Why West End?

Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in posting our next blog entry! The lull in posts has been because we have been working with builders to obtain quotes which we are now reviewing and trying to assess them on on their various merits. We will be writing a blog post breaking down this process shortly.

In the meantime, one question that Kate and I get a lot is why we chose West End as the suburb to buy our home and renovate. It is obviously a big investment we are making in our future and we plan to hang around for a while. My best mate Jeff, and many others, think we're crazy for living here, what with West End being a highly populated and busy suburb, close to the city, and with a diverse population. Different strokes for different blokes, I suppose. Today I'd like to share a brief history of the suburb, some of the great places to check out, and ultimately why we decided to live here.

Aerial view of West End from 1933. Hardgrave Rd and Montague St are the main two streets in view
Credit: State Library of Queensland 

Who comes up with these suburb boundaries?! 
Credit: Google Maps

The suburb got its name in the late 19th century from English settlers who likened it to the trendy West End of London. The Aboriginal name for the area is Kurilpa, which means place of the water rat, so the first impressions of the actual first settlers compared to the ones that call themselves that was clearly quite different!

The West End of London itself is not a suburb but a region of the city, the exact boundaries of which are continue to be contested. Comparatively, West End in Brisbane has a defined and very odd boundary, the history of which could probably be a story in itself.

There has been talk of changing the name of Boundary St for some time. 
Credit: ABC News

Running along the Eastern limit of the suburb is the renowned Boundary St. The street gets its name as the boundary that was enforced to keep Indigenous Australians out of the city centre. I discovered a bit more information here, and was surprised to find that this street served as the western boundary. There has been talk of changing the street name, but until then it serves as a reminder of the harsh and terrible treatment the indigenous community has been subjected to.

The suburb developed a strong Vietnamese and Greek community in the mid-20th century, no doubt initially drawn in by the low house prices and jobs nearby. The suburb consisted largely of the working class that toiled in the various industry that was co-located within suburb. While some of this industry still exists in the area today, such as the Hansons concrete plant and the Parmalat milk factory, most have moved on as the city has expanded. Some newer developments carry the history of the sites as a badge of honour. The Peters Ice Cream factory on Boundary Street is being converted to into apartments as part of the controversial West Village development; the old glass factory on Vulture Street has been converted to apartments and boutique retail, and has imaginatively been named The Glass Factory.

Today the suburb is highly regarded with one of the best state high schools nearby, while also being less then 2km from the city. The Boundary Street remains the the vibrant hub of West End with great cafes, plenty of unique shops and tonnes of bars, along with a thriving services sector.  Some of my favourites along this strip are:

West End Library. Since 1928.
Credit: The West End Magazine

• Rio Rhythmics Latin Dance Studio. The dance studio that very indirectly resulted in Kate and I meeting is also one of the premier latin dance schools in Australia. They run the annual West End Carnaval street festival which apparently started when one of their parties got carried away and ended up on the street! 
• The West End Library. Okay we're nerds, but the West End library is a pretty cool landmark with its clock tower . It was the first purposely built public library in Queensland and it also reflects the local community in its large selection of Greek and Vietnamese books. 
• Avid Reader, and its kids companion store, Where the Wild Things Are! (Kate here - nerding again). I love to support independent stores, and I love books. Winning! A great spot to pick up kids books for my friends' kids.

While Boundary Street is the key area that people associate with the suburb, there has been surge in great places popping up on the perpendicular Vulture Street and in other parts of West End that are worthy of checking out. Some of my favourites include: 

The End. Credit: mustdobrisbane.com

• The End. A tiny, industrial style bar on Vulture St that is easy to walk past if you don't know about it. The only identification being a small rainbow sign on the otherwise black facade. The bar is often filled with live music and heaps of bearded people, so it must be cool. They seem to always have something new on tap and they have a range of fancy cocktails worth trying out. 
• Morning After. A chic cafe that serves great coffee. Perfect for a morning after a night at the End. 
• Blackstar Coffee Roasters. Great coffee and well known for their cold press coffee which they supply to various venues in the Brisbane. 
• Jet Black Cat Records. Dope ass record store that, apparently will lend you out a frisbee to use at the park across the road. Note: I have no direct confirmation that this is the case. I'd love it if they don't actually do this but are now inundated with people asking to borrow a frisbee.




Lokal & Co. Credit: The Weekend Edition

• Lokal & Co. Off the main strip, on an otherwise residential street, Lokal & Co combines Scandinavian style with a Queensland feel (and a Pilates studio next door!). 
• Kombi Koffien. Restored VW Kombi van that parks on Jane St near the river and serves coffees and beats in the morning.
• The Boundary. I'm usually not a big fan of this pub, but the open mic nights on Wednesday nights are worthy of dropping into to, especially if you have any musical talent. You may get called up to play drums while a bunch of others play instruments and sing! I was asked to contribute in any form.
• Davies Park Market. A Saturday morning staple that draws in half of Brisbane and turns Montague Road into a carpark. Once you're in the markets however, all sorts of unique produce is available from live crabs to vietnamese herbs. Stay for the morning and have brekky under the oak trees by the river while local bands play nearby. There are worse ways to start the weekend. 
• Street art. West End is teaming with street art. Some are commissioned, such as the infamous lizard on the corner of Boundary and Russell Streets. Some not so much. 

Credit: blog.queensland.com

With all these wonderful and unique places in our little suburb, we're hopeful that it will remain a great place to live. What are your thoughts? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below!