collection…read moreof old as well second hand vintage products which take you back to a different era. Who said you can't get a Versace bag for less than 100$ or the genuine leather shoes. Yes you can at lemon and tea. They have some used stuff like designer branded handbags and used and restored shoes that you could wear to any couture occasion. I think it's a great place for students. Also have some amazing jewellery and funky frames. And this place teaches me a lesson that you don't have to spend a fortune to look and feel good. If we look closely we can surely find some fantastic things from Lemon and Tea which will turn out to be a winner. You just have to look.. By the way cool and friendly people in store as well.

This is really awesome store. I was wondering around from shop to shop to look for clothes and…read morebumped into this shop. Lucky me I saw this skirts rack inside this shop and they are very good quality designer skirts. They are so gorgeous - I wish I can 3 of them - end up buy 2 and save the last for later. They cost me $20 each and you wouldn't get this skirt with this price outside for sure with this quality. Even it's second-hand, it's really in a good nick - as it's new. Definitely will come back again to buy more from this shop. The owner is very friendly and she can do alteration if needed too with cheap price. Really recommended to come to see what's in this store. Will be back again to see their stock.

Disappointed with the out of date vouchers for towels with purchase. Thought it was a good…read moreopportunity to purchase at the store. But was left hanging. Nice lady staff person, but not a place I'd come back to shop. Store was a little cramped and products seemed a little dated. Certainly doesn't merit 5 star rating but it's ok.

If you've just moved to Sydney, just moved house or your bath towels are embarrassingly…read morethread-bare, your first stop should be the Manchester Factory. With a second outlet on Botany Road in Alexandria, you'll find this one opposite the medical practice on Marrickville Road. This is one of those shops that literally has specials going ALL the time. In fact, there's a permanent sign outside that spruiks "massive discounts on sheet sets and bath towels". Pretty sure it's bolted to the wall, so that's not going to change any time soon. They've got pillows, cushions, blankets, tablecloths, bath towels and heaps more. There's a wide range of options in each category too, like sheet sets with thread counts from 250 to 2000, and pillows from polyester to duck down. If you're a sucker for labels, you'll find Tontine, Linen House, Ardor and way more.

This is my go-to local supermarket. Open 'til late seven days a week, the prices are pretty good…read moreand the range is great. Banana Joe's was first opened as a fruit & veg market by Joe himself back in 1984, and has since expanded to include a great deli section and butcher. They have a huuuge cheese selection for a local supermarket, plus plenty of olives and a great range of organic products - ahh, Marrickville I love you. They also have some of the best Turkish delight I've ever tasted. Available in almond, vanilla and rose, it'll set you back just a few dollars for a plate and is great to take along to dinner parties. (Look near the dried fruit and nut section in the fresh fruit department.) The Banana Joe's website has a great tabouli recipe too!

I love Banana Joes…read more They have much better produce than Coles or Woolies and lots of specialty gluten free items, cheeses, cured meats and... just other quirky things, sometimes organic and health foodish, sometimes ethnic that are really good and/or hard to find. They have Chobani Greek Yoghurt (hit or miss at other supermarkets) and if they could just get on the Puregg Egg White train, I could ditch Woolies at Marrickville Metro completely and just shop here.