Local resident Elisabeth Drysdale has lived in Balmain for 16 years. She is firmly embedded in the community and runs her own communications agency from close by. As mother to one young girl and a rescued greyhound, she has bought and sold twice in the area, making the most of Balmain’s rising social caché.

“I love the fact that it is so close to the city, yet feels a bit ‘tucked away’. I love being close to the water too and the community spirit here,” she says. “Mort Bay is a great place to enjoy a picnic with friends and I also like to walk down to Ewenton Park at dusk and sit on the sandstone seating and look out,” Elisabeth says.

For Elisabeth who lives in a pretty row of late 1800’s terraces, her favourite element of the Balmain is the ample green space.

“Early in the morning, I always go to Bertoni’s for the Balmain vibe and social interaction. But when its time for lunch I love the food and coffee at The Hunter Works. It simply rocks. Sitting at the back of The Working Men’s Institute Building on Darling Street, they use a house brand made by Sample coffee roasters and create beautiful lunches from scratch with a focus on seasonal produce.

“For me I think Balmain’s best kept secret is the Dawn Fraser Baths. It’s a harbour pool and one of the oldest pools in Australia. Sitting there on a summer’s day transports you back in time. But really, spending the afternoon in the courtyard of the Balmain Hotel soaking up the sun is always a good choice,” says Elisabeth Drysdale.

From sooty backwater to bourgeois ‘burb – click here to read more about the changing face of Balmain.

Explore other hot spots:

Bertonis

The Hunter Works

Wilhelminas Bar

Victoire patisserie & Victoire Van

TJ’s Quality Meats

The Balmain Hotel

Dawn Fraser Baths

The Cricketers Arms (The old Monkey Bar)