Nobs and yobs: in Glebe, crime bridges the gulf

"Trouble can follow when rich and poor find themselves living cheek by jowl, writes Jordan Baker.
THE woman stands by the gate of a tiny St Johns Road Housing Department terrace, her breathing laboured but her voice angry as she describes how seven-year-old girls tore apart her dying neighbour's yard.
The families moved there 30 years ago, when she was in her 40s, the house was owned by the church and there were no millionaires across the road. There was petty crime then too, but now young people were running wild.
Most recently, there has been sharp rise in car break-ins. Last week the windows of every car on a nearby street were smashed. The woman would not give her name. "Not here in Glebe, darling; the kids are liable to get me."
St Johns Road embodies the contradiction Glebe has become. On one side there's housing worth millions for the wealthy, who park their expensive cars out the front, send their children to private schools and have weekly cleaners.
On the other is a Department of Housing estate, a mix of elderly people, immigrants and young families. They come from different parts of the world, have different family backgrounds, and often struggle to make ends meet.
Car break-ins are the most common crime. They are on the rise throughout NSW, but have climbed 66 per cent in Glebe since 2004. Last September there were at least 99. One man had his car broken into 17 times in two years. ...
The problem is not unique to Glebe. As gentrification and wealth spread through areas once considered working class, so does the resentment of struggling families who have lived in those suburbs for generations. ..."

Read the full article from the Sydney Morning Herald here.

Sydney temple fire deliberate: police

"Police have confirmed a fire at a heritage-listed Chinese temple in Sydney's inner-west yesterday was suspicious.
Firefighters were called to the Sze Yup temple at Glebe about 1:00am (AEDT) yesterday.
Crew managed to contain the blaze to one room but the damage is estimated at $100,000.
Police also say a quantity of money was stolen from the donation box inside the temple.
The temple, which is more than 100-years-old, is a focal point for next Thursday's Chinese New Year celebrations.
Festival organisers says the celebrations will go ahead as planned."

Read the article from ABC News here.

Temple fire won't ruin Chinese NY: organisers

"Organisers of Sydney's Chinese New Year festival say the celebrations will not be affected by a fire at a temple in Sydney's inner-west this morning.
Police believe arsonists are behind the fire at the heritage-listed Sze Yup temple at Glebe.
Firefighters were called to the temple on Edward Street about 1:00am (AEDT) after receiving reports of smoke coming from the building.
The blaze damaged one room but crews managed to stop the fire from spreading to other parts of the temple.
The temple is supposed to be the focal point of next Thursday's Chinese New Year festivities.
The festival's creative director, Gill Minervini, says the celebrations will go ahead as planned."

Read the full article from ABC News here.

Blog Review:
Spicy Sichuan, on the blog Yum. Tum. Bum

Blog Review:
Spicy Sichuan Restaurant - Glebe, on the blog Steph & Eva - Eating our way through Sydney

Blog Review:
Glebe Point Diner, on the blog The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry

Boarding house sacrificed to apartments development

By Sunanda Creagh, The Sydney Morning Herald
"A GLEBE boarding house will be turned into multimillion-dollar waterfront apartments after the State Government lifted a ban on redeveloping the site.
The eight-room Mary Street house, which fronts Blackwattle Bay, was previously covered by State Environmental Planning Policy 10, a law that prohibits redevelopment of low-cost housing.
But the Planning Department recently granted the owner an exemption. The owner has permission to build a car park and three apartments. The house's two tenants will be evicted in less than 60 days.
A City of Sydney Greens councillor, Chris Harris, is furious that the exemption was granted. "The place is in reasonable condition. It's rentable. But the end result is we will lose eight pieces of cheap accommodation close to the city because of a decision by the Planning Minister. Affordable housing is meant to be protected by SEPP 10 and clearly it's really easy to get out of."
A spokesman for the Department of Planning said the exemption was granted because the boarding house was regarded as not financially viable according to specific guidelines. ..."

Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.