The Hardt is 11 editions in now, and the feedback has been good. But I want to hear more! If something's caught your eye this week, or there's a question you'd love to put to the neighbourhood, just hit reply. There's a several hundred of you reading now, and someone usually knows the answer or has an opinion worth sharing.

Leichhardt Oval put on its first-ever rock concert last Sunday with The Last Roar, and by all reports it was a cracker for the 5000 attendees. Check out this video that captures the vibe (and it even looks like they might have been able to fit more people). Hats off to the council and everyone who pulled it together. Here's hoping there's more of it once the renovation's done and we can all get back out there. (Source: Darcy Byrne FB Page, Leichhardt Community Group)

Every year a few streets round here go all in on Halloween - the good decorations, the decked-out front gardens, the whole street handing out lollies. It's definitely popular with young families like mine. The Hardt wants to know which one is the best? Where should the kids be sent trick-or-treating on 31 October? Reply and tell us the street.

PS – if you fancy going a step further, Council has made it easier to close your road for a street party, so the little ones can roam without dodging traffic. Applications are open here and close on 9 October. Apparently our rivals in Annandale are all over it. (Source: Inner West Council FB Page)

A good photo from Facebook: a brush turkey, bare red head and all, strolling the Forum forecourt outside La Bottega like it owned the lease. No queue, no table booked, just a leisurely lap of the decking and off. It's not a one-off, either. Several locals have spotted the birds along the GreenWay lately, one to the delight of a thrilled three-year-old. Little Italy's newest regular, then. (Source: Leichhardt Community Group)

Last week I asked the suburb about the best way to name landmarks, following a raised eyebrow about Leichhardt pool's new name. The broad mood was in the middle: yes, locals should have a say, but probably not without some guardrails as some oversight could head off ridiculous or controversial choices. Or, as one put it, spare us from a “Pooly McPoolyFace” type scenario. I thought a really strong point was "The whole point of having elected officials is to make decisions like this." and that speed and timing is critical when someone local passes away, while a new project is being built.

The first GreenWay pulled close to a million visits in its opening year and took out Local Project of the Year at the 2026 Sydney Awards, so council has begun designing a second one. The new 3.5km route would run Ashfield to Iron Cove, staged through Ashfield, Croydon and our neighbour Haberfield, with creek-side parks, an elevated canal boardwalk and safer crossings at Parramatta Rd and Ramsay Rd. For now it's design work only in this doc. (Source: Inner West Council news)

Sincerely,

The Hardt