Suzanne Spiers

The CBD is not the place where most people choose to come other than if they have business in the city or come to work there. Parking is very expensive and most people shop where they live where they can get free parking and access the facilities they need. There are many lovely suburbs within easy reach of the city that are surrounded by trees and parks. It is an easy drive into the city if you live within a 20 km radius. The trains and buses are also available.

The lovely thing about Perth city CBD is the beautiful Swan River that runs through the centre of the city and Kings Park that is easily accessible by CAT bus.

Perth is a relatively small city and that is attractive in itself. The beaches and hills areas are easily accessible from the CBD either by public transport or car.

Personally I would never live anywhere else in the world.

I have been fortunate to live in Kingsley. for the past almost 15 years. The street in which I live is like living in the hills and the only sounds usually heard are of the birds and the wind. I live in a double-ended cul-de-sac that has three road islands and a beautiful park on the corner with around 2 hectares of mature tuart trees that were integrated into the area when housing was built. I will live here forever, because the area has both bus and train access and a shopping centre within walking distance. Although it is close to major road arteries, that is not apparent until I leave my street and enter the main roads. My home is 3 kms from the freeway and only a 5 minute walk to Yellagonga Regional Park which has a shared bike/walk path and wildlife of various kinds.

Another positive aspect of Kingsley is that there are many established older homes built solidly and on roads that are wider than those in newer suburbs. Most blocks are at least 500 sq mtrs with gardens that have room for large trees and for growing a variety of plants. Unlike newer suburbs, where there are wall to wall rooves, and wall to wall buildings with no gaps between the houses, and no decent size back gardens. Kingsley has larger properties with space between each home with room for trees, making the area around 10 degrees Celsius cooler than surrounding areas.

The area is safe for families with lots of lovely parks, a vet at Kingsway and another at Kingsley Shopping Centre, a recreation area close by for sports and a dog park, bakeries and a Dome coffee shop in the Kingsley Shopping area. The Kingsway Shopping Centre now has an Aldi store, and there is a Post Office at both Kingsley Shopping Centre and at Kingsway. There are also service stations dotted through the area for refuelling cars.

The area is dog friendly with some groups gathering together daily with their dogs for social meet-ups.

Kingsley is a very safe area and moving to this area would be a great move for all those who want a high standard of comfortable living in an area where there is a great community atmosphere. There are many retirees who live here and houses are mostly owner-occupied and do not come onto the market very often due to the happy residents.

This street is very dodgy with neighbours who do not feel safe to be around. The street seems attractive enough but living in it was a nightmare. Every house seemed to have 2 large aggressive dogs and the neighbours were anti-social and loved to hold street parties with their music revved up in the middle of the street. The neighbours except for one or two were aggressive and nasty and to be avoided at all costs. Had I known, I would never have built in that street in the Green Meadows estate.

It is also not a safe street for families. One feral neighbour with his fag hanging out of his mouth and his tinny in the other had his eye on my 13 year old daughter. He told me he was thinking of inviting her to one of the ongoing street parties. I quickly moved her out of the area and we have never returned. That was back in 2001 when I built my home. Do not move there! Most of the other neighbours are feral too!

I had the worst experience possible when I built my first home in Warnbro. I built in the estate of Green Meadows just off Ennis Avenue and Royal Palm Drive, and was happy with my home. What was horrible were the neighbours, 5 of whom loved loud 'doof doof' rock music and played it at levels so high that the street vibrated. When one would stop another would start; 24/7. This became intolerable and within 6 months of moving into our new home, I sold it, never to return to the Wild West.

I have friends who live on the other side of Warnbro Sound Avenue near the beach and that part of Warnbro is lovely. I would recommend that if you are thinking of moving to Warnbro, check out the neighbours and their lifestyle first to see if you will be a good match. Living with loud rock music that never ends is not my idea of an enjoyable life. It is better to buy an older, established home in a more peaceful area than to put up with a nightmare with anti-social neighbours who are more interested in creating noise and having very loud street parties on a regular basis.

Just before we moved, the TRG cordoned off all the streets near our home to catch some criminals and a woman was murdered just streets from our home. I have never returned to the area and hope that no-one else has to endure the nightmare of the Wild West that is this part of Warnbro.