Brookvale Arts District: International inspiration behind Brookie's surge onto the world stage

The filmmaker and president of Brookvale Arts District is helping to spearhead a movement that's reinvigorating the suburb, and Australia's best creatives are already standing up and taking notice.

The suburb's selling points read like a must-do list for an entire LGA - there's five breweries, two distilleries, recording studios, live music, boutique fashion label shows, a growing number of cafes and eateries, nightclub, numerous creative spaces and they're all mixed in amid the thriving industrial scene.

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Brookvale is becoming so well known that NSW's inaugural 24-hour Economy Commissioner, Mike Rodriguez, toured the suburb in recent days after it was identified as one of the key entertainment hubs outside the Sydney CBD.

Manly MP James Griffin, who was on the tour with Mr Rodriguez, said there's a huge opportunity for Brookvale to become an international tourist drawcard, which will have a flow-on effect to the local economy.

"For nearly a decade the visitor economy for Manly and the northern beaches has lagged behind the rest of Sydney and the national average," he said.

"That means we've got to do things differently. People no longer have to travel to the city to enjoy a top tier night out or experience some of the best live music in Australia."

And you can forget looking at other entertainment hubs in Sydney or Australia for inspiration to help Brookvale thrive, those in BAD are looking much further afield.

"We look at places like the Miami Creative District which was a degraded industrial zone, a dangerous part of Miami, which is now the top 10 tourist destinations in America," Mr Meredith said.

"We envisage Brookvale as a creativity, innovation and entertainment hub of global relevance. It's not just about pub culture, it's not just about alcohol, it's about the variety of entertainment.

"It'll have an incredible cultural and economic impact on the northern beaches."

English born Leo Sayer (who now lives in Australia) has even come to Brookie to mentor up-and-coming local bands. Sneaky Sound System and international DJs have played in warehouse-style nightclub Label.

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Brookvale has always been a place for creatives, Mr Meredith says, after all INXS once rented out an Ada Avenue warehouse in 1979 for $5 a week to rehearse before they launched their first album. These days, guitarist and keyboard player Jim Moginie, of Midnight Oil fame, runs a recording studio on Old Pittwater Road with the likes of Sarah Blasko recording there regularly.

"During the week at night as you're leaving our factory or office space in Brookvale it's pretty common to see people arriving with their guitars and amplifiers to rehearse in buildings," he said. "On a Thursday, Friday, Saturday the place is jumping."

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Other places attracting people to the suburb these days is creative space The Plant Room, new extreme sport centre Kiss My Axe, rock climbing and there's an indoor BMX centre on the way.

Mr Meredith said the transformation is happening from "the inside out".

"People drive through Brookvale and they see a degraded, industrial landscape and there's very little indication of all that activity that's happening in all those buildings," he said.

"There is a saying, if you can't find it in Brookvale go to Melbourne."

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