The Inner West

     Did I ever tell you how much I like my neighborhood?  I love my neighborhood!  I do not, however, recommend moving somewhere when you are 8 months pregnant.  I also do not recommend taking the first decent house in desperation to get out of the unfriendly suburb where you are living.

   Yarraville is located to the west of the Melbourne CBD, near the West Gate bridge and south of Footscray.  It's a hop, skip and a jump to the lovely beach front suburb of Williamstown and best of all the neighbors actually talk to each other!
   So, I've only lived here now for a year and half (and during that time had another move to Kingsville, the mini suburb right next to Yarraville which is walking distance to the shops in Yarraville, Seddon and Footscray, which my mom refers to as "Footscary") but it feels more like home, (Brooklyn NY home, I mean), than anywhere else I've visited in my three years here.
    It's got a cool 5th avenue before the economic crisis in Brooklyn feel and it's very mom friendly.  When you don't have access to a car during the day yo can still shop and get a decent, (ok, more than decent) cup of coffee.
    And the playgrounds rock!
 
     But what I love the most are the remnants of what this area used to be.  The hidden houses in Seddon that date back to the 1860's, the grand dame mansions on Somerville road that now bear witness to thousands of trucks ferrying goods and containers back and forth from business to docks.  The hidden details, the sudden view of things past when you turn a corner, the hidden deco gems, the gardens, the echoes of a once proud area trying to shake off the deisel exhaust.  More on that below.........

     I think that Melbourne needs a lesson in town planning.  Who let them destroy this place?  No one who came from here, that's for sure.  The person who said "go west trucks, and prosper", probably went home to his lovely house in the shady eastern suburbs.
     The good news is that they are going to build a tunnel farther north to get most of the trucks out of the residential areas. But that's still 10 years away. really, the only drawback of this wonderful place is that it is the shortest route between two points and the busy roads are BUSY.  I lived in NYC for 16 years.  I'm used to the traffic. But I really think that this city needs to do more to protect what little is left of this place.
    Hmmm, maybe a degree in town planning is in my blood.  But, they would HATE me and my big mouth.  No one wants to be told that what they think works just fine for everyone not living in Yarraville is wrong for the people who do live here.  At least, not in my accent.

   I'll hopefully post a photo essay soon of all the things I love.  Once I figure out how to post photos......