It’s new, it’s shiny, it’s busy – but is it even worth going?
The District is a brand new shopping center located in Parafield, in the row of other shops that surround it. A lot of the other shops around it are business and trade related - none more of them than the idle Hungry Jacks that sits in the middle of the car park - but the District is very fashion heavy. It caters to a few specific audiences - fashion enjoyers and shoe enthusiasts - and if you aren’t in that specific audience, it can be hard to enjoy your time at the District.
The atmosphere is inviting and calming, always characterized by some form of music playing, most of which is rap. Vibrant colors fill the storefronts, and lights are flashed at every corner, but these are inviting, as a store is typically supposed to be. Although the day we were there was overlaid with drilling sounds from the rooftop, it didn’t take too much away from the atmosphere and experience, and was a mild annoyance at best. The District is also quite a small shopping center, with the entire thing a loop that is loopable on foot in about 10 minutes. This isn’t a problem, per se, but more of a quirk that comes along with it. Quirks seem to be all it really has going for it.
The variety of shops at the District is lacking however - most shops either stocking clothes or shoes of some variety - and the shops that do break the mold are few and far between. There’s a sports store, a homewares place, and a jewelry store, but other than that, it’s all fashion. It’s a good selection if you are looking for that kind of thing; between kids clothes to dress shirts, and ugg boots to work shoes. Whatever you’re looking for fashion wise, there’s a good chance it can be found here, and for a relatively decent price. (It doesn’t help price-wise that we were there during Black Friday celebrations so everything was cheaper, but I digress.)
The fooderies were unique however, with only one of them being a franchise of a chain (that being Boost Juice) so the rest of them were independent. This does have a good variety, from burgers to tacos, and kebabs to baked potatoes. There is sure to be something for everyone in the food court.
The service at the District in general was great, in most of the shops we visited we were greeted at the door and oftentimes asked what we were doing. If we weren’t greeted at the door, we were approached by staff members and asked if we needed help whilst in the store. They were all friendly and approachable, and we would have approached them if they didn’t us.
However, with all of it’s good things, it probably isn’t worth visiting if you aren’t looking for clothes. Everything else that features at the District can easily be found in other shopping centers (and if not, alternatives can be) and those shopping centers also feature more shops. Sure, if you ARE looking for fashion, this is a good place to go, but if not, it is not worth your time whatsoever.
It is new, it is quite blindingly shiny, and it is mildly busy - but it’s probably not worth going.