Basketball superstar, Cassidy McLean, explored Newcastle with our very own Buyer’s Agent, Kylie Frearson, to showcase some of her favourite spots.
Cassidy’s ‘Off the Map’ list began with a great spot for lunch, dinner or a snack!
Mexican street food, right in the heart of the CBD | Newcastle West
Up first was Antojitos, the (relatively) newly relocated Mexican restaurant.
Outgrowing their old space in Carrington, Antojitos is now located on Steel Street in Newcastle West – just a short walk from the Honeysuckle light rail stop.
With the great new location comes a fantastic atmosphere, perfect for both families and the younger crowd.
“The food is amazing, and I really love the vibe. I came here with my basketball team and I thought it’s a great place to bring family and friends,” Cassidy said.
Newcastle West is primarily focused on retail, but has a high school on Parkway Avenue, so the surrounding areas are popular residential zones for families, with 35.9% of properties in the area being owner occupied.
Meanwhile, for those wanting to live in the CBD itself, there are various apartments and units available. In fact, there are only 41 houses in total, but 748 apartments in Newcastle West up for grabs.
However, if you’re looking at housing in Newcastle West, the median price is around $875,658.
Flower power on Union Street | The Junction
After satisfying their hunger, Cassidy and Kylie set out for their next stop – Waldon’s Flower Shop.
Brightening up the busy Union Street with lovely plants and flowers, Cassidy says it’s one of her favourite stores in Newcastle.
A self-proclaimed ‘plant mum’, one of Cassidy’s hobbies is collecting succulents and giving them a home.
“I’m one to collect little succlents and put them in pretty pots. I love coming here because the store has a really good feel about it,” she said.
Kylie is quick to realise why Cassidy is so drawn to the store, noticing it’s much more than a florist, complete with homewares, gifts, cards and pots too.
“You can pretty much come in here and decorate your whole home,” Cassidy points out.
Once part of Merewether, up until 1991, The Junction has undergone a lot of changes over the years. The Junction Public School, one of the well-known education establishments in the area, was founded as early as 1872.
Kylie notes that the price-tag of The Junction properties return in investment, with an annual capital growth rate of 9.13%.
Median houses in this area are around $1,517,500 with 57.9% of properties being owner occupied
Popular among families, The Junction is great for those looking to buy a home, with homes being bought and sold in a variety of community-minded areas. Plus, it’s not far from the CBD and the beach!
Scoring points for its sporting facilities | Broadmeadow
Given Cassidy’s love of sport, you might’ve guessed a basketball-related location was on her list.
In fact, Newcastle Basketball Stadium, located in Broadmeadow, in one of Cassidy’s favourite places. The stadium is also home to local teams, Newcastle Knights and the Newcastle Jets.
She says the stadium is where she started her career.
“This is one of my favourite places, probably in Newcastle and the world, it feels like home to me,” Cassidy said.
The sense of community she feels when she visits the stadium makes it so special to Cassidy.
“You pretty much know everyone, everyone’s so friendly, and you get to do what you love,” she told Kylie.
With a variety of schooling and sporting opportunities, Broadmeadow is popular among young families. Close to so many facilities, Broadmeadow’s train station is also a prime transportation hub for commuters between the city and outer Newcastle suburbs.
Kylie notes that Property 101 have always had a lot of success in Broadmeadow, with a 0% vacancy rate.
For people looking at housing in the area, Kylie says that the median price is around $635,000. With a likely return on investment, the compound growth rate for the area over the last five years has been 7.6% for houses and 9.7% for units.
The sense of community is a great motivator for those looking to get into sport, with the bonus of making new friends.
A massive thank you to Cassidy for showing us her favourite parts of Newcastle! We had fun getting to know these gems.
Be sure to check out the video linked if you’re interested in seeing Cassidy’s top picks for yourself.
If our tour around the Newcastle region has made you want to look for a property in one of these suburbs, contact our Newcastle Buyer’s Agents today.
