A day in the life of Perth City residents

What does the average day look like for a Perth City resident? Lindsay Spencer has lived in the city for 10 years. Splitting his working day between home and the office is easy, and the lack of commute opens up the morning and evening. It’s perfect for his active lifestyle and love of live music.

“I start work at seven,” says Lindsay. “I’ll sometimes work from a coffee shop for an hour or two. At lunch I do yoga or cardio. I finish work around five and go to the gym. When I’m working in the CBD I’ll do cardio first thing - a run around the river or Kings Park - and walk to work for 8am. Then it’s gym again after work.”

George Avery made Claisebrook Cove home in 2023. While he works outside the CBD, the medical professional starts and finishes his day in the city. Like Lindsay, George takes advantage of the exercise options on his doorstep.

“The first thing I do in the morning is walk my dog around Claisebrook Cove,” he says. “There’s plenty of grass for him to run on and the water is beautifully still. Then I’ll walk to my local gym or go for a run around the river.

“If I have the day off, I might jump on the Cat bus to get lunch in Northbridge or take a walk if the weather is nice. There’s always a nice pastry to pick up on the way.”

Weekends done well

Living in the city, George’s weekends are streamlined. The weekly shop is easy, and there’s no need to drive to find somewhere new.

“I might meet a friend at one of the local coffee shops and I usually get my grocery shopping done at some point - there’s a small grocer within walking distance. When the errands are done, I like to explore the city on foot with my camera. Photography is a hobby of mine and it’s nice to wander around and find areas I’ve never been to. There’s usually a new restaurant or cafe to try out.”

Lindsay’s a night owl, and live music is what he loves. “I’ll walk into Northbridge and meet friends for dinner. Other weekends I’ll see bands play around town. It's super easy to walk down, have a few beers, and walk home.

“There are some great live music venues - Lynott’s Lounge, Rosemount and Amplifier all have local bands playing most weekends. The local music scene is a great community.”

City versus suburbs

Having both lived elsewhere George and Lindsay are well-placed to compare the city lifestyle to the suburbs. For Lindsay, it’s all about the extra leisure time.

“One of the main differences is the amount of time I save travelling to and from work,” he says. “I’m able to walk to work in less than 10 minutes so it’s not something I need to calculate. Compared to most people it’s an hour every day that I save.”

George loves the lifestyle, saying, “There’s always an opportunity to do something. I love Elizabeth Quay at night. I could sit and look at the lights and water for hours.

“I like wandering through Northbridge as well, looking at the smaller shops and restaurants.

“Wellington Square is a favourite spot of mine in the late afternoon. There are basketball courts, a skate park, playgrounds, a cricket pitch, and plenty of green grass. There’s always something going on.”

No noise, no stress

Noise and crowds may have been expected as a trade-off for the convenience and cool factor of city living. Not so, says George. “I find it very easy to get around. Transperth buses have the free transit zone, and Cat buses are abundant during the day.

“Travelling out of the city is also not an issue. I can easily catch the train or drive as the freeway is right there. 

“I thought it would be challenging living with inner city noise - cars, building works and being close to neighbours - but I haven’t found this an issue. At night I can still manage to go for a walk and not really see or hear anyone. The birds and river are beautiful when everything else is still.”