W H AT T O D O I N
F O O T S C R AY Sampling what the suburb of Footscray has on offer for the community
Claire Sitzler Linda Ho Asmaa Mhamad Diarmaid Murray
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Footscray is a vibrant and diverse community. With that in mind we went out to explore what is on offer and come up with a selection of things to present. We focused our attention on four aspects; Culture, Shopping, Food, and Nightlife, so that we could explore the variety and diversity that is available.
Introduction
Culture
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Quang Minh Buddhist Temple, is a place where people can come and enjoy the sense of peace from all the pressure of everyday life problems. The Temple is the key to bring as many people together when they are in need, either need for hope or in need to fill their stomach. Everyone is welcome even if you are not Buddhist, from the volunteers who come to this safe haven to cook healthy free vegetarian meals for anyone who visits on every Sunday, to the market stall owners selling fresh food produce in their small stalls to help and support the temple.
18 Burke St, Braybrook
The Footscray Community Art Centre, is where inspiring talented artists are able to showcase their artworks in galleries, to which are free of entry for anyone who wish to be inspire or simply wants to relax and enjoy the beauty and the meanings behind each piece of art. The centre also aims to support the community by creating exciting cultural programs and drive social changes, as they invite people who may feel culturally excluded to participate in events that interest them.
45 Moreland St, Footscray
Shopping
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If you are one of those individuals who loves the ultimate shopping experience, then Footscray is the definitive way to go. With Footscray’s diversity and multiculturalism, anyone can explore a variety of places from high end such as Fashion and shoes with prices at $100 or cheap and affordable items from Savers just at $1.99. Regardless, Footscray is a place with over 200 shopping stores which all represent diversity. Over many years, Footscray has always been talked about as being an area which displays a
variety of cultures thorough many ways. Having such a diversity of different shopping stores, Footscray offers not only affordable but quality items such as houseware, clothing, books, furniture, accessories and so on. One such example is Savers. Savers is a for- profit organisation and global thrift retailer located on the corner of Nicholson street which offers excellent quality, gently used clothing, accessories and household goods. Its business model of purchasing, reselling and recycling provides communities with a smart way to shop and help the environment to keep more than 317.5 million kilos of used goods from landfills each year. despite its cheap prices that vary from $1.99 to $50, savers still provide superior quality items leaving many customers very satisfied. This evidently displays that the Footscray community value cheap and affordable items as savers is constantly earning money through their substantial number of customers each day. Savers is also bringing many members of the community together making it not only an enjoyable shopping experience but also an enjoyable social experience too. On the other hand, Footscray also offers a multicultural shopping experience which is found throughout stores such as the green kiwi fashion and shoes store which
is in Nicholson street. Particularly catered for females, this store is not only known for creating traditional Vietnamese clothing but also for selling high end brands such as Louis Vuitton. Fashion and shoes also sells clothing, particularly evening wear. Despite the Footscray community’s value in cheap and affordable shopping, it is also shown that the community also value high end and traditional clothing as the fashion and shoes store is also busy and is filled with many customers of many races too.
Food
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Whether you’re in the mood for a cheap but delicious vermicelli salad ranging from $10 or perhaps in the mood for one of Melbourne’s top steaks at the Station Hotel priced at $55, Footscray has got you covered. Being home to over 130 restaurants, footscray is overflowing with diversity.
on Leeds street, is not only affordable with it’s low prices ranging from $5 to $24 but does not disappoint in it’s value of food. It is evident that the Footscray community values such restaurants like this, as they are constantly busy with customers and have been operating there for many years.
Footscray caters to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, offering a large scope of restaurants that are not only affordable but are consistent in the quality of food such as Huong Viet Vegetarian & Vegan. This small Vietnamese restaurant located in the heart of footscray
On the other hand, Footscray also offers people a more upmarket dining experience. With its award winning restaurants like The Station Hotel located on Napier street, people are able to choose to spend a bit more to experience not only amazing food but also an upscale dining experience. The Station Hotel has earned a pristine reputation for creating the finest steaks in the west as they take pride in their high-quality French motivated menu. The pricing at this particular restaurant can range from entrée size soups starting at $16 to 12 hour cooked lamb shoulders to share starting at $110. While the community of Footscray is known to value it’s cheap and tasty restaurants, it can also be presumed that the community also values their upmarket restaurants too. We can make this assumption as The Station Hotel is constantly filled with customers especially at its busiest time 7pm, as well as looking at the interior and exterior of the restaurant we can assume that a significant
Station Hotel, 59 Napier St, Footscray
Huong Viet Vegetarian & Vegan, 36A Leeds St, Footscray
amount of money is put into the maintenance of the building to keep its chic look. Footscray is a hub for many cuisines and cultures. The area represents the great diversity of Australia and ultimately displays the inclusiveness among the different cultured food shared by the community. Footscray caters for a variety of dining experiences, whether it is a cheap quick meal you’re looking for or a more refined dining experience, you’re in the right place!
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Down an alleyway and past a pungent dumpster is the discrete entrance to an old warehouse. Behind the door you find a groovy little pizza place called Slice Girls West, but as you ascend the stairs you enter a world of recycled decor and modern industrial chic. The rich visual aspect of the bar is tempered by the casual atmosphere resulting in a fantastic place to relax with friends and mix with the crowd. Also why not have a drink and slice of pizza while you’re at it.
Nightlife The Reverence Hotel looks to be a standard pub where anyone can walk in off the street to have a few pints and a game of pool, and it is certainly that. But spend any amount of time there and you will realise that it is so much more. With interesting artwork in every direction and sporting a great Mexican menu The Reverence finds its The Reverence Hotel, 28 Napier St, Footscray charm in being both unique and completely familiar at the same time. That’s not to mention the live music which raises the pub to a new level, with a large variety of gigs spending some time at The Rev is a must (if you like fun, anyway). These two venues are only a small sample of the variety that Footscray has to offer on any given night. But I think they demonstrate that variety quite well while also having something in common. Each of these places looks back to Footscray’s working class origins, the old-school pub that is also trendy and the newer bar that is in an old warehouse and is made from the stuff of the past, still feels at home in a suburb that is in the process of gentrification. Both of these venues feel at home in an ever evolving Footscray but part of that success is the sense of nostalgia that they embrace.
Back Alley Salley’s, 4 Yewers St, Footscray