#181 of 366 b-side – slow alley

#68 of 366 – lemon lane

I stopped by the brilliantly named Lemon Lane this afternoon for a coffee. This little lane tucked away in Claremont exudes coffee aromas and is adorned with colourful art – a very pleasant place to savour a hot drink.

Only a short walk away is the relatively new Claremont Quarter shopping centre. Drawing the ire of the roaming security guards I took a little time to grab some shots.

This chocolate cafe will be my first port of call next time I’m down that end of the world.

#40 of 366 – laneways

I went for a stroll around the laneways of Perth today. This city has always felt like it’s about twenty years behind the rest of the country. While Melbourne has alleys saturated in cool graffiti and Sydney has alleys saturated in grittiness, Perth’s alleys have only ever been saturated in stale urine. Well it seems that things are finally starting to change. Last year the city council started an urban renewal project to fancy up the forgotten laneways between Perth’s shops.

This entire wall is covered in lines that appear to have been written by intolerant, disruptive school kid. It’s a very cool effect when you see the words repeated down the majority of the lane way.

This one is interspersed with fake faded wallpaper and the occasional mural. There’s some amazing art tucked down these laneways that people walk by without noticing. Hopefully the local graffiti scene will get on board soon and start putting up some art like in Melbourne’s cool back alleys.

Even those blank canvases yet to be brought to life offer some interesting views.

Despite the move towards a bit more interest on our streets, there’s still those areas that are getting the sterile, modern treatment, but at least we’re starting to move towards something interesting and creative.