About 18 months have passed since I last wrote about the development of the old Hakoah Club site (and neighbouring properties) in Hall Street. The new site now houses some interesting restaurants and eateries including A Tavola Pasticceria Papa, Da Orazio and Ribs & Burgers. There is also Gelato Messina (where there are always queues) and a Harris Farm Market. All of this retail space supports the new hotel and apartments (Adina and Boheme) – which are part of the package.

The architectural design of Boheme is OK, though it doesn’t really do all that much for me. I can see a building like this perched on a hill somewhere in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. But I don’t really see how it blends into the Bondi art-deco urban landscape. It seems to be quite out of place here to me, although the price tag for such real estate is unfortunately not out of place here – these days. Boheme was apparently designed by “interior architects” Bates Smart.

'Boheme' perched above Adina hotel and apartments, Hall Street, Bondi

Still, although I was a little sad to see the demolition of the Hakoah Club (and a bit of Bondi history go with it), I’m trying to embrace this new Hall Street development as part and parcel of urban change. I can see how these additions and other recent changes to Hall Street could be attractive to Bondi visitors and tourists, but maybe less so for long-time locals!

Personally, I haven’t spent a lot of time there, but I have ducked into Harris Farm late at night here and there to do a bit of shopping, in quiet time, which has been convenient.

It appears that others, like Paul Paech, have also written about this change to Hall Street.

I’m very interested to hear what Bondi Banter visitors think of the changes in Hall Street, so please feel free to rant or banter away…