Philosophy from new men’s clothing shop Urban Native on the Collingwood side of Smith St.
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Monthly archives: March 2009
Workcover will investigate Fitzroy cafes and restaurants in April and May
A Workcover press release states that their inspectors will be undertaking inspections of businesses in Fitzroy as part of a national campaign targeting unsafe workplaces with a particular focus on young workers:
Cafes and restaurants in Fitzroy, Collingwood and St Kilda are encouraged to get ready for a targeted workplace inspection campaign over April and May.
The visits back-up WorkSafe’s recent controversial advertising campaign focusing on young workers.
The inspection campaign is being run nationally and intended to help employers provide safer workplaces and better understand their obligations to new and young workers who are a major part of the hospitality sector.
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Used Pty Ltd on Johnston St
Used Pty Ltd is a second hand furniture and objets shop on Johnston St. It used to be a shop that sold African djembe drums. I went in on a recent Saturday morning, met owner Helen and found out a bit about the shop. The tenant running the previous business moved on (though a few of his African statues continue to lurk among the new items), and the building’s owners have turned the space their own shop featuring some of their extensive collection of wonderful things.…
dinner at Yume on Brunswick St
Yume is another relatively new casual Japanese eatery on Brunswick St. I chose to eat there early in the evening before the recent state final of the Raw comedy competition. The menu includes a few dishes I have not seen on the menu at similar places and I was curious to see how it compared to Happy Kappa. I started with a deliciously smooth Kirin beer and looked out on the street through the open French doors near the front table.…
Fitzroy history – from switches to hairdresser
Lure is one of the most impressive businesses in Fitzroy. Its use of such an enormous space for a hair salon says that it is confident of what and where it is. Its new next door neighbour, the Smith St Bazaar, is equally fabulous. Before these current businesses existed, their premises housed H Rowe and Co Pty Ltd, a company that manufactured relatively unfunky time switches and veneer products (there is a photo of the interor of the business, presumably at the same premises, dated 1947).…
top ten first date destinations in Fitzroy
I was having a conversation with a friend recently about what people want to achieve on a first date and how the venue contributes to its success or failure. We agreed that people want somewhere relatively quiet and intimate where they can talk and be heard without suffering excessive noise. The enormous and loud Little Creatures, as fabulous as it is, simply does not have the intimacy required. I’ve not been to every bar or restaurant in Fitzroy (but I am working on it!) so my choices are limited by where I have already been, and they are of course my individual subjective opinions.…
a colourful Sunday
On a recent Sunday I was loitering around the streets of Fitzroy idly taking photos. Below is a mural in Bar Open. The outdoor sites included a well dressed man on the corner of Brunswick St and Johnston St, some fabulous cars and brightly coloured metalwork.
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hello? this is the 1930s calling
When I dropped in to Circa Vintage Clothing recently and met owner Nicole, I also met her friend John. He showed us his cordless bluetooth mobile phone handset, which he allowed me to photograph. He got a bakelite 1930s phone handset from a second hand shop and installed a bluetooth headset in it, allowing him to take calls on this retro handset. It’s fabulous and I predict it will be the next big thing. Miniaturisation is good in a way, but many contemporary devices have no appealing aesthetic properties.…
40kmph speed limit for Fitzroy streets
I’m in favour of the speed limit being reduced to 40km/h in Fitzroy’s back streets, as recommended by the City of Yarra. Some drivers in Fitzroy are too fast and too aggressive in narrow back streets that are also heavily used by pedestrians and cyclists. This does not apply to main streets, which are controlled by the state government, but some of these already have speed limits (such as 40km/h for Johnston and Brunswick streets). All in favour?…