Meet the team: Alice Ellis

Photograph: Anna Kucera

Time Out’s Sydney Editor balances her time between nights of wining and dining and days exploring the city with her family

Alice, what do you do all day at Time Out?

I manage the editorial content team. I analyse traffic and social media engagement; assess relevant news and Google Trends; set the team’s direction; ensure they know what content they’re writing or updating each day; sub-edit their writing; check social media assets; write the content for email newsletters; and I write and publish content myself. I also liaise with PRs and attend events and liaise with the commercial team, helping with briefs.

How are you making the most of your time in Sydney?

I live a great balance of enjoying Sydney’s nightlife for work and spending time with my husband and 11-year-old son Remy. Together we like going to the beach, eating out, playing or watching sport, and even just hopping on the light rail to see where the day takes us. Often we’ll end up in Chinatown for lunch, at the Chinese Gardens for a wander, having Gelato Messina at Darling Quarter, playing a game of table tennis on one of the city’s ping-pong tables, and heading home with some seafood from the Fish Markets.

What made you join Time Out? 

I’m a big fan of Sydney, so being an advocate for my city and all the great things going on feels like a dream come true. Time Out has been helping people get the most out of their city for years, and it’s a privilege to be part of that.

Do you have any national or international travel plans on the cards? 

My husband and I have made an effort to prioritise travel while our son is young. Covid threw a spanner in some cool plans we had, but the three of us have managed to go on adventures together to Argentina, Uruguay, Sri Lanka, Greece, Singapore, Thailand and New Zealand. Next up we’d like to go to southern Italy. That might not happen in 2023, so in the meantime we’ll take little trips to the Blue Mountains, Newcastle and Melbourne – as well as staycations in Manly and the CBD. 

Favourite bar, restaurant, neighbourhood in Sydney? 

Bar: Henry Deane – the view from up on top of the Palisades Hotel is unbeatable. You get an almost 360-degree look at everything from the Harbour Bridge to Barangaroo.

Restaurant: Ragazzi in the CBD – I love all things Italian, but especially good pasta. Give me a bowl of their dreamy cacio e pepe with a sprinkle of parmesan and a glass of prosecco and I’m chuffed.

Neighbourhood: Marrickville, where I live. It’s cool because it’s a vibrant mix of the past and present. Its buildings and eateries still embody the legacies of decades of Greek, Portuguese and Vietnamese migration, and as the suburb evolves, that history co-exists with microbreweries, gelaterias and live music venues. It has welcomed a population that is truly diverse, where kids and the prime minister can sit on adjacent milk crates listening to local musicians. I particularly love the fairy-lit Marrickville Hotel; the Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre; my gym Fitness Playground; and the running track through the bush around the Cook’s River.

Do you have a personal motto? 

Not so much a motto, but I avoid talk about being tired. I find that if I don’t buy into my own narrative about how exhausting life can be, I feel more energised. 

Top tips for how to get featured on Time Out Sydney?

Ensure the topic is relevant – it relates to going out in Sydney. Ensure that it is something our readers can get involved in themselves (eg, it’s open to the public and not already booked out). Write a clear subject lines explaining what the email is about. Send a short, simple email that communicates the crux of the topic quickly and clearly. And always provide high-res, landscape images without any logos or branding!

Plans this weekend?

My son’s cricket season has wrapped up, so this weekend we’re up at my Mum’s in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. We go up there as often as we can. We’ll have a barbecue out in her flower-filled garden, go for a bushwalk down to Minnehaha Falls, and we’re having high tea at the Hydro Majestic on Sunday for something a bit different. 

Get in touch with Alice: alice.ellis@timeout.com.