MtPleasant

I have secret delights of mine in Mount Pleasant.

It’s the “aah nice!” of recognition when I say that I’ve bought and live here to the people I meet in the heart of Perth. Four delightful years. And counting.

It’s when, after a long day at the office, I can pedal my bike along the cycle path that is on the shoulder of the Freeway and I can look out across the beautiful Swan river that is blurring by on my right. I say to myself this vista is so different to the four walls of my work place, and inwardly I delight to see the curls of water lapping themselves gently on the river banks. Occasionally (ok I lie – often) muscled men on sleek road bikes whir past me and I chuckle to myself about whether they are racing against some unseen clock. Do they see the beauty that is around them? They are all sunglasses and lycra and speed and I just laugh and hope that they are taking the time to enjoy what they are whizzing past. Good on them I think and I feel that its all ok because I am rounding the corner and I can see the gleaming shield that is the Raffles Tower looking shiny and proud rising up past Canning bridge.

I feel my mind and my body relax from the corporate affairs of my day as I take up the bike path along the leafy Esplanade. On my left, I see people of all ages doing what comes naturally to them in this beautiful place. I see gorgeous young couples doing their power walks, some have babies in strollers, some are enjoying the warm evening lounging on park benches or sprawling on grass. I see husbands and wives holding hands and strolling leisurely along the path that hugs the river bank. To my right, world class homes that look like they have sprung from the glossy display magazines of some brilliant Miami architect compete to get the best view of the river.To some this might be cause for envy or even apathy, but not for me. I see the beat of the lives of people behind those lofty homes of designer steel, glass and wood. I see them relaxing on their balconies or watering their gardens and in this secluded place it is like we are sharing the same experience of the river.

This place even smells different – the river must do that.

Deep Water Point comes into view on my left and even at this time of night, on these warm Summer evenings, there are families who are resting here on the grass, beneath the trees. Children are yelping and giggling on the play ground as loving parents watch bemused and caring. I have seen people in their folding camping chairs out here (I love those things!) and they are doing what is so wonderfully natural. They talk about the people in their lives, they laugh, they ruminate, they plan, they ponder and query. This place draws this out of them. Nothing seems quite so bad when you can feel the blades of grass between your toes, when you can hear the sound of the kids’ laughter or, down there on the sand, the gentle slosh of lazy water spilling against itself on the rivers edge.

And then the sun sets, bathing the whole of the world in a beautiful, golden crimson that lights up the sky.

I have a secret: sometimes, at night, when the wind is perfectly quiet, you can walk along the length of the jetty at Deep Water Point, when the moon is out, and the lights are down, and the vault of the sky is lit up with billions of stars, and as you look down into the still, black water it is like the universe above plunges inifintely deep below you. The diamond studded sky above is the sky beneath. You can lose yourself in those stars and you can share this with someone you love. Sometimes I can’t believe to myself that this is here.

Ah I’m home! A casual 25 minutes have rolled by from the moment I wheeled my bike away from my City office tower.

My street is filled with people who take the time to acknowledge each other every day in some small way. When the storms hit last year, several of us came to visit a neighbour to make sure his fallen trees weren’t a danger to him. I got a christmas card from my neighbour and I always wave at them when I leave my house. We can do better as neighbours of course, but the heart of the suburb is in these homes. Some have been here for 30 years or more, while others, like me, are only new kids on the block.

At the end of my work week, I look forward to my morning ritual. This usually involves cycling (or if I’m lazy – which is often) driving the two minutes to the trendy cafes that vy for business on Riseley Street. I love these coffee places – I mean sure, some are corporate franchises and others are owned privately and very rarely service can be a little bit patchy – because this is where people come to meet and catch up on the world. I wonder to myself who are all these people during the week? Are they doctors? Architects? Partners and directors of their own firms? Students? It is so hard to tell here. And yet – it doesn’t really seem to matter. They are relaxed, they are switched off, and those beautiful women are air kissing to friends and preening themselves just like at any other cafe around the world. I enjoy all that. Maybe all that preening is necessary and maybe its not but that’s the sheer beauty of watching people who are who they are! And my friends love it!

A further two minutes away is Garden City which caters for probably 90 percent of my weekly and monthy shopping needs. I see lots of young families and mothers here on the weekends. Finding parking here can be a downer so my little secret is I park behind the Melville civic centre. It’s a bit further to walk (about three minutes extra) but gee whiz it sure beats circling for parking underneath “Gabbo” as its affectionately known by my friends.

My doctor, physio, dentists and pharmacists are just around the corner from me and I have counted that I have about five places within five minutes of my house that I can buy groceries from (progressively more expensive though the further out I go!). Excellent public and private schools and universities are near by, some within walking distance, and the building of Fiona Stanley Hospital will hopefully bring some interesting new professionals into the area. Broad band is good (I’m on ADSL2+) but for some reason my mobile phone reception is patchy. I’m with Telstra.

Do you pay for all this in Mount Pleasant? You bet - at the time of writing (January 2011) the median house price is $773,000 (Australian Property Monitors). The Real Estate Institute of WA reports even higher ($1,088,300 Sep 2010) so I guess the reality is somewhere in between. Where in between is something I’ll have to leave to you if you want to find out!

If you’re an expatriate with a young family I highly recommend Mount Pleasant to you because of the convenience of the area, its access to good health, social and community infrastructure, although be aware that groceries can be higher than usual. For instance, nectarines can cost $7 a kg at the local IGA but can be bought for as low as $3 a kg or less in other suburban super markets north of the river. Chicken is also a bit more expensive as well. That’s not indicative of the whole range of goods but you get the idea. If you’re a young professional and want some nightlife then unfortunately Mount Pleasant is nothing like Subiaco, Leederville or Mount Lawley.

But, if you want to enjoy a remarkable, living, breathing area, that is leafy, on the water, far enough away from the City to feel secluded yet close enough to enjoy convenient access by public transport or by car, then Mount Pleasant is for you no matter what your age.

See you around this wonderful suburb of mine!