St Agnes Shopping Centre

If St Agnes Shopping Centre was a person, it would be a no-​nonsense middle-​aged lady in crêpe slacks, a sensible blouse and comfort shoes from the chemist.
Called Agnes.
There is a bright and well-​designed Coles at one end, a post office, bank, chemist, newsagents, hairdresser, florist, fruit & veg, butcher and baker but no candlestick maker.
In other words, it has everything you need to complete most of life’s errands and very little opportunity for frivolous spending on non-​edible treats.
There are really only two browseable shops; Neds and Crossroads. As someone who likes to relieve the monotony of the weekly grocery shop by procrastinating, I find this is inadequate and provides little retail reward. This centre is crying out for one of the discount department stores at the opposite end to Coles; Big W, Target, Kmart, Best & Less. .. just let me spend some money on clothes and shoes! WHY WON’T YOU TAKE MY MONEY?!
There is a Michel’s Patisserie in the centre which is the only food outlet within the centre’s interior and is heavily patronised. Along the outside, there is a Subway, Wok in the Box, a yiros place and a sushi shop but it’s easy to forget about them and they don’t offer any «sit and relax» ambience in their limited dine-​in spaces.
The parent room is clean, functional and adequate for the size of the centre and has a push button door, one changing station, one feeding area and a parent toilet that has a kid-​sized one within it and plenty of room for your trolley or pram. I don’t understand the parent rooms that feature only a standard sized cubicle — I’m looking at you, Woolworths complex, Mawson Lakes. It doesn’t have a microwave/​bottle warmer, television or any kiddie décor/​play area.
Earlier this year, the car park was awarded (by me) Second Worst Car Park in the North Eastern Suburbs, coming a close second to the Foodland on Bridge Road, Para Hills. However, construction is underway both inside and out and we can only hope this leads to a more sensible and hopefully, more level design. I’m sure many a heavy trolley has gotten away from its owner and sailed merrily into the back of someone else’s vehicle. I would advise parking on the rooftop level. There is no shelter however the stylised artist’s impressions of the renovations lead me to believe there will be shade sails forthcoming, which will be great until we get freak winds like the ones that did for 80% of the shade sails on the roof top of Tea Tree Plaza a few years ago.
Sadly, the renovations have been styled with a «futuristic» font, which has instantly dated it to somewhere around 1976 before the signage has even been installed.
In summary, I come for the Coles but I stay for the. .. well, I don’t stay at all and that’s a missed trick.