My son says he feels that Subiaco has a much higher crime rate than Northbridge, The Saphire Bar being well known for street brawls. Would be interesting to see the stats.
Last time I saw the stats, the CBD and Northbridge were leading the pack, significantly, and were both very similar.
When you consider that there are tens of thousands of people in Northbridge every weekend, your odds of facing any trouble are very low. The CBD is dead at night, and yet the stats compare to Northbridge.
That's not to say trouble is non-existent, but quite honestly, it's a very small issue. Your odds of facing trouble outside any busy pub/club around closing time are probably very similar.
I feel very safe in Northbridge, in the last two years I have lived here, I have not faced the slightest of trouble. I am out most nights (eating!), and work, fulltime, during the day in Northbridge.
Yesterday at work, I had a customer from Sydney. With his wife and small baby. They were on holiday, staying at The Vines. His family members in Perth had *warned* him not to go to Northbridge. We were both having a little chuckle, he couldn't understand what the fuss was about, and spoke of how interesting and multi-cultural the area was.
I explained it was the media.
I can think of one stabbing that has occured in the last 2 years.
When I lived in highgate, 8-10 years ago, at one point there were 3 murders, within 100meters, and within a few month period.
NOBODY wanted to live in Highgate then.
Now, well, try and buy a nice 3 bed house fin Highgate or under a million dollars.
YES, I have bias, as I live in Perth (technically Perth, not Northbridge). However, I can't think of an area in Perth with greater potential than Northbridge for passive real estate investors.