Perth residents open up about what they love – and hate – about their city

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

BETH: We live at opposite ends of the metropolitan area — I live in Armadale, Lisette lives in Hillary’s — so when we meet, we meet halfway, in the city. I don’t get to the city that often. It has to be something special, like meeting Lisette.

LIES: I work at the convention centre, so I’m in the city all the time. But I don’t hang around. I take the train to Elizabeth Quay and go straight home after work. So like Beth said, if I go to the city, it has to be for something special, like a movie or a restaurant. I don’t just go shopping, for example. I go to a mall.

BETH: It’s quite a trek for me to get to the city from Armadale, where I also work. So I see it as a bit of a getaway to come to the city. I usually save trips to the city for a special occasion, like meeting someone or going to a restaurant or a movie.

LIES: I am a foodie so I like to come to the city to try new food experiences. There is not much of interest north of the river. There is a lot more going on in the CBD and Northbridge.

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

LIES: If I had the chance, I’m not sure I would choose to live in the city. It would certainly make traveling a lot easier. But I’ve spent my entire life in and around Hillary’s and I’m 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 the grass under my feet. When I’ve visited other big cities in Australia I’ve felt quite overwhelmed by all the big buildings. I like to come to the city to people watch and meet different people, but at the end of the day I like to go home to where I grew up.

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

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

LIES: Why do cafes close at three and why can’t you get coffee after five?

BETH: And Perth is very dated. It desperately needs a facelift. It needs to be updated to appeal to future generations.

LIES: 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 vibrant. You would think it was a Friday or Saturday night. I was in the city on a Thursday night with a group of friends and there was no one there. We were followed to our car. So not having people around us not only makes the city a nicer place. It’s a real safety issue for women.

Leigh: “Perth CBD is much better than it was 15 years ago.”

I’ve been working in the city for 15 years and it’s much better than it was. It’s much more interesting. There are a lot more choices for food, there are more alleys to walk through and discover art, there are a lot more bars. It’s definitely changed for the better.

I live far from the city — in Golden Bay — and I usually run home to get the kids. But on the way in and out I like to stop and look around and do other things, like spend time here, for example (Elizabeth’s Secondhand Bookshop, Murray Street).

I wouldn’t mind moving to the city. I love the vibe, the people, the things to do. But there is one big problem for me. No waves. I am a die-hard surfer and I have a boat, so I need to live near the water. But apart from the waves, Perth has everything someone who wants to move to the city needs. I like to hang out after work for dinner and drinks. And I like to come on the weekends for shopping and other activities. People often talk negatively about the city, 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 to Perth CBD. But that’s changed. It’s a more interesting place now. I don’t shudder to show them around the city anymore. There’s so much more to see, do and eat. We used to be way behind Sydney and Melbourne and even Brisbane. That’s not the case anymore.

The various developments, such as the subsidence of the railway line and the arrival of ECU, are certainly helping to transform the city. Also the relaxation of the liquor licensing laws means that there is a range of cool niche bars. These changes are certainly making Perth a more sophisticated place. And the free parking on the weekends is a great initiative. Little incentives like this really help.

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

Mireille: “Perth doesn’t have enough live music – but that’s changing”

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

But once I got used to the lack of people and the silence, I started to appreciate Perth. I especially like how safe it is and how easy it is to get around. I especially like how easy it is to get around the CBD. Everything is within walking distance. And if you don’t want to walk, there are free buses. It’s a very easy and pleasant place to work and spend time.

Loading

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

Everyone says the city will be better if the population grows. I am sure that is true, but you can’t grow the population without first solving the housing crisis. How can the city grow if there is nowhere to live? And the infrastructure needs to be improved if we want to attract people to the city. There is a lot to be done before Perth becomes a big city.

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

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

I would go to the CBD on the weekend but there is so much closed. And I don’t understand why everything closes so early here. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing or a regulatory thing but if the government wants to get more people into the city and attract more tourists they need to be more flexible with their regulations. Perth could be a much more vibrant place if the regulations encouraged people to keep businesses going.

Start your day with a recap of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.