A few weekends ago, we couldn’t do our shopping because we didn’t want to move our car. We live in Redfern, without a parking spot, and the Swans were about to play a home match nearby at the Sydney Cricket Ground. And just like that episode of Seinfeld, we had a park on the street not too far from home, so we definitely didn’t want to give it up to the red and white fans who were about to descend on the area. People drink coffee on Redfern Street in Redfern.George ChanWhen we first moved here, we’d often lose the car. I might have parked it and forgotten to tell my husband where to find it, leading to laps of various blocks and calls starting with “babe – where’d you leave the car?” Luckily, that problem has been solved by technology. First, my son suggested we put an Apple AirTag in the vehicle, then months later we bought a new car that had its own app to help us find it.Street parking is rare in Redfern.George ChanThese are the real experiences of living in a densely populated inner-Sydney suburb where most people live in apartments (68.1 per cent) or terraces (28.6 per cent).This suburb is very much a walking place. Census data shows that people in Redfern are far less likely to drive to work and more likely to walk, take public transport or bike to work than other Australians. At peak hour, the footpaths and bike lanes are teeming with all kinds of people.A mural near Redfern railway station.George ChanWe walk to the car in the rain, to the shop for a missing ingredient, to a favourite local cafe for a coffee – with the dog.Pets, particularly dogs, are conspicuous in Redfern.George ChanMaybe that image doesn’t line up with our suburb’s reputation for crime. When you say you live in Redfern, some people are concerned for your safety. When my son’s year 7 geography class was asked to find interesting statistics about the suburbs they live in, he found that Redfern has much higher rates of break-ins and violent crimes. And while crime is trending down, that “mean streets” of Redfern image hasn’t fully faded.Scootering through the Marriott Street Reserve.Audrey RichardsonI walk around here freely, as I think most people do, but I’m still confronted from time to time. Recently, a man who I suspect was on drugs approached me and started to put his arms around me. After exclaiming “please don’t touch me”, I walked away. It was over quickly, and it doesn’t make me love this place any less.Those in the know remember that Redfern Shopping Centre was once known as “Murder Mall” because it was a run-down supermarket with a few specialty stores plagued with theft and, occasionally, something more serious.The new retail precinct on Baptist Street.Audrey RichardsonThe Eveleigh Hotel in Abercrombie Street.Audrey RichardsonThe redevelopment on the same site is called Surry Hills Village. Of course, Surry Hills is way more cool than Redfern – and at least 10 years ahead of us on the path to gentrification. But we Redfern residents don’t care what it’s called. We love having a brand-new supermarket and fruit and vegetable market.While Surry Hills gets plenty of hype, we have plenty of cool eateries. Check out Fontana, for one. I had a life-changing zabaglione dessert there. The restaurant itself is legendary – for 30 years, the first-floor eatery was home to kitsch Thai restaurant Pron Prohm, and then it was Ron’s Upstairs for a while, before its most recent and very successful incarnation. Hot tip – book ahead.The Bat and Ball Hotel became a destination pub in 2024 after finally finding the right operators. Up ’til then it had been rarely open, and empty when it was. It was really no surprise given the vegetarian burger was something to do with a macaroni pattie. These days it’s packed every night of the week, and everything on the menu is a winner. Try the Sunday roast.But for every Instagrammable cafe, pub and restaurant, Redfern has equal numbers of eateries that are inexpensive and wonderful. Maya Da Dhaba is affordable, fast and cheerful. Lao Jie BBQ seems very popular in the wee hours of the morning, and there are no words for its decor.St. Jude Cafe on Bourke Street.Audrey RichardsonClayton Dooley (right) and Ben Hauptmann perform as a jazz band at the Eveleigh Hotel.Audrey RichardsonKeep walking the streets and you could find yourself at the Three Sisters, which are identical high-density public apartments towering over the surrounding lower-rise public housing. These structures contrast with terrace houses a few blocks away that could trade for more than $4 million. This dichotomy means you could pass all types on the street; a doctor in scrubs walking home from St Vincent’s Hospital or someone who’s washing windscreens for spare change on a street corner.And while you’re thinking about that dose of reality, think about this. Redfern is home to The Block, which is testament to Indigenous survival and resistance in the city. In the ’70s, uninhabitable terraces were restored to house First Nations’ people and the Aboriginal Housing Company was born. Fast forward to today and the land has been redeveloped into new affordable housing and a student accommodation tower. Mired with controversy, the changes have forced out many Indigenous people who once lived there.Pool players at the Eveleigh Hotel.Audrey RichardsonA mural references Redfern’s Indigenous heritage and the precinct known as The Block.George ChanExercising on Redfern Oval with Redfern Towers in the background. James BrickwoodRedfern Station.Thomas WieleckiIndigenous heritage is celebrated in notable public art, such as the 40,000 years mural opposite Redfern Station; the Welcome to Redfern mural by Reko Rennie on a terrace at the corner of Caroline and Hugo streets; and Mission Boy Dreams on Cope Street.Redfern is a tale of two suburbs – rich and poor, effortlessly hip and fiercely gritty. Caught between the past and the future and struggling to reconcile difficult truths such as social inequality and the unfinished business with First Nations peoples.It certainly isn’t a suburb that would be loved by everyone. Too busy, too loud and too cramped. I love it all, except for the parking!Redfern’s Indigenous history is well known.Audrey RichardsonJen Marshall is a business owner and writer.