For Now: Hurlstone Park

Where the borders of the Inner West are is a much debated Sydney topic. Well, this next suburb is in the final frontiers of the Inner West, not quite yet as hip as all of those ones ending in "ham", but I'm sure it will be absorbed into the region proper in due course.  

Hurlstone Park

Hurlstone Park is around the southwest bounds of the Inner West. Luckily, it's served by our fine Cityrail network, meaning getting in is just a 17 minute trip from Central. 

Here's a fun fact, drinking coconuts don't quite fit in Cityrail bins, and facemasks don't quite fit in drinking coconuts. 

Anyway, 

we (Mrs Completing Sydney and I) emerged onto the street and headed towards the town centre. 

The main reason I came to Hurlstone Park today was that I noticed it was a solitary uncompleted suburb with all of its neighbours ticked off, as such it seemed like a good excuse to have breakfast out and take a leisurely suburban stroll. 

On the topic of breakfast out, the internet suggested that this place, Kylon, seemed decent enough and so that was the first order of business. 

Outdoor seating is always nice on a blue skied day, even when you're not overlooking anything too special. 

And while waiting for the food to arrive, I managed to take a few snaps of the surrounding scene. For instance, Hurlstone Park CBD is over there (we'll take a look in a bit),

this old (permanently closed) dry cleaners is next door and features incredible old-school styling (bonus reflection of yours truly in the window), 

and 25A has this wonderfully ornate door. 

Anyway, onto breakfast. 

For Mrs Completing Sydney, some fruit toast with honey and labneh (Middle-Eastern yoghurt spread), 

for me, a bacon and egg roll and hash brown. Pleasingly, they didn't try and hipster this thing up and kept it classic. 

There was a bit of space after breakfast, so we also impulse-picked up this brownie thing from the window. All in all, an enjoyable breakfast, although we didn't order anything too unique. 

After brekkie, it was time to head up the street into the aforementioned CBD, 

where we discovered that this really is the place that time forgot. 

They even have a drapery & mercery. I don't know what those are, but I'm sure they're great at draping and mercing. 

Even Roslyn is in her tweed jacket here. 

Reaching the end of the delightfully retro town centre, 

we turned into this small local park, 

to loop around onto the street behind. 

This is a residential Inner West street with Inner West houses, 

although not quite as fancy as some of its more easterly neighbours. 

We followed the street back up towards the station, 

passing this strange... artpiece? 

And crossing the rail line where the local gravel delivery was on its way. 

The other side of the station looks like this. 

Here, you can learn that this place used to be called Fern Hill. I don't know why they renamed it, the old name was super cute. 

Not dissimilar to the other side of the station (but even more so), this side also has "potential",

and following the street along reveals a residential area, 

with mostly older, free standing homes. 

This one's speckled,

and this one's adorable.

As is this one. 

Continuing along,

leads to some stairs downhill, 

which I followed over this way. 

This way leads to a park. 

At least, if you can work out how to get in. 

Once you do get in,

you'll find a wide open space, 

with some assorted decorations and doodads.

Although the park isn't finished, which explains why it was so hard to get in. 

Here are some more of the aforementioned doodads. 

This park is riverside, bordering the Cooks River. There is a footbridge to the other side, 

with a pretty decent view too, 

but the bridge leads to another suburb (it even leaves the Inner West), so I wouldn't chance it. 

We exited the park by this back-of-a-truck kayak rental, 

and some interesting older apartments with river views, 

now ready to head back and call it a day for Hurlstone Park. 

This meant many stairs (a different set to the ones before). 

Many, many stairs. 

Like, a lot.

Cool mailbox along the stairs though. 

And decent view too. 

Bonus dilapidated flags. 

Once at street level, it's a fairly quick walk through suburbia back to the station,

and assorted construction. 

Hurlstone Park station is park of the Bankstown Line which is soon to be converted to "metro", hence the construction. 

I expect that means that there is probably going to be a stack of development in this suburb in the near to medium term, meaning that the sort-of-dowdy suburb we've just enjoyed's days are numbered. It will be sad to see you go sort-of-dowdy Hurlstone Park, but I look forward to what comes next. 

Hurlstone Park: Here today, apartments tomorrow (probably).