Sydney suburb to launch ‘It all starts at Chatswood’ tourism campaign
The northern Sydney region of Chatswood is launching a tourism campaign with the tagline, ‘It all starts at Chatswood’.
The campaign aims to increase tourist numbers to Chatswood – home to marketing title B&T – for day visits and short stays, as well as boosting corporate tenancy in ‘Sydney’s third largest CBD’.
According to a statement from Willoughby City Council, “While Chatswood has long been known as the North Shore’s shopping mecca, the campaign also aims to showcase the area as an entertainment and dining destination with excellent access and public transport.”
The campaign, which is being backed by Destination NSW, is to focus on dining, arts and shopping precinct The Concourse.
Pulse Marketing is behind the campaign, which also has a Facebook page.
whut?
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I’m pondering just what is assumed to all start at Chatswood.
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good to see a council understand the need to promote the area – better to promote that fall off the map like other areas
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meant ‘than fall off the map’
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If it all starts at Chatswood (whatever it is) I dread to think where it all ends.
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I can see where they are going with this. The new development of The Concourse is great! Plenty of great restaurants, hotels and bars all so close to transport. Makes sense to me.
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No wonder Willoughby Council wanted to put their rates up this year – to pay for their ad campaign. This is crazy. Chatswood doesn’t offer anything any other major shopping district in Sydney does (except maybe less parking). I hope that the council have thought of a way to deal with the existing (and growing) traffic problem which is already out of control?!
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er, guys… if you can’t get your act together by April 1 then it’s best to hold off ’till next year…
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what, exactly, is in Chatswood that may be of any interest to a “tourist”?
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picture says it all really, a westfield.
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As a local of the real lower north shore, it’s a regular challenge for me to avoid Chatswood at all costs, despite all these hajj-esque enticements to visit. I hate the place.
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Chatswood….gateway to lane cove
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WTF is a tourist going to do in Chatswood that they wouldn’t/couldn’t do in Sydney’s CBD? There is no point of difference. The only thing that starts at Chatswood is the really, really bad traffic heading into the city. Hitting those lights is always a sign of the nightmare to come.
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Stayed away from shops at Chatswood for 25 years and never plan to return. Its a traffic and parking nightmare. The most dysfunctional shopping area in NSW
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If Chatswood is a “Tourist Destination” – we are doomed
Its is the place to avoid
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I live in lovely Chatswood (west) and agree it’s a great place to call home and bring up a family – with good access to anywhere in and around our city (2 traffic lights from my place to Canberra) and some of the best shopping in Sydney (though there are a lot of empty upmarket stores in the ‘during GFC’ upgrade to Chatswood Chase).
The new Concourse development in the centre of Chatswood is huge (and empty) and obviously cost an absolute bomb. The locals (an extremely heavy multi-cultural mix) are clearly not supporting it according to council’s forecasts which in turn allowed them to justify the cost.
Westfield’s recent announcement of a reduction of 3 hour free parking to 2 hours is not going to help this and the parking police around here are extremely – how should I put it – ‘enthusiastic and pro-active’.
I personally think it’s going to be a tough sell as a ‘tourist’ destination (I had to read this headline twice to truly believe it) – and my already high rates can be much better spent but guess they are trying something to get out of the hole they dug for themselves through The Concourse.
BTW – can I have my ‘Kangaroo Island’ style payment for saying at least some nice things about Chatswood? 🙂
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Chatswood.. a “tourist destination”?!?
When in Sydney I stay in a suburb nearby, and I do use the shopping centre at Chatswood, but honestly, there is nothing touristy about the place at all, and unless they are going to manufacture some tourist trap of some sort, its not going to change.
The suburbs are just that – tourists dont want to see suburbs – other than perhaps a brief glimpse from a bus, thus allowing them to say they have seen “how the locals live”.
Tourists want destinations that mean something in the photos they take home – something iconic, and that doesnt usually mean a new or improved shopping centre…
….. or maybe I am wrong… just seems odd to me.
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Why in god’s name would you go to Chatswood unless you had to for work?
It is now just the biggest of the soulless, characterless suburbs that seem to dot the train line up to Hornsby. And just about everything the council has done to spruce the place up has only made it look all the more empty and depressing.
And IMO the Concourse is awful – nothing about it is inviting or community-minded. In fact, it looks like it was designed by a former Soviet architect to frighten the locals. A brilliant idea that was utterly botched in its execution.
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It all starts with North Sydney would be appropriate. Life BEGINS in the LOWER North Shore.
Mazeltov, Congratulations if this promotion works why not and let’s promote the Lower North Shore in general. Promotion must also extend to the local Chinese and other ethnic communities in the area.
Obviously those critics are not BORN to shop.
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Dear “Chatswouldn’t” I think we have a problem. “Soulless and characterless suburbs that doe the train line to Hornsby”? what planet are you on? Have you ever explored any on these suburbs? Stood at Milsons Point station and admired the view of Sydney Harbour, walked down Blues Point Road from North Sydney station and seen the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour, taken the bus to Cammeray and admired The Suspension Bride and Tunks Park,taken the bus or car from Roseville Station and looked at Middle Harbour and the Roseville Bridge, walked along the bush tracks from Lindfield to Gore Hill, explored the culture, sport and facilities that are available from North Sydney to Chatswood ? I don’t think so. The North Shore is filled with community spirit and bushland. Sure it may not be a trendy Balmain full of Basket Weavers and alternate lifestylers or The Eastern Suburbs filled with beaches and Eastern Suburbs Socialites but it has its good points. Please come and explore and you will be surprised what you find.
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Chatswood is a fantastic Australian Tourist icon – Home of the Big Mandarin (cinema) and also home of the Big Jam (carpark).
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I’ll buy three please.
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For lunch, in Chatswood you are spoilt for choice: Amazing sushi, Vietnamese, Malaysian – so much more. Markets on a Thursday with Japanese, Turkish and even Paella. Come and visit and tuck in!!
There are great spots to visit on the Lower Northshore. I would focus more on that, than just Chatswood as the ‘tourist destination’. Lane Cove National Park is awesome, all around Cammeray and North Sydney. What about that lovely old bridge at Northbridge…
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What took business away from north Sydney in the first place?
A shit council and really bad parking fines, restrictions on entertainment and licensed venues, closing down of cinema and bars and a whole bunch of other shit… Believe it or not north Sydney used to be the surry hills of Sydney.
If chatswood wants to attract business and people there, it needs to ramp up the cultural attractions, whether that’s music (entertainment centres closing down soon, quick) or good bars and good restaurants with lax trading restrictions.
Otherwise it’s just a more sterile version of the boring place full of knife crime that it was in the 90s.
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Who is calling it a ‘tourist’ campaign? Mumbrella or Willoughby City Council?
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@ MetalMother. I work in Chatswood and spend most of my time on the North Shore so I’m not just talking out my proverbial.
I’m not saying the entire area is a write off but it’s going to take quite the campaign to sell me on the charms of the likes of St Leonards, North Sydney and Chatswood.
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@Chris
Totally agree – having lived in Chatswood for most of my life and seen it degenerate from a nice leafy suburb to a giant Westfield, maybe Willoughby council should focus on getting the infrastructure right to cope with all the new high-rise developments it keeps approving rather than promoting it as a “tourist destination”. The roads peobably haven’t changed since the 1920s but there’s now 10x the people travelling on them!
And while they’re at it, maybe they can take a leaf out of Crows Nest’s book and have some cafes and restaurants to create some life on the street – if you drive through Chatswood after the Westfield’s closed I swear you can hear the tumbleweed…
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Greetings Chatswouldn’t I agree that selling Chatswood and the Lower North Shore as a tourist destination takes a lot of blood, seat and tears but it can be done. Just by starting with the natural wonders of the area (and some man made) is a start. Suspension Bridge,Roseville Bridge, leafy streets, views of Sydney Harbour, parks and gardens etc. Depends what audience we are selling to. ie. families, teenagers, overseas tourists etc.
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Is this story for real?
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I dont think this campaign is aimed at getting people from overseas to Chatswood… That has already been accomplished. Its more about geting people to Chatswood to spend money. If you walk outside Westfield, you will see other old shopping malls empty, stores closed on the street… retail is crap… and the more the Westfield types suck people away from street retail, the more councils need you to come, spend, and bring life to the streets.
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Like Denise at Mediascope I couldn’t beleive my eyes when I saw that headline.
I have lived happily in Willoughby for over 21 years and for the life of me of would never have thought of Chatswood as a tourist destination. Spare me!!
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The elephant in the room is that councils everywhere are carbon-copying each other’s marketing strategies (like everything else from sustainability to ‘diversity’) and ‘selling’ their municipalities’ tourism credentials – whether they have any or not.
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not being from sydney i have no particular opinion on the destination, but “it all starts at/with…” is lazy marketing.
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The Chinese/Malay/Japanese/Vietnamese food is amazing.
Maybe a tourist destination for those unable to get to Asia and keen for a shop.
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And there I was thinking all this time that “it all starts with ‘V'”!
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Okay social media has made this debate take flight. If you want Chatswood to become a tourist destination/or not and you have complaints about the current design of the Chatswood CBD, shopping, transport areas etc. then you need to let Willougby Council know and be proactive. Is there a current design for the Chatswood CBD?
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Local council advertising rarely rises above the mundane, stereotypical, hackneyed slogans that Willoughby City Council has chosen. Probably selected by a marketing committee from three ‘possibles’ – sorry folks you’ve failed to win many friends here.
I do live in the area and would love for there to be a more vibrant restaurant, cafe, bar, and music scene. The new Concourse fails to deliver as an earlier post noted – such a waste of millions. The City of Sydney is doing an excellent job revitalising the CBD with small bars, cafes in lanes, etc. (where I work) so that is starting to attract my $$ and social time. WCC take note!
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To Tim Nicholas and other writers on this subject, it is obvious that Chatswood needs a night life that needs to cater for a variety of age groups ie teenagers to adult bar, cafe restaurant goers etc. I see no reason why the Councourse area from the station down to the first cross street ie the pedestrian mall cannot become a vibrant/safe//price friendly after hours precinct. It could also be designed to be a family friendly/teenage/seniors area during the day. Chatswood is not just a shopping precinct and not just a Westfield precinct, there is the fabulous Chatswood Chase that is very classy. What is needed is a group of like minded people to get some something organised and start the discussion rolling.
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It all starts at Chatswood….. I honestly can’t think of what they’re trying to say.
Chatswood as a suburb is nice in a sliced white/chinese/japanese bread way. Affluent and those who want to be seen as such etc.
Chatswood as a shopping destination is frustrating. Westfield has no soul and is about 5 degrees too hot in Summer. The Chase is the opposite but in a “I still have to walk to Westfield” to buy something from those shops way.
This campaign looks like someone is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. I guess if you don’t look like you’re doing something then you don’t have a job or budget next year.
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