Overseen by the same team behind Melbourne’s famed Northcote Social Club, the Newtown Social Club is just a few short steps from Newtown station, yet a giant leap for Sydney’s music scene. Featuring a caverous downstairs bar – all exposed brick, original tiling, industrial lighting and a gravity-defying vertical garden, with the adjoined band venue later this year.

When asked about the venue’s similarities to its Northcote sibling, NSC manager Jack Martin says the answer is clear. “This is a social club,” he says. “We want it to have an inclusive atmosphere for everyone from 60-year-old locals to families and those who have just finished work.” Helping fuel this community feel will be a wide range of good-quality, cheap and cheerful food including pizzas, chilli dogs, chips and nachos.

Why Newtown? “It’s a cultural and artistic hub,” says Martin, confirming what many have felt for a long time. “Looking across the whole of Sydney, it was the most logical place by far. This place will be made by the crowd.”