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NAUGHTY OR NICE, You Definitely Need To See This!

The naughtiest Christmas present and the perfect festive fling is coming to Fortitude Valley this 12 December 2021. And you definitely need this, whether you’ve been NAUGHTY OR NICE this year.

Get ready for a naughty (or nice!) Christmas Sunday Session as the hit show NAUGHTY OR NICE play two shows at The Warehouse in Fortitude Valley.

You don’t want to miss this festive Sunday session featuring world-class circus acts including an incredible aerialist, a stunning LED light-up spinning cube act, fire twirling, and acrobatics. Also, watch out for burlesque performances that would take you to the fantastic world of cabarets of Paris but with a festive sexy twist, of course!

And speaking of twists, as part of its pumping soundtrack, expect the show to deliver its own cheeky interpretation to some of the famous festive tunes that we have loved all these years.

Plus, you will also get to see, up close and personal, two of Australia’s most vibrant and talented performers, Tiffany O’Connor and Thor Sacre, who will be showcasing their talent as they perform with the rest of the cast of burlesque and circus performers.

In case you don’t know yet, Sydney-born Tiffany O’Connor is a world travelled stage-and-show performer whose credits include a recent stint in the Big League Productions’ “Legally Blonde” and part of its US national tour. She is now based on the Gold Coast.

Meanwhile, Thor Sacre was born and raised in Kiel, Germany. Having been trained in circus performance at a young age, he decided to move to Sydney at age 19 where he found success and fame as a male burlesque and review performer. He starred in Sydney Hotshots, Aussie Heat (at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas) and Badboys Australia. He is a master of object manipulation, juggling, fire and LED performances, apart from acrobatics, dance, and circus routine.

So, save the date and book your tickets now.

What: NAUGHTY OR NICE

When: Sunday, December 12, 2021

Where: The Warehouse, 8 McLachlan Street in Fortitude Valley

(Shows at 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.)

VIP -$110 best seat in the house, includes a glass of champagne

General Admission A – $89 seating | General Admission B – $79 Seating | Balcony Seated $89

Balcony Standing $49

Social @naughty_or_nice_xmas

Watch Out For These New Developments on James St in Fortitude Valley

Artist’s impression of proposed development at 72-76 James St, Fortitude Valley (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/Cavill Architects)

Here a couple of exciting, new developments to watch out for on James St in Fortitude Valley.

Read: Fortitude Valley Property Market Rises Despite Softer Demand for Inner-City Living

Office & Retail Spaces

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/Cavill Architects

At the request of Council, Victoria-based developer Zagame Corporation has submitted a revised plan for the 1,457-sqm site at 72-76 James St which reduced the building height, bulk, and scale, and increased its on-site car parking provision.

The amended plans for the $50-million, mixed-use tower include a landscaped and terraced five-level building, plus a roof terrace. The retail and hospitality tenancies will occupy the ground floor whilst the upper levels will be dedicated for office accommodation.

Informal gathering areas are also part of the plan, as well as publicly accessible City Room with internal laneways which will be connected to the retail tenancies.

Designed by Cavill Architects, it has a contemporary subtropical theme and will incorporate the commercial character building on the corner of James and Harcourt streets.

“This layout will establish a high degree of activation around James Street activity through the outdoor rooms and focuses the activity away from the residential neighbourhood,” the planning documents read.

As part of increasing on-site carparking provisions, there are now 91 car parks and 43 bicycle spaces proposed for the site.

Further details about Zagame’s amended plans can be viewed at Brisbane City Council’s website with the application number A005878178.

Office & Retail Plaza

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/Richards & Spence

Just opposite Zagame, another developer has lodged its plans in September 2021 to carry out works for a new retail and commercial building with six storeys, covering a 6,071-sqm gross floor area.

The ground level will have an extensive public plaza and laneways that will occupy 48% of the site area. It will be designated as publicly accessible open space.

The internal public plaza, which will have the same size as the Fish Lane Town Square, will be surrounded by five other internal tenancies including cafes and a restaurant.

To facilitate the development, the existing commercial building onsite will be demolished. A pre-1911 dwelling will also be relocated as part of the proposal. It will provide up to 145 car parking spaces and 50 bicycle parking.

“The proposal at 75-79 James Street, in conjunction with other projects in the precinct, represents an opportunity to revitalise this part of Fortitude Valley with best in-class design outcomes, integration of the commercial character building, provision of car parking to meet the identified demands over and above car parking supply elsewhere in the precinct,” the assessment report stated.

For more details about this development application, see A005834091.

Agnes Bakery in Fortitude Valley is Brisbane’s New Favourite

Have you been to Agnes Bakery? This new bakery on James St in Fortitude Valley isn’t hard to find. Just look for the queue of people waiting to get in, Wednesdays to Sundays. When people line up for their brekky even before the store opens, that’s when you know you’re on to something good.

Agnes Bakery, which started welcoming customers in late October 2021, takes pride in making everything in-house from scratch so that every batch of baked treats is served warm and fresh daily.

From the crusty loaves of sourdough bread, perfectly burnt yet creamy Basque cheesecakes, comforting choux buns, and delightful kouign-amanns, every bite of goodies that come from the bakery’s wood-fired oven leave a satisfying taste that lingers…no wonder many customers come back for more!

Curiously, however, the bakery wasn’t in the plan for the owners. Experienced hospitality operators Ben Williamson, Ty Simon, and Frank Li — who run popular Brisbane restaurants like Same Same, Honto, and Bianca — initially set their sights on opening a restaurant (also called Agnes).

However, things changed when the hospitality industry took a big hit during the pandemic. Not to be discouraged, the operators decided to shift gears and use their Agnes Restaurant spot as a pop-up bakery, opened during limited hours only, in August 2020 until the pandemic panic subsided. Amidst social distancing guidelines, customers lined up for the limited offering which has prompted the owners to consider expanding their business plan to include the bakery.

“One of the concepts we have started to explore more is how the use of fire applies to working with ancient and sustainably grown grains, and how it can add to the complexity of flavours in sourdough and pastries, both sweet and savoury,” the owner said. “On top of this, we wanted to provide people with the opportunity to enjoy some of the wares we serve at Agnes restaurant, within a casual setting.”

As things fell into place, the former Agnes Bakery pandemic pop-up became a stand-alone, permanent site and not merely an extension of Agnes Restaurant, with 14 bakers in the kitchen and 10 staff at the frontline. The group also formulated an enhanced menu filled with more appetising choices.

Apart from the pop-up favourites, Agnes Bakery also offers smoked potato braid, heaps of danishes (potato/rosemary, apple crumble, and blueberry/citrus, among other flavours), as well as a rotating mix of cake slices, flans, cookies, and savoury muffins and pizzettes. Soon, the bakery will also introduce a lunch range featuring ciabatta sandwiches.

For those on the clock, the bakery has a convenient coffee window for quick orders.

Agnes Bakery opens Wednesday to Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Follow their Facebook page for updates.

“Everything is excellent and can’t wait till they add some more condiments and things. They make stuff you don’t really see in Australia (like pithivier) which is fun as well.”
Ben E

“OMG! This beautiful bakery is an absolute gem! I called in at the end of their 1st day (my interest was sparked as I drove past in the morning and there was a 100-meter line-up of peeps down James St). This place must have something going for it. I was not disappointed. The young, cheerful girl who greeted me was very knowledgeable on the delights available. I purchased a blackberry and blueberry and passion fruit with melted marshmallow Kouign-amann. Supercalifragilisticepialidocious is an apt word for my experience of this pastry delight. From the crispy outer layers of glazed pastry to the inner taste bud tingling cream patisserie, I was completely lost in indulgent heaven.”
Samantha Hutchison

Chef Phil Marchant Opens ESSA, A New Restaurant In The Valley

Photo credit: Bibi/Google Maps

After years at the culinary helm of one of South Brisbane’s most popular dining establishments, Chef Phil Marchant has opened ESSA, a fine-dining restaurant located along Robertson St in Fortitude Valley.

Read: Fortitude Valley’s New Tropical Hideout is Perfect for Hiding Away

ESSA, originally planned as a follow-up to Gauge, promises a unique dining experience with its exciting menu focusing on raw, pickled, smoked, and wood-fired dishes and a solid wine list to back it up.

ESSA’s Jerusalem artichoke cream bun (Photo credit: ESSA Restaurant & Wine Bar/Facebook)

One of the must-try items on the menu is the Jerusalem artichoke cream bun, a pastry bun, cut in half and filled with chocolate ganache and artichoke cream.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by ESSA Restaurant & Wine Bar (@essa.restaurant)

Besides this crowd-favourite dessert, other popular dishes here include the hand-rolled malloreddus pasta served with Fraser Island spanner crab, nduja, carrot; and black Angus short rib with wagyu fat jus gras and fresh green peppercorns.

Guests will be treated to an endless choice of drinks, with over 100 bottles of wine from across the globe along with their collection of inventive cocktails.

This 60-seater venue is outfitted with exposed brickwork and steel alcoves and has got a long, green marble bar area where patrons can watch some off the chefs at work and even have a chat with them.

Photo credit: Michael Gallagher/Google Maps

Marchant and his co-owner Angela Sclavos have teamed up to create the space with the goal of highlighting the work of the farmers, hunters and providores they sourced the ingredients from. Whilst it isn’t a farm-to-table restaurant, Marchant is planning to collaborate with local farmers to save their kitchen waste.

Photo credit: ESSA Restaurant & Wine Bar/Facebook

If you can’t wait to experience dining at ESSA, secure a seat through their website. For more details, follow them on Facebook or on Instagram @essa.restaurant.

Fortitude Valley Property Market Rises Despite Softer Demand for Inner-City Living

Like many other inner-city locations with high-density urban precincts, the Fortitude Valley property market has had an oversupply of inventory and high vacancy rates but performed astonishingly better within the 12-month period ending June 2021, amidst a softer housing demand through the pandemic.

Highlights

Fortitude Valley had a 3.78 per cent growth between July 2020 to June 2021, despite a softer demand for properties close to the CBD during the lockdowns.
The median unit price moved upwards to $456,630 compared to $440,000 pre-pandemic.
Buyers and investors are taking advantage of the opportunity to buy properties in Fortitude Valley whilst the prices are subdued.

Unit Price Growth

Despite most buyers flocking to the middle and outer ring suburbs to find lifestyle properties to work from home, the apartment market in Fortitude Valley still had a substantial buying activity between July 2020 to June 2021. Figures from Property Market Updates revealed that this suburb so close to the CBD, where disheartening shutdowns and job cutbacks have been significant, posted a 3.78 per cent growth, pulling the median unit price up to $456,630.

With 405 transactions closed for this period, Fortitude Valley attracted buyers and investors who saw an opportunity to buy newly-built apartments whilst property prices have been more subdued than other markets. Though house prices are rising all across Brisbane, first-home buyers and younger professionals have been grabbing the chance to invest in the Valley and get their foot in the door closer to the city.

Buying than renting units is cheaper in Fortitude Valley and this realisation accounts for much of the 151 two-bedroom units snapped up within an average of 76 days on market. A townhouse located on Bowen Terrace, which offers a good vantage point of the Story Bridge and is within walking distance to lifestyle and recreational amenities, was sold at the highest price of $2,426,00.

About Fortitude Valley

The dwellings offered in Fortitude Valley are best suited for the younger demographic. More than 65 per cent of the residents here are between 20 to 39 years old and the majority do not have any kids. Thus, they feel at home in this suburb’s vibe and energy with its buzzing entertainment and nightlife district.

A significant number of homes in the Valley are also purchased for investment and rented out to college students, professionals, singles, and young couples who prefer walking, biking, or taking public transportation to get to work or meet-ups with friends at heaps of local hangouts. The residential precincts continue to grow alongside commercial developments, making Fortitude Valley such an exciting place for people who prefer cosmopolitan living.

Fortitude Valley is the go-to host for the best musical acts regularly performing along Brunswick Street Mall in China Town. In contrast, the James Street precinct is where people go for dining at fancy and trendy restaurants or shopping at upmarket boutiques. However, there are also a number of heritage-listed buildings standing next to modern sites. During weekdays, the Valley is busy as office and business workers hustle whilst weekends are for chilling out.

“If you’re wanting to be as close as possible to both the airport & CBD for work; then it’s hard to beat the Fortitude Valley due to its quick access to toll-paid-tunnels, great choice of bars, restaurants, cafe’s and heaps of gyms as well as a great public pool for athletes or the athletic-minded. Rent is fairly reasonable considering how close you are to the city centre & the fact that pretty much the whole suburb has access to TPG’s FTTB fibre optic internet combined with great cellular coverage means high-speed internet either via fibre optic cables or 4G is always available. Many apartments have great views as well which is a plus.”
Alexk15

“Fortitude Valley is a razor edge kind of place. Insanely, almost migraine-inducingly cool, it has a seedy heart to it at times. By day, hip designers sell overpriced products to EMO’s and grown-ups who should know better. Excellent restaurants vie for attention amongst organic beauty outlets and dingy cafes. By night, a rock scene comes alive and the streets swell with the youth and the youthful of the Brissy music scene. Staples of the Valley include Fatboys/Riks cafe and the Empire Hotel.”
Ready09

The Teneriffe Festival is Back! Let’s Drink to That

The Teneriffe Festival is back! Here are some of what you’ll find on Vernon Terrace this weekend.

Here are some of the suggested spots to enjoy at the Teneriffe Festival:

1. Spaghetti Jaffles and New Ritas, Siffredis

Siffredis will be serving up special spaghetti jaffles with a twist for this event, along with its popular Appellation Oysters and Ora King salmon Crudo. Visitors may also get dibs on some of the margaritas from their soon-to-open sister venue, Rita’s bar.

2. Wine tasting, Bacchus Wine Garden

Because travel has been restricted for nearly two years, Bacchus Wine Merchants is bringing the wine gardens from different regions to Teneriffe. Wine aficionados will surely be satisfied with the curated selection of sparkling, red, white, and rose wines from France to Australia paired with gourmet cheeses and charcuterie. By the way, pre-purchase with festival tickets come with limited artisan wine bundles (five wine tastings for $25).

3. Crafty brews at Green Beacon Brewing

Anyone who loves a perfectly formulated beer should stop by Green Beacon Brewing for their craft brews. They will have two pop-up laneway bars so visitors will not miss out on anything, and their headquarters is also nearby at Helen St.

4. Gin at the Brisbane Distillery Double Decker Bus

The popular West End Distillery is driving its double decker gin bus to the Teneriffe Festival Appropriately named The true Spirit, the 1974 Atlantean vintage double decker is kitted out with a complete cocktail bar. Make your G&T dreams come true with Brisbane Distillery’s extensive list of infused gin and handcrafted cocktails.

5. Artist Talk with Dylan Jones at Jan Manton Gallery

To satisfy your cultural appetite, Jan Manton Gallery will feature an artist talk with Dylan Jones, who is a finalist of the Brisbane Portrait Prize. Dylan will talk about his creative process for his current exhibition “Room with a View.”

6. Heritage Bus Tour

Finally, if you’re in Teneriffe, you might as well take a short but enriching trip to learn about the colourful history of the area via the Magical Heritage Tour Bus, courtesy of the New Farm & District Historical Society. Designed for history buffs, learned locals and curious culture seekers, discover the suburb’s historical landmarks, which transitioned from an industrial hub to a hip and happening precinct.

The Teneriffe Festival will kick off at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, 23 October 2021.

GET YOUR TICKETs

Designer Behind Vibrant CBD Barbershop Recognised By Prestigious Industry Awards

Renowned interior designer Borhan Ghofrani has been shortlisted by the 2021 Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) for his work on Langanis Barber Studios at the Brisbane CBD and two other locations across the city.

Read: LEGO Eyes Queen Street Mall Opening Amidst Australian Expansion

The stunningly unconventional Langanis has exceeded traditional expectations of how a barbershop looks, with his design featuring avant-garde spaces teeming with edgy neon lighting, unparalleled urban décor and a lively and memorable atmosphere.

Born in Abu Dhabi but of Iranian descent, Borhan says he challenged classical notions of how a barbershop should look, resulting in a design with ultra-modern spaces that reflect the brand and the trendiness of the shop’s target clientele.

“When conceptualising a commercial space, I look at the design comprehensively in order to curate an intrinsically meaningful brand which is based on how customers experience a business,” Borhan said.

For the barbershop, Borhan designed the interior to manifest the art of precision. He considered the fact that hairdressing is an art of precision, hence, he worked on ratios and angles when conceptualising the design.

“The unkind dimensions of Langanis required a compartmentalisation that would promote the entrance and front café as appealing for passers-by in a busy thoroughfare; a central abdomen that features enough client chairs to cover costs; and functional washing and styling zones towards to the rear,” Borhan said.

“The precision and sharp angular characteristics of scissors formed a design language for each space’s unique geometry which is further fortified with energetic lighting that pours onto industrial exposed brick walls, signifying the ever-evolving world of fashion,” he added.

About the Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA)

Photo credit: Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA)/Facebook

The Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is Australia’s largest and most successful independent design awards program, celebrating the best of Australian interior and product design across 14 categories and six Special Awards.

Entries are judged by a panel of design industry professionals, each of whom brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the judging process. As well as attracting submissions from some of the country’s leading architecture and design firms, the program also helps to support emerging local designers.

Winners are determined by the jury, with winners announced at the IDEA Gala Party in November 2021.

LEGO Eyes Queen Street Mall Opening Amidst Australian Expansion

LEGO, the popular Danish toy manufacturer, has set its sights on opening a store in Brisbane’s CBD and could potentially establish a shop within the Queen Street Mall precinct.

The toymaker reportedly plans to expand its operations in Australia and New Zealand with at least 20 more outlets.

LEGO has existing nine stores in the region, including two in Queensland at the QIC’s Robina Town Centre in Gold Coast and Westfield Chermside north of Brisbane CBD. Two more LEGO outlets are expected to open in Perth and Canberra within the year.

The news comes as LEGO isn’t the only global brand planning to open at Queen Street Mall. Samsung, South Korea’s electronic brand leader, Sephora, France’s famous beauty products brand, and Longines, the Swiss quality watchmaker, are also keen on moving into the CBD site.

Queen Street Mall, which spans 40,000 square metres of space for 700 different retailers, has had a number of vacancies due to the pandemic lockdowns but property experts said signs of recovery are slowly manifesting in the precinct, especially after Brisbane secured the 2032 Olympics.

Internation retailers want a prime spot in Brisbane CBD as it has drawn attention because of the upcoming Olympics as well as its management of the COVID-19 transmissions compared to Sydney and Melbourne.

The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Colliers showed continued interest and confidence from retailers, especially for clothing, footwear, personal accessory brands.

New Plaza Part Of St Patrick’s Church Restoration

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council

The 140-year-old St Patrick’s Church in Fortitude Valley will undergo a much-needed restoration and will feature a new plaza, as part of the recently approved development right next to it.

Read: Plans Revealed For New Torrens University Campus In Fortitude Valley

Brisbane City Council has approved the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane’s application (A005698653) for a new commercial building, sitting next to the heritage-listed church, which will feature a rooftop garden and a space for the parish community to meet. The eight-storey building will also have two levels of basement car parking for 132 cars.

Highlights

The St Patrick Church will be restored as part of the Archdiocese of Brisbane’s proposal for development in the area
The heritage-listed church will have an expansive plaza on the ground floor.

Plans

View between St Patricks Church and proposed development area (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)

The restoration will not have a huge impact on the church’s external elements and will retain its iconic Gothic design. Instead, the Archdiocese proposed to establish an expansive plaza on the ground floor, which will provide for increased awareness and visitation of the church.

Artist’s impression of ground floor plaza (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)

“The development will allow for the retention of the setting of the place and will not impact on the significant fabric of the church or the significant external elements. The majority of mature trees will be retained through the proposed works, with only a non-significant,” stated Urbis in a planning report.

Designed by BVN, the medium-rise building will have an undercroft “Garden Room” with an integrated landscape, increased lift capacities for office staff, and a wellness room.

“These works will assist in ensuring St Patricks continues to remain as a long-standing form of Gothic Architecture and within suburban Brisbane. Additionally, the limited street presence beyond the immediate view from Morgan Street is to be retained and enhanced as part of the development,” the planning report reads.

A spokesperson from the archdiocese said the driving force behind this project is the need to ensure the parish can financially support its ageing St Patrick’s church. Works for the new commercial building, including the church’s restoration is expected to start in 2022.

About the St Patrick’s Church

St Patrick’s Church is a substantial, Gothic-influenced stone building centrally sited on an interior block accessed via Berwick and Morgan Streets.

It was constructed from 1880-82, to accommodate the growing Catholic population in Fortitude Valley. It replaced an earlier St Patrick’s, erected in Wickham Street, opposite Duncan Street, in 1861, one block from the residence of the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Brisbane, James O’Quinn.

The new St Patrick’s Church was one of the last of the substantial masonry ecclesiastical structures erected under Bishop O’Quinn’s patronage and was the largest church built during his occupancy of the Queensland Bishopric, 1861 to 1881, being at the time of greater seating capacity than St Stephen’s Cathedral.

Fortitude Valley to Welcome First Baby HQ Flagship Store in Brisbane

Baby HQ, a popular Byron Bay retailer of baby products and equipment, is opening its first flagship store in Fortitude Valley, taking over the former Kathmandu site on Ann Street.

Set to open in late October or early November 2021, the new store is going to bring an “immersive experience” for parents who want to shop for the best baby items with ease.

Baby HQ chief financial officer James Byrne said that the Fortitude Valley store will have its own pram testing track to allow parents to test out the equipment on different surfaces. The site will also have display rooms with working baby products so shoppers will immediately have an idea of a functional nursery.

Store demonstrations of car seat installation, which most new parents need, will be a prominent facet of Baby HQ.

The Fortitude Valley site will have a special space for pregnant moms at the lounge, where may take breaks in between shopping. Other Parents can sip a cup of coffee at the lounge as well as their kids enjoy the play area.

Moms who are nursing will appreciate the privacy of the store’s breastfeeding area. Changing nappies will also be very convenient since Baby HQ will also feature this facility.

Founded by parents Stephen Muldoon and Elena Palamara, Baby HQ has been enjoying brisk sales through its e-commerce site since the pandemic. Mr Byrne said that the company’s expansion to Brisbane was precipitated by the move of many young families from Sydney and Melbourne to the Queensland capital.

The prominent location on Ann Street made sense to the owners since it is directly below McWhirters Carpark, which will be very important to parents who drive to the store to buy a car seat. Baby HQ will also benefit from the foot traffic coming from the James Street shopping precinct. The store has secured an eight-year lease on their Fortitude Valley store.

Follow Baby HQ on Facebook for updates on their latest products.