The Thousands

Note: store closed early 2009, but there’s a new pop up store in the city.

With the Westfield-isation* of the retail world, it’s refreshing to find a space in Sydney where shiny new surfaces and designer change rooms are eschewed in favour of heritage listed buildings and a bit of old world charm. The newest kid on the Surry Hills block, Penny Arcade, with its huge lofty space, heavy timber floors and big open windows, is kind of what we mean.**You’ll visit for the quaint, old-school Luna Park trimmings, but you’ll stay for the mix of fashion, furniture and fun stuff, like limited edition pieces by Bracewell (one of Australia’s less publicity-hungry labels), vintage accessories lovingly collected from all over the US of A, and retro furniture and furnishings from every facet of the 20th Century. The brains behind this new retail-commune, Michael Bracewell, is also considering selling books and flowers, and using the space as a soup kitchen in Winter or a gallery. Now there’s something Westfield would never do!

*not a real word, we know, but it could be.