“End of an era”: The gritty Sydney suburb close to Neale Whitaker’s heart

Interior design expert Neale Whitaker joins a new season of Foxtel’s Love It Or List It Australia this October, and recently swapped his regular TV gig on The Block to join the 7 Network’s My Reno Rules in 2026.

It’s the chance to problem solve on team Love It that’s igniting his passion for television again; sitting with 10 new families to work out the reasons why the four walls they call home is a reason to love it and stay.

“My main task is to solve problems on the show. It’s not a renovation show, it’s certainly not about interior design, it’s about giving people solutions to their housing problems,” says Neale Whitaker.

“I get people to fall in love with their homes again and if they do, then that’s a bonus.”

Interior design expert Neale Whitaker (right) will return for a new season of Love It Or List It Australia this October. Picture: Supplied

Whitaker moved to Australia in 1999, arriving in Potts Point, and after less than a year made the residential switch to Surry Hills – chasing young love and renting in a terrace house behind The Clock Hotel pub at the time.

“I swapped one village for another – and while that romance didn’t last, the romance with Surry Hills endured and I kind of fell in love with that part of Sydney,” Neale Whitaker told realcommercial.com.au.

In 2000, Surry Hills reminded Whitaker of London’s Islington area; where he had been living before migrating to Australia.

“Surry Hills was a much edgier suburb at the time, that sort of grittiness right on the edge of the city appealed to me. It was filled with creatives and was a bit bohemian; I loved everything about this time,” he said.

Neale Whitaker recalls fond memories of his time living in a terrace house behind the historic Clock Hotel in Surry Hills. Picture: Getty

“I started my life in a little apartment on Holt Street, where News Limited is now. Little did I know that 15 years later, I would end up working in that same street. I then gravitated to a little terrace house on Alexander Street,” he said.

We take a walk down memory lane, exploring the Surry Hills strip that shaped Neale Whitaker.

The Clock Tower

A famous pub on Crown Street called The Clock Hotel was one of my favourite hangouts in the early 2000s. My terrace house on Alexander Street was located behind it. I was living at ground zero and was close to everything; it was the place to be.

No Longer There

Longrain – Founded by restaurateur Sam Christie and chef Martin Boetz – opened in 1999 and I remember going there often. It attracted people from the eastern suburbs of Sydney to come to Surry Hills and try the food and experience this new suburb.  It closed in 2019 after 20 years of service.

MG Garage – back in those days, there was a fabulous restaurant called MG Garage. There was a brief moment around about the turn of the century when suddenly restaurants opened in car showrooms. There were a few of them around, and MG Garage was the sort of the flag bearer. It was run by a famous chef at the time called Jeremy Strode. It didn’t last more than a few years, but it was there on Crown Street, and it was sort of like the emblem of Crown Street dining.

The Book Kitchen was one of many businesses to shut down during the lengthy construction of the light rail. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

The Book Kitchen – This was a favourite spot for me. It was also like a restaurant, with a bookshop attached. I would go here frequently around 2005 and 2006. It reminds me of the era when people used to take their laptop to work from a cafe and sip cups of coffee and eat a sandwich at lunchtime. I loved browsing through the wonderful selection of food books, interiors and design books and lots of second-hand books on offer here.

In 2005, I published my one and only book to this day called The Accidental Foodie. I remember The Book Kitchen stocking it, and they had a pile on the counter which I had signed.  It was a massive thrill coming into the shop to see my own book on the shelves.  Back in those days I edited food magazines. If ever I had to have a meeting with somebody during the week, I would always bring them to The Book Kitchen. It’s where my partner David and I would go on a Saturday morning with our dogs and sit in the sun. It was just a lovely part of life.

Stands the test of time

Bourke Street Bakery was popular then and still is to this day. Unfortunately, that small village feel doesn’t really exist anymore, because the light rail went through Surry Hills about 10 years ago and it caused all of other businesses to close – all with the exception of the fab bakery on the corner.

From humble beginnings as a corner bakery in Surry Hills, Bourke St Bakery now has 14 stores across Sydney. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

The light rail, for me, signified the end of a real sense of community in Surry Hills, and I guess it was a much-needed path of infrastructure. But for some of us who were locals, it did signify the end of an era.

Local Character

The Crown Street dog called Dasher was very famous. The outline of the dog is still on the pavement to this very day. He lived in a terrace house directly opposite The Clock Hotel. Dasher the dog spent his whole life sitting on the pavement day in, day out, come rain or shine.

Dasher the dog’s outline still marks the pavement outside his home at 443 Crown Street. Picture: X @CrownStreetDog

He was always there to greet people as they were walking past. I used to pass him on my way to work. He sat outside 443 Crown Street and died in 2012.

Retail Memories

Mondo Luce is where I used to browse for modern Italian lighting. It was beautiful place to visit.

Planet Furniture was a well-known Sydney brand too.  It’s now permanently closed. It was owned and run by Ross Longmuir; a furniture and homeware designer himself.

There’s also a little store that was an absolute cult at the time called Mrs Red and Sun.  It’s a unique little gift shop, with a mix of curio pieces inside. It’s run by two delightful Thai guys and the door is painted bright red. The exterior didn’t tell you anything about what was happening inside though. It was a wonderful world of treasures once you went inside.

Bills, Surry Hills

The late Bill Granger and I used to be very good friends. In fact, I worked with Bill for about a year, and bills restaurants were always a very important part of my Sydney story.  Back then, bills was known as bills 2. Now it’s known as bills Surry Hills.

bills Surry Hills. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

It’s sort of grown up a bit, it’s a smarter and more sophisticated restaurant than it’s ever been. I still like to go there.

Surry Hills Markets

Held on the first Saturday of every month, on the green on Crown Street next to The Clock Hotel. There was everything there – from food to bric-a-brac. I still have some pieces of art, vases and ceramics in my home that I bought there in the early 2000s. The Sydney markets were just such a treasure trove of opportunity, and back in its heyday, the Crown Street Market or Surry Hills Market was so good for second-hand furniture, clothing and books. Whenever anyone used to come and stay with me from England, I always insisted that we did the rounds of Surry Hills market on a Saturday morning.