Northbridge Western Australia
(08) 9222 8000
http://www.perthculturalcentre.com.au/
The soul of the city - this is the Cultural Centre. An under-appreciated free heart, taken for granted, by many Perthites. In a five-minute walk you will have free access to the State Library (the most visited public building in WA), the Art Gallery and PICA, two theatres (The Blue Room and the State Theatre), the Museum of Western Australia, a musical playground, an urban orchard, and a wetlands pond, and some nice sculptures. We should be clapping out of joy!
The central plaza with its colourful steps has become a modern sort of agora for concerts and festivals, and also a favourite among open-air lunchers since the setting of the big screen in the middle of the square, which showcases great shorts all day long. You can watch the shorts, read your magazine or book, or watch humans pass by in their colourful dresses, hairdos, and attitudes.
There are gazillion coffee shops, eateries, cafés and pubs in Northbridge and in his area, which is another bonus to stay around.
The only thing lacking for the place to be world class is, a more impacting architecture and sculptures, and, above all, the monetary patronage necessary to bring bigger shows and exhibitions to the city, and to provide better funding for the functioning of these institutions. Hopefully, when the redevelopment project is finished, the place will have a more edgy aura.
The vibrancy of the place is not always evident, as the place has also become a passage way from William St to Beaufort St to the CBD and vice versa, and many of the beautiful spots in the area are passed unnoticed. Still, some of the new developments are attracting an increasing number of people coming to the Cultural Centre to stay, not to pass by.
