A cultural shift has taken place in Wollongong’s nightlife, from saturation by ‘‘beer barns’’ to a wider range of smaller, more atmospheric venues.
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Wollongong city councillor Ann Martin was yesterday singing the praise of the 20th liquor licence application for a small venue in the past 18 months, saying the news was good for music lovers.
Lonely Planet may not be about to christen our CBD ‘‘the new Melbourne’’ – a few more stylish, bustling laneways would be needed first – but, one small bar at a time, Wollongong after dark is being transformed.
In the past 18 months, 20 applications have been received for various forms of liquor licences, from venues that are small bars, restaurants, art galleries, cafes, or a likely combination of several of these.
Some of these have included variations of licences (Lee and Me or IPAC), or the addition of a bar to a restaurant (Lorenzo’s wine bar).
From The Little Prince to Dagwood, His Boy Elroy, the new Char venues in WIN Stadium, and various pop-up venues, there are fresh options from one end of the CBD to the other.
A big Friday night out will show any punter that the large pubs are still going strong, but there is a different kind of nightlife being practised by people who are after something more than just getting drunk.
While changes to NSW licensing laws made it easier for small operators several years ago, the difference has mostly been made by young, savvy people in Wollongong who have taken the initiative to get a new bar started.
Cr Martin, who heads the council’s live music taskforce, applauded their work.
‘‘I think it’s an extraordinary achievement, not so much people like me who have been around the traps for a while, but for the younger people who are doing this stuff,’’ she said.
‘‘What great initiative. They’re actually taking the bit between their teeth and setting up fabbo little bars, and for me, that’s a real sign of their confidence in their city, and the fact they want the city to be cool.
‘‘I think all people in Wollongong who want to go out and have a drink want a bit more variety, and want to have the option of going to the small bars, which are more interesting and funky.
‘‘It’s not just a focus on getting drunk.’’
Cr Martin said the taskforce’s report coming out next year would work in parallel with the council’s cultural plan in looking at ‘‘how to encourage people into the city, how to make the most of public spaces, how to address perceptions of safety’’.
The next step will be to calm disputes between venues that stage live music, and commercial properties or residents nearby.
Wollongong City Council economic development manager Mark Grimson said the small bar development had been ‘‘a real positive’’ for the city over the past 18 months.
‘‘What we’ve seen is a fairly rapid transformation of this new burgeoning cafe culture here in Wollongong,’’ he said.
‘‘For a period of time, Wollongong’s lagged in this space. There hasn’t been a real diversity on offer. But, now it’s started to grow, it’s demonstrated that demand is there – which is in turn attracting a much more diverse demographic.
‘‘For a long period of time, there was half a dozen venues probably, all fairly similar in their offer. In the last 18 months, we’ve seen that really change.’’
Mr Grimson said feedback from local police had also been positive.
‘‘These are not the types of venues [the] police have issues with.’’
Small, intimate bar standing out
The owner of one of the slickest small bars in the Wollongong market, Dagwood, in Market Street, said he and his brother opened the bar after spotting a gap in the market.
Aaron and Stan Crinis expanded up towards the CBD from their North Beach cafe Diggies. And Dagwood’s combo of trendy American street food and polished lo-fi decor has proved a hit.
‘‘Being in the food and beverage industry we observed a hole in the market – young professionals and people looking for an alternative to the usual large pubs and establishments here,’’ Aaron Crinis said yesterday.
‘‘Having a smaller offering and something a bit more intimate is something that has helped get people in.’’
But with many people living in CBD apartments these days, the bar ran into a spot of bother with regular complaints from a neighbour over the volume from patrons on the footpath.
Wollongong councillor Ann Martin has said a better process is needed to resolve disputes and preserve the vibrancy that small bars bring to the CBD.
Mr Crinis said they were now working with licensing authorities and neighbours to reach a happy medium.
‘‘For other people getting into it, make sure you keep your neighbours happy,’’ he said.