Your Local Pals
When Dylan Howarth first moved to Newtown in his early twenties, he knew he had found his people. His housemates gave him a piece of advice that he has carried ever since: “keep the place clean, keep a bottle of Champagne in the fridge, and don’t be a dick”. It was a simple mantra, but it captured the spirit of the neighbourhood perfectly.
Over twenty years later, Dylan is part of the fabric of Enmore Road. Fortunate Son, the bar he spent almost three years searching for the right site to open, will celebrate its sixth birthday this December. It was joined last year by Palomino Lounge, right next door to the iconic Enmore Theatre. Both venues are built on the same values that first drew Dylan to the neighbourhood: welcoming everyone, celebrating individuality, and creating spaces where people feel at home.
For Dylan, the community spirit of Newtown and Enmore is not just a nice idea. It has shaped every decision he has made. Fortunate Son was the neighbourhood bar that lived in his mind for decades, the place he wanted to go to himself. The fact that it now draws locals and visitors alike, many arriving thanks to recommendations from neighbouring businesses, is something he does not take for granted.
“Our town is built on diversity and inclusion. Our style of hospitality is built on those values too. Being welcoming, being inclusive & making sure people feel connected.”
It is not just words. Dylan’s businesses have been shaped by the connections he has built across the community. Many of his trades and suppliers are guests who became friends. The smallest gestures, a word of encouragement or a recommendation, have made a massive difference.
Outside of his own bars, Dylan remains a passionate advocate for the precinct. He believes Newtown and the Inner West are home to some of the best independent producers, creatives, musicians, theatre makers and hospitality leaders in the country. “Our scene is bursting,” he says. “You add the support from Inner West Council for the entertainment precinct and you have a recipe for something really special.”
When he gets a rare break from the bars, Dylan’s Newtown rituals are still firmly rooted in the neighbourhood. Lunch meetings at Rising Sun Workshop are a favourite, a sunset middy at The Magpie remains a special treat, and a late-night meal from Chargrill Charlie’s has saved him more than once. For a proper night out, it is date night at Russo and Russo if he can score a table.
It is locals like Dylan who remind us what makes Newtown and Enmore so special. This precinct is not just a place to visit, it is a community to belong to.