What do you most value about your area?

The wide variety of cultures, age groups and economic backgrounds; access to the river and green spaces and bike paths (should be more!); great public schools; closeness to the city but a relative feeling of space compared with other inner city areas.

I agree I love the diversity of cultures in Marrickville. We have some great parks that I am looking forward to taking ou new arrival of the family when she can walk.

In addition I love the local festivals and sense of community. I can practise and expand on the few words from each language I have learnt from my travels and watch the delight as new and older immigrants appreciate someone acknowledging their backgrounds too.

The variety of fantastic, good value multicultural food make my friends from other parts of Sydney so envious.

Its close to the city, well serviced by public transport, has some great parks particularly near the Cooks River and has some beautiful federation houses and buildings. We bought our federation home a few years ago and have been enjoying slowly restoring it to something near its former 'glory'.

The community is diverse and multicultural with some great eating attractions and Newtown is a short bus trip away.

And its dog friendly too!

Other inner suburbs are tending to become affluent 'white' monocultures (eg Glebe, Surry Hills and others). I love the fact that Marrickville still retains a huge diversity.

Gentrification has some positive aspects but I would hate to see that process dilute Marrickville's diversity.

Its cultural diversity and mix of socio-economic backgrounds. Its parks, the Cooks River, the beautiful federation houses. David Street!!

Marrickville is diverse and always interesting. Not only is there easy access to everything a city dweller could want,but there is a great mix of residents. There are many artists living in the area and more and more it seems to be the hub of cultural activity- music,visual arts & theatre. What a great vibe. Lucky us!

i'm also a member of the River Canoe Club next to Unwins Bridge. I love being able to use the Cooks River and Wolli Creek knowing that the Club has a long history in Marrickville. For 75 years paddlers have been using the river for recreation, exercise and a social meeting house for the local community. The surrounding park ground is great for picnics and easy to get to on my bike and my kayak stored at the club. Yes my house is just too little to hold my kayak, otherwise I just wouldn't be able to access the river.

My memories of the cooks river go back 45 years when, as a teenager, I first became a member of the river canoe club near the Tempe railway station. To me, the river and canoeing go hand in hand and this synergy has been just one of many reasons why the cleaning up of the river and its foreshores have gone ahead in leaps and bounds over that time, inspired by the efforts of many people. As a strategic vision, it would be wonderful if the natural resources of the river and its immediate surrounds could be resored to those prestine days in the early 1900's when cook's river was the picnic grounds for the thriving hub of the then city of sydney, where may 'new' teenagaers could expore their youthful potential, and where adults and seniors could exercise and meditate in a potential natural wonderland.

The Cook's River and accompanying parklands, you wouldnt even know you were so close to the city. Pity there are not more leash free places to run our dogs.

We love the fact that a typical Marrickville weekend for us will involve a walk past the Greek neighbours growing their tomatoes in the front yard....then past the Vietnamese with their bitter melons hanging from their fences...we then get to smell the scents coming from the thai restaurant who are preparing for the evening... say g'day to the lebanese man selling his wares... we then have a gossip with the greek coffee man before we head in to buy some veges from the Vietnamese shop...

We only hope that Marrickville Council focuses on promoting & celebrating diversity here. We also hope that ethnic groups don't get 'pushed out' of the Marrickville market, as it were.

Its cultural diversity and the traditional streetscapes of its built heritage.

The parks and facilities, the architecture, the public transport options, the Marrickville Road and Illawarra Road shops and cafes and restaurants, proximity to the city and Newtown, and the Cooks River.

The Cooks River & surrounding parklands. Canoeing on the Cooks River & that we have a Motor Boat Club. Marrickville LGA has some exceptionally beautiful parks. The sculptures & art work in public spaces. The old street & park trees. The Federation streetscape. Tempe Reserve & Tempe Wetlands. The variety of shops on our main streets, including the variety of food we can buy. The multicultural community & the variety of restaurants. The cultural festivals & all of Marrickville Council's street fairs & events. The Farmer's Market and increasing community art space. Reverse Garbage & the Addison Road complex. The swales & water gardens. Proximity to the city & good public transport. Feel safe when I am out on the streets. General friendliness of our community.