Near-perfect weather, stunning beaches and a laid-back lifestyle – there’s a lot to love about our fair city. So how do people reckon Perth could improve? We take to the streets of Cottesloe to find out.
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"Coffee prices are insane here. I want my coffee to cost $4 – I don't think that's too much to ask! Every morning, I'll grab one coffee from South Perth, where I live, and one in Cott when I get to work. In both places, they're upwards of $4.80, and it really adds up. Melbourne sells coffee for $3.50,
and I want it for $4!"
– Belinda, 31
"I'd like to see Cottesloe's carpark gone, and more bars over the water. The Cott's cool, but when you're there you feel like you could pretty much be at any bar in Australia. I mean, you can't even see water."
– Jock, 21
"I'd love it if Perth were less spread out – and way less hipster! I mean, it'd be great if it were more low-key, you know? And the public transport sucks. But I've only been here for three days, so what do I know?"
– Irene, 22
"I think the number-one thing is that Perth needs more multi-ethnic restaurants and food shops in general. There were a few but a lot of them have gone out of business because of the larger supermarket chains. Being from California, I'm used to having more diverse food options."
– Taylor, 26
"I would love to see a bit of a throwback to the culture and small businesses we used to see in Perth. There used to be a small Italian deli with the most authentic foods, and a family-owned bakery on Napoleon Street when I would first come down here… I miss that."
– Edward, 36
"I am so in love with everything about Perth, but the transport system here is so slow and expensive. In Germany, where I'm from, the trains come every two minutes, all night long."
– Luisa, 20
"We're from New Zealand, and something that's really different there is that people go out and actually do things in the wintertime. In Perth, people sort of just hide away until summer to go out and do things."
– Krystal, 23
"When we first arrived in Perth, we went to check out Murray Street on a Sunday and everything was closed at 8pm except, like, Hungry Jack's. I would love to see central Perth take after Northbridge, with more diversity in its food and shopping. The whole area just needs to liven up a bit, because central Perth is where tourists would head to first."
– David, 23
"I would love to see more small bars like they have in Sydney and Melbourne. I love to go out and grab a drink in Cottesloe, but retail and restaurants pretty much take up the whole of Napoleon Street. Small bars where people could enjoy the ocean breeze and culture of Cott would be perfect."
– Rachael, 38
"Daylight savings! It just makes for a better lifestyle. When you go to the eastern states you realise how much of a difference it makes. Perth has such an amazing hot summer, so why wouldn't we want to make the most of it?"
– Natalie, 39
"I definitely agree with daylight savings, especially going out on those lovely summer nights. I spend a lot of time out in Scarborough and I'm loving the vibes and new bars popping up over there – I reckon the rest of Perth needs to follow suit!"
– Stephanie, 20
"I would change the traffic, the lights especially. The sensors of them and the timing – there's no flow. I'm originally from over east and traffic seems to flow way better. The drivers suck, too. They're way too slow."
– Nathan, 32
