Norton Street, Surry Hills, is a location that fits for the share house. It’s a 8 minute walk from Notre Dame university, and about a 2.6 km drive. (15 minute bus drive).

Norton street is narrow, and quaint, with limited parking.

The share house is a triple storey terrace house on a narrow street. It is a rental, and there is very limited parking space on the road out the front. It was once (maybe back in the 70s) quite nice, but it is a little tired.

A low rought iron fence separates the small tiled porch from the footpath. Through the heavy front door a long hall stretches to the back of the house. In the front room there are heavy curtains, soft couches, a gas fireplace and a TV. It’s very comfortable. The dining room, adapted into a communal study area, has a large table and a vending machine (The landlord’s method to make more money). Behind that is the starwell, and behind that is the outdated but functional kitchen. In the ground floor bathroom, everything is oversized. The shower rose is huge, and it uses a lot of water. The laundry is here.

Lissy is the main tenant. She gets the front froom on the second storey. Her relatives own the house. Em envies her as a young, worldly woman. He is sophisticated and self-possessed. She is a research student, but gets paid. Helen has the second room on that level. Her room is chaotic. She likes having every door open, including her closet doors. Her bright b-girl clothes are draped over everything. She is always playing rap music. Because they share the bathroom and Lissy is neat and Helen is chaotic, their bathroom is a bit like, “the tide is in/the tide is out.” All of Helen’s cheap, bright makeup is replaced with Lissy’s minimalistic, expensive stuff.

Upstairs, Em gets the front room, which is surprisingly spacious and pleasant (and not cheap.) It has no balcony, but a great view over the verandah. It is furnished. The other tenant on that floor is Grace, who is quiet and plain and solid and no-nonsense. They get on well, and are good at sharing bathrooms.

The ‘crack room’ can be accessed through a little door, or a hatch, at the back of the stairwell, up some steep stairs like a ladder. There’s an an attic space with a dormer window. Most of the walls have been graffitid, and hwo they got a bed up there is a wonder! The hot water service is up there as well. Florence, dyed, tattooed, notcutrnal, truant, lives up there, and her room smells. She hardly ever comes down. She is like a rat.

See https://www.tiktok.com/@jasonballo/video/7397948775047777544