Totally cringe or way better than before? The people’s verdict on Perth

Beth and Lisette: “I used to be embarrassed to take visitors into the Perth CBD. But it’s now a more interesting place”

BETH: We live at opposite ends of the metropolitan area — I’m in Armadale, Lisette is in Hillary’s — so when we catch up we meet halfway, which is in the city. I don’t come into the city that often. It has to be something special, like meeting up with Lisette.

LISETTE: I work at the Convention Centre, so I’m in the city all the time. However, I don’t stick around. I get the train to Elizabeth Quay and go home straight after work. So like Beth said, when I go into the city it has to be for something special, like going to a movie or a restaurant. I don’t come just to shop, for instance. I’ll do that at a shopping centre.

BETH: It’s quite a trek for me to come into the city from Armadale, where I also work. So I treat coming into the city as a bit of an outing. I tend to save trips to the city for a special occasion, like meeting someone or going to a restaurant or a movie.

LISETTE: I’m a foodie, so I like coming into the city to try out new dining experiences. There is not much by way of interesting food places north of the river. There is a lot more happening in the CBD and in Northbridge.

BETH: A lot of older people have turned their back on the city. They say it is boring and there is nothing to do. That’s because they don’t know what is going on. But people of our generation — I’m 23, Lisette’s 24 — are connected through social media, so we have more of an idea of what is happening. And there is a lot of content being created telling you about different aspects of the city. There is quite a bit going on. You just have to put in a bit of effort to find out about it.

LISETTE: If I was given the opportunity, I’m not sure I would choose to live in the city. It would certainly make travel a lot easier. But I have spent my whole life in and around Hillary’s and I am very happy in that little world.

BETH: I’m the same. I don’t think I would live in the city even if I could afford it. I like to feel grass under my feet. When I visited other big cities around Australia I felt quite overwhelmed by all the big buildings. I like to come into the city to people-watch and meet different people, but at the end of the day, I like to go home to the place I grew up in.

LISETTE: The city would be much more attractive if it stayed open longer.

BETH: It’s ridiculous how early everything closes! Our early closing is spoken about nationally. We’re a bit of a joke.

LISETTE: Why do cafes close at three, why is it impossible to get a coffee after five?

BETH: And Perth is very dated. It badly needs a refresh. It needs to be updated to appeal to the upcoming generations.

LISETTE: And safety is an issue.

BETH: I remember being in Melbourne on a Wednesday night and the city was packed. Everything was open. It was so lively. You’d think it was a Friday or Saturday night. I was in the city one Thursday night with a group of friends and there was nobody around. We were followed to our car. So not having people around is not just making the city a nicer place. It’s a real safety issue for women.

Leigh says he no longer cringes at showing visitors the city.Credit: Mark Naglazas

Leigh: “Perth CBD is way better than 15 years ago.”

I’ve been working in the city for 15 years and it is way better than what it was. It is a lot more interesting. There are a lot more food choices, there are more alleyways you can walk down and discover artworks, there are a lot more bars. It has definitely changed for the better.

I live a long way from the city — in Golden Bay — and I tend to race home for the kids. But on my way in and out I like to stop and look around and do different things, like spending time here, for example [Elizabeth’s Secondhand Bookshop, Murray Street].

I wouldn’t mind moving into the city. I love the vibe, the people, what’s on offer. But there is one big problem for me. No surf. I am a dyed-in-the wool surfer and I have a boat, so I have to live near the water. But apart from waves, Perth has everything anyone who wants to move into the city needs. I love sticking around after work for dinner and drinks. And I like to come in on weekends for shopping and other activities. People tend to talk the city down, but that is because they don’t know the place and what it has to offer.

I wouldn’t have said that a few years ago. I used to be embarrassed to take visitors into the Perth CBD. But that’s changed. It’s now a more interesting place. I no longer cringe when I show them the city. There is a lot more to see and to do and to eat. We used to be a long way behind Sydney and Melbourne and even Brisbane. That’s no longer the case.

The various developments, such as the sinking of the railway line and the coming of ECU, are certainly helping to transform the city. Also the relaxing of the liquor licensing laws means that there’s an array of cool niche bars. These changes are certainly making Perth a more sophisticated place. And the free parking of the weekend is a great initiative. Small incentives like these are really helping.

The lack of density and the limited public transport is still a problem. So to get people like me into the city — it takes me an hour to get in — you really have to put on something special. There has to be a big draw. You see this in Melbourne. If there are big events in the city people pour in from all over the metropolitan area, even if it’s just on the big screen in a place like Federation Square, such as the Women’s World Cup. So we don’t even have to have major events or tours by major artists. Just put them onto a big screen and the crowds will come.

In the nine years she’s lived in Perth, Mireille has noticed it’s become a more lively and more interesting place.Credit: Mark Naglazas

Mireille: “Perth doesn’t have enough live music – but it is changing”

When I came to Perth nine years ago from Brazil it was a bit of a shock because it was so quiet. I was living in Rio de Janeiro, so you can imagine how different it was for me. I was actually born in a small city in the north-east of Brazil, so coming to Perth was a bit like returning to my hometown.

But once I got used to the lack of people and the quiet I have come to appreciate Perth. I particularly like that it is so safe and so easy to get around. I particularly like how convenient it is to move around the CBD. Everything is within walking distance. And if you don’t want to walk. there are the free buses. It’s a very easy and pleasant place to work and to spend time in.

In the nine years I have been living in Perth I have definitely noticed a change. It is becoming a more lively and more interesting city. There are more people on the streets and in the cafes and the shops during the day and there are more people hanging around after work. It has a long way to go before it is like a South American or a European city, but it is definitely changing for the better.

Everyone is saying that the city will be better when the population grows. I’m sure this is correct, but you can’t make the population bigger without first solving the housing crisis. How can the city grow if there is nowhere for people to live? And the infrastructure will need to be improved if we are to draw people into the city. A lot of things have to happen before Perth becomes a big city.

What it most lacks for me is live music. There are not enough venues with live music. In Brazil there is music on every corner. It doesn’t cost very much and really adds to the ambience of a place. We saw what it could be during the Perth International Jazz Festival. That was fantastic. There were bands playing everywhere here in Brookfield Place. But once the festival is over everything is quiet again. We need to have music in the city all year round.

Perth and Rio de Janeiro are quite similar in that the centres are mainly commercial. People come in for work or to business and leave. The difference is that in Rio people go home to the suburbs because the city and inner-city areas are dangerous. In Perth you have a very nice inner-city area that you can walk to from the city, which is why I live in West Perth. I love it. I can walk into work and it is very safe. It costs a little bit more than living in the suburbs, but I can walk to work and I don’t have to spend hours in traffic.

I would come into the CBD at the weekends but so much of it shuts down. And I don’t understand why things close here so early. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing or it has to do with regulations, but if the government wants to bring more people into the city and attract more tourists it has to be more flexible with their regulations. Perth could be a much more lively place if the regulations encouraged people to make businesses work.

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