Yay Footscray!

If you're wondering why I've had a sudden burst of blog posting enthusiasm, it is because I have had four days off work.

4 days = 2 weeks when you're part time and the easter long weekend is involved.Bliss.

It has let me relax properly for the first time since we returned home from Taiwan in November. More importantly, I've been able to reconnect with my home and rediscover Footscray.

We received a lot of negative feedback when we chose to buy a house here, and we still do from various people. Some have said inner city living is a phase, others have mentioned getting stabbed, one family member complained about our stairs (we love our stairs). I think you get the idea. When we bought our house we had very definite ideas about how we were going to live. We didn't want a big house, we acknowledged that parenthood is a phase of one's life and we don't need a four bedroom four bathroom house for our life as a couple, nor would we when living as parents of a family.  We also wanted to be close to the CBD and have a car but not have to use it! And that is essentially how we live. We walk often, take the train frequently, the bus sometimes and drive rarely. And we're exhausted and disorganised because we're parents, but we're happy.

So, to the haters that think that Footscray is a horrible place to live: it's really not. You should pop over and check it out. Especially because in West Footscray some really exciting things are happening. First there was Ebi then there was Gusto on Barkly, then we found Jellybread just down from there, now there's a TAPAS bar people!!! Besito, which I am yet to visit but most especially excited about. And closer to home on Essex street there's the lovely new cafe that is yet to have signage. I am told it is going to be called West 48 or W 48. I visited there this week and was suitably impressed. Lots of organics, nice set up, passionate cafe owners full of youthful enthusiasm. (They obviously didn't lose theirs when they became parents)... Needless to say I am pretty excited about where my neighbourhood is heading. If you need more encouragement of the food variety to change your mind about Footscray, you could read this blog.