When the beloved Café Freda’s closed its doors earlier this year, the people of Taylor Square let out a collective sob. But with a major $200-million development set to bring 2,300 square meters of new retail space and a heap of new creative activations to the western stretch of Oxford Street, the first stretch of the (somewhat controversial) cycleway now open, and other big developments underway up and down the street, the throughline between the city and the Eastern Suburbs is on track for some fresh energy. And starting this spring, Taylor Square will host two new weekly markets designed to lure back foot traffic and inject some buzz into one of Sydney’s most iconic (and recently struggling) strips.
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From October 31, you’ll be able to head down on Friday nights (from 5pm until 10pm) for a lively mix of food stalls, retail vendors and a shared licensed area with the Oxford Hotel – meaning you can enjoy a street food-style feed from a market stall and a glass of wine to match, all in the same spot. Then, beginning Saturday, November 8, the focus will shift to fresh produce – with a Saturday morning farmers’ market running from 8am until 2pm every week.
The new weekly events will be operated by Organic Food Markets – the crew already behind the beloved Marrickville and Kings Cross markets – and mark a deliberate step in the City of Sydney’s long-term push to revive Oxford Street.
Once the beating heart of queer nightlife in the Harbour City, the high street has seen more than its fair share of empty shopfronts and shuttered venues in recent years – largely as a result of the (now reversed) lockout laws. Thankfully, there are signs of a turning tide – with the opening of Qtopia queer museum, the soon-to-arrive Oxford and Foley development (the huge development mentioned above) and the upcoming launch of the multi-venue 25 Hours Hotel The Olympia hinting at a renaissance for the rainbow mile.
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The council’s longer-term plans for the precinct involve slowing traffic, improving public spaces, and making it easier to cycle and walk along the strip. In the meantime, two buzzing new markets feels like a pretty solid start.
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