Many of you would have driven past the Bowden buildings sometime in the last year or two, or popped into Jarmer’s Kitchen; a popular restaurant run by celebrity chef Chris Jarmer. What you might not have seen from the outside though is the lively little hub being built a stones throw away from the CBD. 354 Bowden plans to be Adelaide’s newest lifestyle centre, a metropolis of modern and affordable apartments, cafe’s, bars and a five minute tram from the city. The developer of Bowden 354 Ben Yates, who has also worked on projects like the upper-class Electra House, wants the area to be a buzzing residence for people young and old, and to start generating awareness around the already-established quality businesses in the area.
There are a tapestry of businesses around Bowden 354 that, combined with what we’ve got planned here, are going to make this something really special. – Ben Yates
The Adelaidian was invited to partake in a guided tour around Bowden and the surrounding areas to discover hidden gems and immerse ourselves in suburban living.
First stop was Aura Objects on Port Road, a modern bespoke furniture store that stocks designs from many local and European brands with a focus on original concepts that are both aesthetically pleasing, functional and sustainable. While the furniture was sleek and streamlined, perfect for a modern space, our favourite concept at Aura were the little glass houses containing different carpets of moss. Simply fill the bottom tray with water and it feeds the moss. Excess moisture is evaporated and then caught on the glass lid, where it then runs down the inverted peak and back onto the moss. It’s such a unique addition to any office space!
Our journey then took us to Kindred Self at Grange, a wellbeing shop run by counsellor Kyrie Kohlhagen. Kyrie told us all about how her wellness shop and counselling go hand-in-hand, as relaxing and taking care of yourself is important to being mentally healthy! The shop had a very positive air about it, and sold lovely wellness items like pure essential oils, natural skincare and Heartstorm Notebooks. Kindred Self also sells local tea from South Australia, some of which we were able to try! The green tea was beautiful and light, and paired well with Kyrie’s special matcha popcorn that she made for us to snack on.
After that we hopped back to Bowden where we were given a tour of the showroom that houses all the big plans in the works for Bowden. Beautiful apartment buildings were separated by trees, parks and shared streets and the promise of exciting new shops and restaurants. Three styles of apartments are currently available for purchase, however the moment they go on sale they’re often quickly snapped up as either investment properties or by young first home buyers.
For lunch we were seated at Jarmer’s Kitchen and served a delicious shared meal. We tried little nibbles like porchini mushroom aranchini balls and garlic cheese bread, and then feasted on larger menu items like chicken schnitzel sliders, lamb shank pies and an assortment of fresh baguettes.
After being fully refreshed, we went and visited one of suburbia’s hidden gems; Vintage Carousel. Popular on Instagram, this vintage shop has a very high rotation of stock as people instantly snap up the rare and classic goods they find the second they make their way into the shop (or Instagram page). Amongst all the quirky tables, jewellery boxes and books there are also some hand-crafted goodies tucked away at the back. Here you’ll find candles that smell like chocolate cake batter, quirky stirling silver earrings and colourful cat brooches.
Further along into Croydon we came across One Small Room, a ‘small room with lots of special pieces’. Focusing on interior design and retail, One Small Room source pieces from around the world that are both timeless and curated. Collectors items are also available here, like the huge antique post office sorting cabinet that took a prize place against an entire wall in the little shop.
Our final stop was a very artsy and creative space combining both a ceramic arts studio run by Stephanie James-Martin and ceramics boutique 3 Degrees West. We were treated to a mesmerising pottery demonstration in which a large bowl was created, much to everyone’s enjoyment, however nobody was game enough to give it a shot! Next door at 3 Degrees West we all spent a good while admiring the quirky bowls, plates and pots that adorned the shop and got lost in the throes of green plants that poked out of nooks and crannies in ceramic designs.
Speaking as people who rarely get out of the city, we really enjoyed spending a day in the suburbs exploring all the wonderful spots scattered around 354 Bowden. We can’t wait to see what the new area will look like once it’s been built, and look forward to exploring all the new shops and cafes that are sure to be built!
To find out more about Bowden 354, head to their website here.