You can’t walk down Marrickville Rd without passing dreadlocked heads, chicks with arm tattoos, rainbow-clad children and rescue dogs attached to their Greens voting owners. In short, it is my kind of place.

When my dear friend Maggie knocked on the door this Sunday morning, I knew we were in for an adventure. We were heading off on a shopping mission to the Marrickville Organic Food and Grower’s Markets on Addison Rd.

With the poodlings in tow, we strolled up the road past jasmine-covered terraces and 1930′s worker’s huts, complete with Notices of Development on their front fences.

Upon entering the markets, you could easily be fooled into thinking you’re in Byron Bay. Tofu Burgers, ‘revolutionary’ coffee served strictly short or long by tattooed baristas and a proliferation of leafy vegetables burst forth from hessian stalls creating an atmosphere of riotous colour.

After weaving our way through the stalls and chatting to all the sellers, we eventually settled on a Venezualan Arepa as our first port of call. Corn flour fritters are sliced open and filled with a combination of shredded chicken, avocado, peas, corn, chilli and mayonnaise. Mmm … spicy-licious …

Next stop: Organic Earth Plate, a striking looking dish that is as much sculptural masterpiece as organic snack. The lady constructing these quinoa, pumpkin, hommous, beetroot and lettuce extravaganzas asked me to stop talking on my mobile because she doesn’t like phones. Umm, OK.  Having waited in line for half an hour to get one of her creations, I wasn’t going to take any chances (sorry Elly).

In a final stroke of good fortune, we got chatting to a cheery flower seller named Danny who works as a lawyer during the week. She was throwing together bouquets that absolutely knocked anything you see in florist shop out of the ballpark. Without any hesitation, I decided that this was the girl to do my wedding flowers so we organised it on the spot and now I have one less thing to worry about – huzzah!

The markets are on every Sunday 8.30am-3pm at the Addison Road Community Centre, 142 Addison Road Marrickville. Check out more info at www.organicfoodmarkets.com.au

Tell me, friendies, where are your favourite markets? And what do you love shopping for?

Here is my story, live on the interwebs: http://bestcityintheworld.wordpress.com/

A lady named Jeanette asked me to expand on which streets/suburbs I was referring to in this post. Well, my friends, I was being a little obscure but here is where my imagination was when I was conjuring up this story.

Inner West – Illawarra Rd (especially Pho Bac) and Marrickville Rd, Marrickville and Liverpool Rd, Ashfield

Outer West – Auburn Rd, Auburn (especially Mado Cafe)

Little Italy – Ramsay St, Haberfield (especially the IGA and Papa Pasticceria)

City - Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross

Eastern Suburbs – Cross St, Double Bay (especially Simmone Logue)

Hope this helps you find your perfect piece of Sydney!

Marrickville Council has the *highest number of people not born in Australia which lends the area a thriving diversity. Walking down the street, there are gardens with Buddhist altars hidden in the corners; leafy palms with a full hands of bananas hanging over fences; persimmon trees on every block and concrete front yards full of lovingly tended tomatoes and herbs.

One of my neighbours, an elderly Chinese lady, prays every morning with incense. The old Greek man around the corner shouts a cheery ‘giassou’ whenever you walk past and the Vietnamese family that run the pho shop know me by order only (spring rolls, salt and pepper squid, rare beef pho). I see them sigh whenever I walk in, thinking, ‘will she ever try anything else on the menu?’

This is a neighbourhood populated with restaurants, bakeries, Asian grocers and mysteriously, bargain shops. This is a neighbourhood full of Greek churches, Islander bars and dog owners who congregate at Henson Park.

Living in Marrickville is travelling without moving.

*Source: http://www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au/community/statisticalprofile/census2006.htm