Love Freo

The Blonde and I used to have a curious obsession with Crazy Clarks in South Fremantle. Curious because 90% of the stuff on sale was either crap or broken, the remaining 10% being absolute gems. But we were largely indifferent to it closing down some weeks back, just after the Video-Ezy also popped off. But in its place has appeared this shining mega-shrine to over-lit discount stores, and it’s brilliant. It had such things a lidded bin on wheels (for $30) which I reckon would be v handy, and at the check-outs they had these great mop buckets: the ones where you drop the mop in and step on a lever, and also $30 (their favourite price). Of course they also sell a load of other quite useful stuff, all very cheap (which is my second favourite price).

As their slogan says: “Everyone’s a winner”

The Reject Shop. Opposite Woolies in South Fremantle.

Reject Shop, it's great, especially at dusk

Nice tidy aisles, much fluoro lighting

Love Freo has been out to investigate some concerning changes to a much loved South Freo institution, the launderette on the corner of South Terrace and Scott Street. Now this place is loved for its colourfully painted walls, its wacky people size cartoons and it’s many, many polite notices about how to exit after closing time (the automatic door shuts itself at 9.30pm).

The People Size Paintings

It also had some subtle features which really set it apart, the nicest of which where little chrome halogen spotlights that lit the room, a machine that actually made decent coffee and a small but perfectly formed noticeboard that was well used by locals to advertise their wares.

Now it’s not just locals who have come to love this place. It’s a well known stop-off for travellers passing through Freo who need to wash their travel-weary clothes but like a half-decent place in which to do so.

Not a machine, just a table top.

(Love Freo recognises that the machine may have gone for repairs, and the bright lights may have been thrust upon them, but it just ain’t the same)

Love Freo loves Fremantle so we love to get out and about and have a better view over the top of our collective laptops than an office wall. We’ve tried quite a few WiFi spots around town and haven’t had the best results.

I was disappointed with the efforts of the Cappuccino Strip. The connection in The Mad Monk was unusable, I don’t know if it was the day I was there but it was so slow pages wouldn’t load, shame because it’s a good location. Then I went across the road to Croissant Express to see if it was any better and it was the same story so I ended up going back home to work from there.

Another day I used the WiFi in L2 Café over near the train station. The waiter had to restart the router and I was able to connect but that’s about it, once again very very slow. When I was in Angel’s Café on Essex Street there were several people in there with laptops happily surfing so I’m presuming the connection was good. The University of Notre Dame also has a coverage area that includes the surrounding neighbourhood.

I put the question out on Twitter about WiFi spots and BridgetKulak mentioned Ginos on the Cappuccino Strip has one although the range isn’t great. She also mentioned X-wray which I think is a cool place.

WiFi Fremantle

1. The Mad Monk – 33 South Terrace.
2. Croissant Express – Shop 5 South Terrace Piazza.
3. Ginos – 1 South Terrace.
4. X-wray - 13 Essex Street.
5. L2 Café – 2 Market Street.
6. University of Notre Dame – 13-19 Mouat Street.
7. Angel’s Café - 24 Essex Street.

Another few that I know of  but have yet to try:

8. E-Shed Markets - Victoria Quay.
9. Tropicana Café – 177 High Street. Update: One of our Twitter friends EnjoyPerth says the connection at Tropicana worked well
10. Moores Building – 46 Henry Street.

As much as I love Freo’s old buildings – there is also really interesting contemporary architecture happening. For example this residental project in South Fremantle. As I haven’t got around to taking photos myself, I’ve ‘borrowed’ images from the architect’s website. My favourite elements are the subtle facade pattern (created by using bricks from the same material, but different surfaces), the huge window with a slanted frame, so that from the inside you don’t see the window frame at all (very liberating feeling) and – of course – the full-sized roof deck with views to the fishing boat harbour. Not a bad place to have a nice glass of wine and wind down after work.

Living in an old town is a great thing, but I think there’s also the responsibility to look after it and encourage smart changes while maintaining the unique feel. I hate to see amazing areas being neglected – areas that used to be busy hubs back in the days. I know they’ll get developed one day (like happened in harbour cities all around the world) and I hope it’ll be done in a smart way. The old woolstore buildings down at the harbour are just incredible.