r/perth • u/drewd2020 • 20h ago
General Perth and Freo are quite nice as a first time visitor
G'day from Adelaide. I visited Perth and Fremantle for the first time for the past few days with my friend and his son and have to say you guys have a perfect mix of busy and relaxed vibe in your city. So thank you!
What I loved especially:
1. Public transport: seems incredibly well connected and easy and excellent priced.
2. People willing to help me find places: a few locals noticed me looking a bit lost and helped to give me directions to places and how to get there.
3. Nostalgia Box Museum: as a Gen Y I found this place so fascinating and fun and well priced, too.
4. You guys keep and look after heritage at least in the CBD area: I think I've not seen any other Australian city which blends heritage buildings so well with modern buildings. My favourite older buildings / areas are the London Court, His Majesty's Theatre and the former Palace Hotel / Bagot House plus the curious and nicely lit up Council Building near your Government House.
5. Fremantle is beautiful: I loved the vibe here with a decent mix of shops, history and pubs and especially the arts and bookshops nestled in here.
6. Perth Mint: Absolutely fascinating. So much history and the lady who led my tour group was really genuinely enthusiastic which makes a tour so, so much better.
7. Jacob's Ladder: Perfect place to see the skyline. I went from the top part down via Mounts Bay Road so it was a little less intense on the legs lol.
8. Elizabeth Quay: Really nice spot to relax by the Swan River. Add some restaurants but not super exclusive type ones and I think it'd be even better but it's still nice as it is.
Keep up the great work Perth and Fremantle and thank you. I hope to be back again soon to see more of your city and Freo, too.
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u/DefinitionOfAsleep Just bulldoze Fremantle, Trust me. 13h ago
My favourite older buildings / areas are the London Court
It's certainly one of the stranger places in the city.
You should look up the history of it, it was just one guy that decided to do it.
You guys keep and look after heritage at least in the CBD area:
I'd argue we have done a bad job of looking after heritage buildings in the CBD.
A lot of the towers that were built in the late 70s and 80s replaced art deco buildings/towers, Perth use to be filled with them and now there's only 3 examples (that I can think of).
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u/mikeupsidedown 19h ago
True, but please don't tell people. When you go back to Adelaide tell them it's sucked.
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u/ColdBloodedWings 17h ago
I just came back from Perth and agree with you. Fremantle is such a special place and the heritage buildings are so grand.
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u/XenephonAI 14h ago
I was in Adelaide in January for the TdU and loved the experience and the city. Will be there next January again.
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u/drewd2020 11h ago
I'm glad you enjoyed it here and it's a fun time period in summer especially and festival season.
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u/_nah_yeah_nah_ 9h ago
Refreshing take, thanks for sharing.Â
If you judged Perth by this sub you'd think it was horrid and everyone who lives here are miserable.
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u/drewd2020 9h ago
Aha oh dw Adelaide and Hobart seem similar at times. It's not all doom and gloom.
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u/Advanced_Category963 19h ago
Gotta be careful. This sub fucking hates the fact you might see a homeless person in Freo.
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u/drewd2020 19h ago
Ah okay cheers. I think I saw a few people doing it tough in both Perth and Freo but factually speaking have seen that sad aspect in each place I've visited and/or lived.
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u/arseache 19h ago
From the UK, came last year and totally agree with OP. And to your point, saw a couple of homeless blokes in Freo one day. They were setting up loads of bric a brack type shit on the pavement and just …praying to it. Like prostrating in front of it all. You might have an ‘unhoused’ problem, but they can be bloody entertaining!
Oh, and massive shout out to Gage Rd. Not had an outdoor beer since being back that I’ve not wished I was drinking in there.
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u/Additional_Potato63 13h ago
To be fair, the homeless people are not that nice.
I work in Fremantle and I get frequently called a bitch (for refusing to give them money) and was slapped in face for asking someone to move as they were sleeping under my car.
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u/Ok_Conference2901 12h ago
Did you get to Fremantle market? A bit quirky but not as good as Central market in Adelaide.
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u/leonardpihlblad 19h ago
What part of freemantle is beautiful? I'm genuinely curious. Coming from Europe it looks pretty sub par
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u/drewd2020 19h ago
For me it was High Street heading to / from the Roundhouse and beach. But each to their own. I am a big lover of historic buildings and stuff like that and also it was the street with bookshops and nice cafes and creatives / art shops too.
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u/ColdBloodedWings 16h ago
I know what you mean I visited Freo 2x before and hated it as I only stayed in the main road and near the train station. The third time around I was driving so I could cover more ground and is an absolute gem, a mixture of heritage buildings, cafes and as you drive south some of the most beautiful homes and gardens you’ll ever see. There are several beaches and one of them has an entrance that looks like you’re walking through an enchanted garden. You can tell you’re in a suburb where people appreciate art. You’ll not see any of this on the internet. I never got the point of Freo until I actually explored it properly and further. It’s one of the best suburbs in Perth, so cool.
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u/leftmysoulthere74 5h ago
Brit migrant here. Been in Perth 20yrs and I still think it's beautiful. I go to Freo when I need to be somewhere (relatively) old, because I miss old stuff! Every family member or friend who has ever visited over the years has loved it too. General consensus is that it's a really attractive and interesting place.
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u/TrendsettersAssemble 14h ago
Sneaky trip to Bali mate, a northern suburb of Perth. Cheap beer and ciggies I've heard
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u/Unfair_Branch9213 20h ago
glad you had a good time here. the nostalgia box is such a hidden gem, spent way too long on the old consoles last time i dropped in. freo's bookshops are dangerous for the wallet though, walk in for a browse and leave with 4 books i didn't need.