With tree-lined streets and character houses, these inner-city suburbs offer an eclectic blend of global eateries, live music, vintage boutiques, trendy coffee shops and a vibrant student culture.
Highlights
Northbridge is a cultural melting pot and home to Perth’s Chinatown. Here you will find bubble tea cafés, Asian grocers, Chinese herbalists and many tasty eateries. Uncle Billy’s Chinese Restaurant is an affordable, late-night restaurant where you can bring your own alcohol. Old Shanghai is an Asian-street-food-inspired food hall with Japanese, Thai, Malaysian, Indian and Korean food stalls. Lucky Chan’s Laundry + Noodlebar is a quirky spot to enjoy a drink and a bowl of signature ramen. If you want to make your own food, head to Tran’s Emporium and VHT for Asian groceries.
The Western Australian Museum has reopened in the Perth Cultural Centre after four years of renovations as WA Museum Boola Bardip. The new-look museum showcases fascinating exhibitions and free general entry. The nearby Blue Room Theatre is a great place to catch local performances, while PICA Bar at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts is a buzzing spot to have a drink.
Just five minutes by train from Perth CBD, Oxford Street in Leederville is home to many great coffee shops and small bars. If you’re looking for a place to study, the iconic Greens & Co has big, comfortable couches, delicious cakes and a late closing time. Grab a seat across the road at one of Pinchos’ sunny alfresco tables and dig into plates of tasty Spanish tapas; or under the lanterns at Kitsch Bar Asia with a bowl of pad Thai. Also located in Leederville is Perth’s only anti-gravity yoga studio, AirSpace, where you can try to master the force of gravity in a challenging aerial hammock workout.
Mount Lawley is home to Edith Cowan University and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). If you love the theatre, make sure you catch a WAAPA production. Tickets are cheap and the students produce fantastic shows all year round. Beaufort Street in Mount Lawley has a unique collection of vintage shops and small boutiques. Book lovers should head to Planet Books and Beaufort Street Books, while Cool Cats Vintage and So Last Century will please any vintage enthusiasts. While you’re in the area, drop into Two Fat Indians for a curry feast, or el PÚBLICO for authentic Mexican dishes. Treat yourself with a New York-style 22-inch pizza from Mack Daddy’s, or a decadent cookie and ice cream combo from Get Chunky.
Community facilities
Loftus Recreation Centre in Leederville offers plenty of opportunities to connect and engage with fellow residents. The centre regularly hosts a variety of events and programs, such as cooking classes, fitness activities, music classes, and a chess club. Northbridge Medical Centre offers a general practice, sexual health services, skin cancer checks and multilingual doctors. If you need medical assistance outside normal business hours, GP After Hours Mount Lawley opens at 7pm and closes at 11pm on weeknights, and is open until 10pm on weekends.
You’ll find several churches in the area, including St Mary’s Leederville; St Patrick’s Anglican Church and St Paul’s Catholic Church in Mount Lawley; and St Brigid’s Church and the Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Northbridge.
Mount Lawley’s location right next to the Swan River makes it a great place for running and cycling along the water. It is also home to several fitness clubs, such as Plus Fitness, Snap Fitness, Goodlife and more. Try spin classes, yoga, swimming, circuits, personal training, or outdoor group sessions and find something you love to help keep you fit and feeling your best.
Unique experiences
The Nostalgia Box is Northbridge’s very own interactive video game console museum. Containing more than 100 consoles from 1970 to the 2000s, the museum was even featured in the 2019 Guinness World Record Gamer’s Edition. Inside you can have a go at playing some of your favourite games from childhood, such as Pong, Super Mario Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog, Alex Kidd and Crash Bandicoot. The museum hosts a program of fun monthly events, including retro games and quiz nights with pizza.
Leederville Food Safari is an adventurous food tour of Leederville via rickshaw. The tour takes you to three different local eateries, starting with a bite at The 21st Amendment, a delicious main at Kitsch Bar Asia, and
a creamy dessert from Gusto Gelato. Whizzing around Leederville in a rickshaw is not just a fun activity, it’s also a great way to get to know the area. By the time the tour is up, you’ll know all about the area’s burgeoning street art scene and have discovered some of its hidden gems.
