J, C and I had agreed to meet at the new yarn shop in Frankston - Loom and Spindle.
The main shopping centre in Frankston has paid parking (and masses of it) and street parking is at a premium and only for a short time. I resent paying for parking which is why I rarely go to Frankston. I tried the station car park to no avail, got lost trying to get back into Frankston and after driving around in ever more confusion I found myself at one of the entrances to the shopping centre carpark so in I went. At this stage I had no idea where I was but parked my car and found an exit which I realised was for cars only. Stuff it, I went out anyway and made a point of remembering where I was.
I walked up the road trying to find Station Street which I assumed would be the street running along the railway line opposite the station. As I turned the corner I remembered that this was, in fact, Young St. Known, among other things, for the number of doctors that provide methadone to addicts and the number of bus stops. It was a tad busy.
I was starting to regret not researching the whole thing more.
A quick google on my phone and I found that Station Street ran off Young St and I was just about there.
J was already there and we drooled over the yarn. So much lovely stuff and different from other yarn shops which is always refreshing. C arrived and we drooled some more. I picked a couple of cones of cotton to warp some table mats and asked for a beater which makes weaving with certain things easier (I am planning to weave with strips of fabric). The owner had to get said beater from upstairs, the shop was busy and we were hungry so I said I'd be back.
We wandered around a bit and ended up in the food court in the shopping centre for lunch and a natter. As we walked back to Loom and Spindle I noticed a walkway that looked like the other end of one I had passed on the way out of the car park.
It turns out I could have avoided Young Street altogether. I went down the walkway (which was really lovely and had some amazing murals), turned the corner and there was the car park. With a massive sign saying NO PEDESTRIAN ACCESS. Ahead was an entrance to the shopping centre. I memorised where the car park was and figured I could find access to it through the centre. I was back in the food court where we had lunch. The escalator to the car park was just around the corner from the food court.
I will go back to Loom and Spindle. I will park in the car park (and pay $3 for up to 3 hours of parking) and even have a juice in the food court. I will be within cooee of everything I want. And I won't have to brave Young St again.
$3 for three hours parking is very cheap. Frankston is such a confusing place to drive. My ex sister in law used to have the food van at the Sunday Market and we went there several times for free poffertjes. It looked so easy on a map. She also for a time managed Ready Roast, another place that was hard to find. I am usually not bad with directions etc, but Franger got me.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, you had a good day by the sound of it.
Since the beautification of Frankston (is that an oxymoron) it has become even harder to navigate. I should devote a day to just wandering around. The cheap parking is to attract genuine shoppers - stay long enough to catch a train and you will have to mortgage something.
DeleteI always get lost in frankston do I avoid it.
ReplyDeleteI would of had a panic attack buy the time I found the shop
Well done you
If I wasn't meeting people I would have turned around and come home!
DeleteIt’s years since I have even gone to end of Stud Road, never mind pass through Dandenong and tootle on down to Frankston. Although the chance to investigate new ‘wool shops’ is tempting- don’t think so - if locals get lost what hope is there focus from the foothills😊
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure how ‘for us’ became ‘focus’. Predictive text….thinks it knows better than me!
DeleteIt is probably easier if you have no knowledge of Frankston rather than relying on vague memories. If you do ever venture this far south you must go to Hastings and check out Little Woolie Makes.
DeleteI also hate paying for parking and find it's cheaper although a longer commute, to use transit. It takes me two subway rides to get downtown but parking is free at the subway station so I drive there.
ReplyDeleteWhere I live public transport isn't the best. We have several really good shopping centres close by with free parking but because Frankston is near a station they charge for parking to stop commuters staying there all day.
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