The East End of Newcastle Part 1: By Day

by Matthew Endacott on January 29, 2011

Forget the pub-crawl, Newcastle East offers some of the best coffee and tapas on the eastern seaboard. This quarter of town, once notoriously poor, is now the heart of the burgeoning arts scene that underpins this “coffeehouse renaissance”. Tapas restaurants are also taking off in the old East End, with at least three venerable establishments setting the benchmark high for future market entrants. The city’s generous mix of venues enables visitors and locals alike to experience the East End. This week Matthew Endacott rediscovers the “Top End” of town by day…

One Penny Black (111 Hunter Street, Newcastle)

A good place to start your exploration of Newcastle East is One Penny Black, a trendy coffee shop towards the eastern end of the Hunter Street Mall. Although relatively new, One Penny Black is already a regular haunt for the city’s artistic community and is proving to be one of the most promising tenants on this old (and somewhat forlorn), strip. The coffee (Toby’s Estate) is almost as popular as the business itself. If you’re after breakfast, the banana bread with honey & ricotta is an absolute must.

ARThive (1/111 Hunter Street, Newcastle)

Literally behind One Penny Black, tucked away on a small side street, is ARThive. This is one of many galleries that were created through the ReNew Newcastle initiative. Small, artist-run galleries like ARThive are a great place to be exposed to the work of the many artists who call Newcastle home (statistically, Newcastle has the most number of artists per capita in Australia). The space is quirky and surprisingly large. Although well worth a visit, you’ll have to be around Wed–Sat between 12 and 5.

The Lock-Up Cultural Centre (90 Hunter Street, Newcastle)

Another space for local artists is The Lock-Up on Hunter Street. Once the Newcastle Police Station, The Lock-Up uses the old cells and lumberyard to great effect. An artist-in-residence program ensures the content is almost always fresh and the historical importance of the building enables history buffs to kill two birds with one stone (that stone being a gold coin donation).

Sprocket Roasters (68 Hunter Street, Newcastle)

Newcastle’s coffee-lovers will now forever be in a quandary when visiting Hunter Street: to visit One Penny Black, or the equally appealing Sprocket Roasters opposite the T&G Building? Although both are well-worth sticking to, the experiences offered are fundamentally different. While OPB is better for a morning pick-me-up, Sprocket is worth a noontime sit-down. The pasta and baguettes are worth the wait and the window benches are the ideal spot to watch the lunchtime crowds over a cuppa (or three).

Newcastle Ocean Baths (Shortland Esplanade, Newcastle)

Self-explanatory really. As much of a Newcastle tradition as Christmas, a swim at the ocean baths is the best way to unwind in this city. Always have been worth a visit, and always will be.

Scotties Fish Cafe (36 Scott Street, Newcastle)

A short stroll from the Ocean Baths is Scotties, a familiar façade on Scott Street. Although originally the bastion of takeaway, Scotties has shed it’s old image in favour of something much more special. Here, even Fish + Chips can be an experience. Moreover, the service is great and the outdoor seating area is a great spot to dry off after your afternoon dip.

Next week, Matthew asks what this area has to offer by night…