west end

On a scale of multiculturalism, Brisbane would rate 3/10, as opposed to say Sydney or Melbourne- whitebread. The two most diverse areas in Brisbane are Sunnybank- predominantly Asian, and inner city West End where a variety of cultures and Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, Greek, and Italian restaurants all feature. This is where I work and I love to walk down Vulture Street past the colorful inhabitants and Greek grandpas to get my coffee every morning. West End owes a lot of it's eclecticism to a tribe of cool and groovy types, feral ecowarriors, Aboriginal people, the homeless and an assorted group of dispossessed souls known for having lively conversations with themselves.
Lately this group is on the decline due to rising rents and the rapid gentrification of the area and luxury unit development on the rivers edge, where until recently they used to gather. These are the people I have got to know and worked with over the last year, and the character of West End will change with their leaving. There is still however the fabulous Green Flea markets on the riverside every Saturday morning, a must go for a taste of the original West End.