Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

[Dry Rot]

Not footy I suppose, but something of interest for the local Footscray lads on here

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-26/footscray-photo-essay-melting-pot-to-hipster-hotspot/7200366

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Great pics

[Eastdog]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Love it. I don't live in Footscray but if people were looking to live in Footscray it is certainly becoming very appealing now. It is well served by public transport and very close to the city and still the prices in the inner west are very reasonable although that could change in the future. Footscray attracts folks from all walks of life.

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Love it. I don't live in Footscray but if people were looking to live in Footscray it is certainly becoming very appealing now. It is well served by public transport and very close to the city and still the prices in the inner west are very reasonable although that could change in the future. Footscray attracts folks from all walks of life.

Are you saying there was something wrong with it in the past?

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Not footy I suppose, but something of interest for the local Footscray lads on here

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-2...otspot/7200366

Thanks for that.

[Eastdog]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Are you saying there was something wrong with it in the past?

More a perception of what people thought of it in the past but there were the same issues druggies etc in the inner city suburbs near the CBD.

[F'scary]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Sign 'em all up.

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

More a perception of what people thought of it in the past but there were the same issues druggies etc in the inner city suburbs near the CBD.

There are still those issues (well, that particular issue) in Footscray. It's just not as in your face but you see it going on all over the place.

[merantau]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Great photos. Have always loved Footscray. Grew up on Braybrook so went to Footscray to experience a bit of the big wide world. In the 60s Barkly St had lots of Italian and Yugoslav espresso bars opposite where the market is now and at the other end we had Jim Wong's, Poon's and Hoy Heng??
Friday night beers at the Albert and a late night meal at Jimmy Wong's was always a good way to start the weekend.
What's changed? Greater choice, more vibrancy. (Sunshine Market is cheaper the Footscray's BTW.)

[Eastdog]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

There are still those issues (well, that particular issue) in Footscray. It's just not as in your face but you see it going on all over the place.

Yes very good point Twodogs. A lot of new apartments are going up in Footscray as well as other areas. I'm seeing new apartments crop up in the suburbs now more and more and not just the inner city where you would think they are mostly.

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Yes very good point Twodogs. A lot of new apartments are going up in Footscray as well as other areas. I'm seeing new apartments crop up in the suburbs now more and more and not just the inner city where you would think they are mostly.

One of the councils strategies to deal with the ingrained heroin selling problems in central Footscray is to change it from just a retail strip that packs up and goes home between 5 and 6pm into a residential centre as well. The theory is if it's someone's neighbourhood then they will squeeze the pushers and jukiies out of their streets.

Also there will be people there later at night conducting legitimate business so that will leave less empty streets for nefariousness. I must say they have been pretty quick to get a multi storey residential block up in central Footscray and plans are underway to bulldoze a couple of the drabber buildings and get units up.

It will hopefully make Footscray a more vibrant place.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Drove past tonight
Hipster beards, and can you have hipster Tatts ?
Bar was pumping on Barkly st . Good mix of people to.
Most of the druggies in Footscray weren't from there.
It was massive in sections of stkilda when I lived there , it's everywhere

[1eyedog]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Are you saying there was something wrong with it in the past?

I had some tense moments in the mall in the early 80s

[KT31]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

More a perception of what people thought of it in the past but there were the same issues druggies etc in the inner city suburbs near the CBD.

Not a perception but truths, certainly had one or two issues myself when at trade school.
Biggest issue was when they cleaned up the drugs in ST-Kilda they all moved into the West.

[SonofScray]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

I love Footscray. My nan worked in the Bulldog shop so I spent a lot of time in the Mall as a kid on days she was looking after me too. Also used to hang out at my great aunt's shoe shop on days my folks were working day shifts in the school holidays. Forges and the market were a bit of a day out for us.

Saw plenty and was exposed to a very diverse community from early on. A hug facts in my decision to work locally in community health. For all its negative perceptions I never once shared a poor view of Footscray and it still irks me when people talk it down. It's a great place. With a great footy club.