Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

[Ghost Dog]

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 thing that disappoints me are the student apartments they built around the centre of Footscray. Reckon they are a bit of an investment trap, not really clever planning, adding something to the community.

[stefoid]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

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

Obviously 'appeal' is subjective but I reckon it is more appealing now - Hipsters love cafes, fancy beer on tap, live music and they are foodies , all of which is great, brings a lot of different types of shops and bars to an area when the hipsters come in. As long as it doesn't go too hipster, like Fitzroy or something.

I live in Preston which is similar to Footscray in many ways - Caucasian through to the 80s, then an influx of Middle-Eastern / Asian immigrants, and now an influx of hipsters. that mixture of multicultural - suburban / hipster is fine by me.

(I grew up in Laverton and Sunshine when the west was largely Caucasian).

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Obviously 'appeal' is subjective but I reckon it is more appealing now - Hipsters love cafes, fancy beer on tap, live music and they are foodies , all of which is great, brings a lot of different types of shops and bars to an area when the hipsters come in. As long as it doesn't go too hipster, like Fitzroy or something.

I live in Preston which is similar to Footscray in many ways - Caucasian through to the 80s, then an influx of Middle-Eastern / Asian immigrants, and now an influx of hipsters. that mixture of multicultural - suburban / hipster is fine by me.

(I grew up in Laverton and Sunshine when the west was largely Caucasian).

I agree. I was just teasing Easty in the first instance.

I am just getting over a very long period of being ashamed of Footscray. I was born pretty much slap bang in the middle of the place and I love it dearly and feel fortunate that my family have such a lasting foothold in such a unique place. Like you I grew up wandering from Leedin' Records to the Market and Coles Cafeteria and the Grand Cinema but Footscray has been downtown for far too long. The residential blocks and the cafes and (legitimate)businesses at least give the place some sort of chance to breath even if most of the shops are still to scared to open at night.

At least council seem to be addressing the problem now.

[Eastdog]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

My grandfather worked in Footscray for a year in the Commonwealth Bank in the 60s I believe it was. He was living in Lalor (outer north of Melb) at that time which had a high influx of Macedonians moving there. Being from a Southern European background he was helping the newly arrived migrants in the area at the time from there. He also worked at the Commonwealth Banks in Port Melbourne on Bay Street, Smith Street Collingwood, Reservoir and Springvale.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

I remember the old CAB branches, with their tin savings piggy banks.

The African community face different kinds of challenges in Footscray. Would love to have a few of those big tall kids from Sudan embrace our game. I can't say Majak Daw has been as successful as I imagined, but when one does make it big, attendances will take a spike. Those guys have massive families!

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

I remember the old CAB branches, with their tin savings piggy banks.

The African community face different kinds of challenges in Footscray. Would love to have a few of those big tall kids from Sudan embrace our game. I can't say Majak Daw has been as successful as I imagined, but when one does make it big, attendances will take a spike. Those guys have massive families!

I'd love to each kid wearing a bulldog jumper instead of a NFL jumper.

[Eastdog]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

I'd love to each kid wearing a bulldog jumper instead of a NFL jumper.

I see a lot around wearing NFL stuff more than AFL stuff. I believe our game is way better than NFL.

[stefoid]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

I agree. I was just teasing Easty in the first instance.

I am just getting over a very long period of being ashamed of Footscray. I was born pretty much slap bang in the middle of the place and I love it dearly and feel fortunate that my family have such a lasting foothold in such a unique place. Like you I grew up wandering from Leedin' Records to the Market and Coles Cafeteria and the Grand Cinema but Footscray has been downtown for far too long. The residential blocks and the cafes and (legitimate)businesses at least give the place some sort of chance to breath even if most of the shops are still to scared to open at night.

At least council seem to be addressing the problem now.

nah, I was a westy but Ive never lived in footscray, always a visitor. Game day of course, and spent a year or two working in footscray. Have memories of shopping at dimmeys with my mum as a kid, and later as a teenager, hitting the video arcades near the train station, but never a resident.

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

nah, I was a westy but Ive never lived in footscray, always a visitor. Game day of course, and spent a year or two working in footscray. Have memories of shopping at dimmeys with my mum as a kid, and later as a teenager, hitting the video arcades near the train station, but never a resident.

Forges. Dimmeys is in Richmond.

[Eastdog]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Looking on the map through street view where the Commonwealth Bank is in Central Footscray on Nicholson Street today there is no road there but I think a long time ago there was. The team network in Footscray could have been different too. I know definitely tram 82 which is one of the 2 trams that doesn't go through the city along with Tram 78 runs from Moonee Ponds to Footscray.

[stefoid]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Alas,no more. Dimmeys is Coles now.

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

nah, I was a westy but Ive never lived in footscray, always a visitor. Game day of course, and spent a year or two working in footscray. Have memories of shopping at dimmeys with my mum as a kid, and later as a teenager, hitting the video arcades near the train station, but never a resident.

Mixed you and SOS up.

[Webby]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

Looking on the map through street view where the Commonwealth Bank is in Central Footscray on Nicholson Street today there is no road there but I think a long time ago there was. The team network in Footscray could have been different too. I know definitely tram 82 which is one of the 2 trams that doesn't go through the city along with Tram 78 runs from Moonee Ponds to Footscray.

There were definitely more trams in Footscray back in the day. One on Buckley Street, one going down Chsrles Street into Seddon, even one that ran straight down Barkly Street past Whitten Oval. All shut in the early 70's - except the Moonee Ponds one via Highpoint. I believe that one helped to shuttle Footscray shoppers to the shiny new mall... Which, in turn, helped to put the foot on the throat of Footscray retail trade.

The area really is beginning to have an upsurge at present. Has done for the past three years. A house in Stirling Street went for $1.25M just yesterday. Upmarket hipster bars are popping up every few months. I tend to loathe them, but the hipster-ometer is a reliable gauge. It's the last of the inner suburbs to hit the tipping point, but it's happened. I just hope it's not sterilised too much as a result.

[Bornadog]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

There were definitely more trams in Footscray back in the day. One on Buckley Street, one going down Chsrles Street into Seddon, even one that ran straight down Barkly Street past Whitten Oval. All shut in the early 70's - except the Moonee Ponds one via Highpoint. I believe that one helped to shuttle Footscray shoppers to the shiny new mall... Which, in turn, helped to put the foot on the throat of Footscray retail trade.

The area really is beginning to have an upsurge at present. Has done for the past three years. A house in Stirling Street went for $1.25M just yesterday. Upmarket hipster bars are popping up every few months. I tend to loathe them, but the hipster-ometer is a reliable gauge. It's the last of the inner suburbs to hit the tipping point, but it's happened. I just hope it's not sterilised too much as a result.

I remember the tram down Barkley st as it went right down past the Fish & Chip shop ( between Argle and Blandford streets, but not there any more), my father was running while his cousin went over seas for about 18 months. It was in the 60s and I was only about 5 years old.

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray: melting pot turned hipster hotspot

There were definitely more trams in Footscray back in the day. One on Buckley Street, one going down Chsrles Street into Seddon, even one that ran straight down Barkly Street past Whitten Oval. All shut in the early 70's - except the Moonee Ponds one via Highpoint. I believe that one helped to shuttle Footscray shoppers to the shiny new mall... Which, in turn, helped to put the foot on the throat of Footscray retail trade.

The area really is beginning to have an upsurge at present. Has done for the past three years. A house in Stirling Street went for $1.25M just yesterday. Upmarket hipster bars are popping up every few months. I tend to loathe them, but the hipster-ometer is a reliable gauge. It's the last of the inner suburbs to hit the tipping point, but it's happened. I just hope it's not sterilised too much as a result.

One. And. A. Quarter. Million. Dollars?!?

Oh well. It was always going to happen. Vale the '80s when half a dozen if us could rent a four bedroom house in Footscray for $60 a week.