"DryJan really is the crème de la crème."
January
by John Updike
The days are short
The sun a spark
Hung thin between
The dark and dark.
Fat snowy footsteps
Track the floor
And parkas pile up
Near the door.
The river is
A frozen place
Held still beneath
The trees’ black lace
The sky is low.
The wind is gray.
The radiator
Purrs all day.
Seven years in Botany and loving every day
We moved to Botany from our Randwick unit on April 22, 2016, for the same reason many young families do: our money went a lot further in a ’burb a little further out and our then-preteen kids were getting to the point where they needed more space.
I remember the date because it was the morning news had filtered through that my G.O.A.T. – Prince – had died (April 21, US time) and I couldn’t write the mini-obituary I had been waiting my whole life to write because I was in a truck moving house, much to the chagrin of my then editor (but more so me).
Still, Botany, 7½ years later? Love pretty much everything about it. If you live with a family just as happy staying in or going out (locally or pretty easily into town), and have great neighbours for that mini-community vibe, what’s not to love?
Best cafe?
When you have a coeliac wife, two vegetarian children (somehow) and you’re a carb-dodger yourself, a place up the road that caters to all of the above is a slice of fried gold. Bik’s Cafe (1120 Botany Road) does fantastic hotcakes, haloumi burgers and gluten-free pumpkin fritters and omelettes to order, plus a cheeky bulletproof coffee for the keto freaks among us.
Best restaurant?
There aren’t really that many that give sufficient options to all the stupid requirements above, but Tayta’s Place (1391 Botany Road) does succulent kebab skewers, charcoal chickens and crunchy falafels, with decent salad options and bags of fresh flatbread.
Best beach, park or pool?
Botany Aquatic Centre (Myrtle and Jasmine streets) and its spectacular waterslides pretty much sold the suburb to the kids when we first looked at our place back in 2016. The slides have long since been disassembled, sadly, but the pools and the picnic area are still glorious on a hot summer’s day, and haven’t we had a few of them lately? It’s right next to lush Booralee Park, too, with its basketball court, playground and vast green space.
First place you take visitors?
Bik’s in the morning/afternoon, One Drop Brewing Co (5 Erith Street) at night. The latter is a boutique brewery in a warehouse in the Botany backstreets with an ever-changing array of their own refreshing, sometimes fruity beers on tap and an also ever-changing food truck ’round the back. An opening taster paddle of four of their beers will helpfully set up your options for the night.
Perfect night out in your suburb?
We like going to gigs and the movies. We don’t get any of that in Botany. But we also like AFL and cricket, and the Waterworks (1102 Botany Road) and Captain Cook (1114 Botany Road) hotels show the Big Bash in summer and Swannies games in winter, which are simple pleasures if we fancy a local change of scenery.
What would make your suburb better?
If a gig venue opened around the corner and all my favourite artists played there.
Best secret spot in your suburb?
Sir Joseph Banks Park (Tupia Street) was a lifesaver during COVID for the whole family. I still go for walks there myself, sometimes with a buddy. Getting now-late-teenage kids to join me? Not so much.
