Categories
North Ryde NSW

Macquarie Centre, Level 1 (follow the Toilets sign), Cnr Herring & Waterloo Rds North Ryde NSW

Reviewed by C


Overall: It’s new and clean and tidy, but that might be because no-one knows it’s there. Nappy change, feed, rest and ‘play’ – the play area is pretty poor, just a glass-walled holding pen really. Although it looks like there may be a television on it’s way?


Good Points: It’s new, clean, tidy and quiet. On the same floor as the kids clothing stores and indoor playground – finally! Adult and child size toilets, with auto-slide push-button door. Three nice private feeding cubicles with armchair and table in each. Two change bays with a sink in between the bays, and bins underneath the bench. Separate food prep area with working microwave, filtered (?) water and sink. Armchairs next to the ‘play’ area so you can have a rest while your little one…well…..hangs out in the play area.


Bad Points: There aren’t any extra powerpoints. The Toilets sign hanging outside in the shops does not say there is also a Parent Room down there. The play area is seriously crap – yep, it’s clean and new, but it’s just a glass-walled, sectioned off section of the room. It looks like there may be a television going into the wall cavity, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Just follow the Toilets sign – the Parent Room is down the corridor on the left

Finally!!! There is now a Parent Room on the ground floor/Level 1 of Macquarie Centre. This is a big deal because this is the floor where all the kids clothing stores are, and also where the indoor kids playground is located. So if there’s going to be a Parent Room anywhere in the centre, this is the floor it has to be on. And now it’s arrived. Yay!!

However, you wouldn’t know it was there unless you’d been on the lookout for it for sometime. Why is this? Well, you wouldn’t know there’s one on this floor because the Toilets sign doesn’t say there is also a Parent Room down the corridor. Not very helpful, is it? Noooooo. But now everyone will know, so go and check it out!

Push the big green button and go on in

So now you know there’s a Parent Room on Level 1, and it’s down the corridor where the Toilets are, head down there and you’ll find it on the left side of the hall. My favourite auto-slide, push-button door is big enough to fit a pram through but not so sure about a side-by-side pram – that could be a bit of a tight squeeze.

Great push-button, auto-slide door access to the toilet

Adult and child size toilets

This room is really a nice new facility, although it is missing a few important features (like extra powerpoints, hand-towel dispenser, something for kids to do in the play area). But overall, it’s nice and clean and quiet.
The toilets are really pretty great. The doorway is the best part. It’s a big frosted, auto-slide, push-button door! Seriously, this is a great feature and will greatly reduce the risk of germs being transferred (you can bump the button with your hip to open and close the door). Also, when the toilet is occupied, a little light comes on the outside panel letting anyone know it’s currently in use. Great feature!
Inside there are two toilets – one for adults and one for children. It’s a good size room, definitely capable of having a pram in there. There’s just the one sink though, so little ones may need help reaching the taps and soap.

The work-in-progress holding cell/play area

Three comfortable private feeding cubicles

The colours in this Parent Room are pretty nice. I love the whole nature feel of greens and browns. To me it’s very calming and soothing. Something mums and bubs need when they’re out shopping for sure.

The big let down in this room is the play area. I think it’s pretty generous of me to call it a play area, and I reckon you’ll agree when you go and see it for yourself (or even if you just check out the above photo). 
Right now it’s just a section of the room fenced off with glass fencing. That’s it. Oh hold on, there is carpet with round green circles on it – wow, big deal. I’d feel really slack putting my little one in here. It looks like a little holding cell. You’d think there’d at least be a single wall-mounted activity centre, or maybe even some animal caricatures on the walls. But no, not here. Although on this particular visit it looks like there may be a television being mounted in the wall cavity. That’s what I’m hoping is happening anyway. Otherwise, BYO entertainment/toys….or just take the kids up the the indoor playground outside Shoes & Sox.

The private feeding cubicles are pretty okay. Again they’re clean and new and are big enough to take a pram. Each one has an armchair and little table, and privacy is provided by a curtain at the front of each. Unfortunately for any mums needing to use an electric pump, there aren’t any powerpoints in the cubicles. So you’ll need to bring batteries with you instead. Just something to note.

Two change bays

Separate food prep area with it’s own sink

This part I really do like. Separate areas for nappy change and food prep. And you know what the best part is? There are separate sinks for each area. Yay!!!! It bugs me no end when there is only one sink for both food prep and nappy changes, so having two sinks (one in each area) is just fabulous.

The change area is pretty good. There’s two change bays in the bench, and the sink and soap are between the two bays. There was a small pile of papertowels at the back of the bench, so hopefully there will be an actual wall mounted paper towel dispenser in the not too distant future. May be it will appear at the same time as the television?
Anyway, the bench is a good height and not too deep so I’d say most adults would be able to change their little ones without too much hassle. The nappy bins are underneath the bench in pull-out drawers. Very handy, but I reckon it could get awful stinky in this Parent Room after a few hours. The drawers have the top section open, so you can just toss the nappy in without having to pull out the drawer if you don’t want to. But being an open top means the smell will travel. Hopefully this Parent Room will get more regular cleaning services than some of the others in the centre.

The food prep area is pretty good too. I know I’ve already said it but having it separate to the nappy change area is such a big deal. I love it! The microwave is clean and works well. The sink also has a filtered water tap which is a nice touch. 

Basically, this is the nicest Parent Room in all of Macquarie Centre. You may not have know it was there before, but now that you do know about it….go and check it out! It’s clean, new and quiet. Although now that the word is out…….it may not be so quiet anymore hahaha. Just let me know when the wall cavity in the kids holding pen gets something in it – if it’s not a television, it better be something else pretty darn good.




Categories
North Ryde NSW

Macquarie Centre, Level 3 Parent Room (next to Ella Rouge) – Cnr Talavera, Herring & Waterloo Rd North Ryde NSW

Reviewed by B


Overall: Roomy except during school holidays. Then it becomes standing room only. All the essentials. Nappy change, feed, rest and play. Probably the best so far of what’s available at Macquarie Centre.


Good Points: Roomy. Two good sized private feeding cubicles. Three change bays. Clean and working microwave. Couch and armchairs. Fenced in play area. Television. Sink. Toilet room has an adult and kid-size toilet plus matching sinks. Auto-slide door.


Bad Points: No additional powerpoints. Centre staff use the toilets in the Parent Room. Couch and armchairs are a bit worn and torn. The only sink is next to the microwave, which isn’t very hygienic for use after changing nappies. Nappy bins not emptied that frequently. Wall mounted activity centre is missing most of the working parts. Standing room only during school holidays.

Three change bays – nappy bins underneath

This use to be my favourite Parent Room. But since discovering the facilities at places like Stockland Mall, this doesn’t quite cut it anymore. When school is in session though, it does the job.

Food prep area with microwave and sink

This Parent Room is on Level 3, between Ella Rouge and the Centre Customer Service office. The auto-slide door is fabulous and every parent room should have one. It just makes life a whole lot easier when you have a pram. Inside there’s a big main room, then 2 private feeding cubicles, play area, nappy change area, food prep area and toilets. These are starting to look a bit run down though. But if you’re on Level 3, it’s the best available option.

A couple of armchairs for much needed rest

The nappy change area is on the right hand side of the main room. The bench is a little high, so could be a bit of a hassle for anyone who isn’t that tall. The good part is there’s three change bays built in, and nappy bins are just underneath the bench. It seems though the regular checking and emptying of these bins is not given a high priority so the room can get quite smelly.
For handwashing after nappy changes, the only sink within reach is on the opposite wall right next to the microwave. Having just one sink available, and having it in the food prep area, is not very hygienic at all. 
At least there is soap and papertowel.

The broken activity centre

Television to help you relax
For little ones who need to burn off some steam there’s a fenced in play area. It’s pretty basic but definitely not the worst I’ve seen. Blank walls, one wall mounted activity centre (missing most working parts) and plain lino floor. Not very exciting. Whenever I’ve been there lately, my little one finds it more fun to run in and out of the play area repeatedly. I’d find that more fun too since there’s not really anything in there to do.
For parents, there’s an old red couch plus two armchairs to rest on. Afterall, we need to rest and restore our energy levels while the little ones are burning it up. The little old school television mounted high up on the wall will help you veg out a little.

Armchairs and table in feeding cubicles

Now to make sure you get one of the private feeding cubicles, the best time to get in is before 12pm hits. There’s three of them, and all have armchairs and a little table. Privacy is provided by curtains. One of the cubicles is better than the other two though – it’s the one up the end with a window looking into the play area. Very handy if you are resting and feeding with one child and the other is in the play area. Sadly there aren’t any additional powerpoints in any of these feeding cubicles.

Adult and child-size toilets

Adult and child-size sinks


Probably the best feature of this Parent Room is the toilets. There’s both an adult-size and child-size toilet and both have matching sinks. And the child-size sink really is little. Yay!!!! It’s actually pretty cute, with it’s own little soap dispenser. The other thing I love most is the sanitary bin is sandwiched between the adult toilet and the all – far away from little hands. Extra yay!!!
Annoyingly though, there is a downside to this toilet room. But it’s to do with the staff in the shops nearby. Everytime I’ve been in this Parent Room, staff from the nearby shops wander in and out to use the toilets. This is so frustrating!!!! Why can’t they use one of the other 11-12 toilets throughout the centre? Is it that hard for them to walk a couple of metres in the opposite direction? Too bad if you have a little one with you who needs the loo. When little people need the toilet, they tend to need it NOW!!! They can’t wait while the girl from the shop next door finishes her thing and gets out. Staff should NOT BE ALLOWED to use the toilets in the Parent Room. Next time I see one of them in there, I’m going to let them know in no uncertain terms it’s not on. Then I’ll march to the store they work in and let the manager know, along with Centre Management. Actually, stuff waiting until then. The moment I finish this post, I’ll email Centre Management about it. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is annoyed by this.

So is this Parent Room any good? Yep, it’s alright. Just avoid it during school holidays as it’s jam packed with parents, carers and kids all day long. Plus some people who hang out in here with their children seem to be quite inconsiderate. On one occasion, I had to sit on the couch to feed my then baby girl. I was sandwiched between two other mums, and one of them was whingeing loudly on the phone that she was in the crowded parent room, jammed in on the couch. Not a pleasant experience at all.
Anyway during school holidays or weekends, head to the new one on Level 1, or even to the one on Myer. Those two tend to be alot quieter and less crowded.



Categories
North Ryde NSW

Myer – Level 2, Macquarie Centre, Cnr Herring, Waterloo & Talavera Rd North Ryde NSW

Reviewed by B


Overall: Has all you need, apart from extra powerpoints……but is in desperate need of a makeover. Tired, worn, rundown.


Good Points: Loads of space. Two microwaves. Loads of nappy bins. Toilets. Two private feeding rooms, each with armchairs and change table. Armchairs in the main rest area plus a massive oval ottoman. Little fenced play area. Disposable change mat liners. High chair!


Bad Points: It is so tired and worn out. Looks like the interior of an old public hospital. No additional powerpoints in the private feeding rooms. Worn and marked furniture. Nappy bins underneath bench where microwaves are located. 

Old and worn, but it does have a high chair!

Myer @ Mac Centre has a well hidden Parent Room. You’ve got to go looking for it to find it, as there aren’t any massive signs around the place telling you where it is. Actually, there is a couple of signs. I guess they’re hoping you’ll use the other bathrooms and Parent Rooms throughout the shopping centre. This is probably why this Parent Room looks so run down. Perhaps not many people use it so there’s no incentive to put any money into it. It has everything you need (excluding additional powerpoints) but it’s so worn out and old. 

The main part of the room (pictured above) is huge. There are two microwaves, one sink, about 6 nappy bins and two change mats (with disposable change mat liners) all just in this main part of the room. It’s huge! A number of parents and bubs could be in here at once, no problems. My favourite part is the highchair. To date I’ve not come across any other Parent Rooms that have a highchair. Love it!!!

Very roomy with everything you need

A few armchairs and ottoman so you can rest

At the back of the room is the spot for having a bit of a rest. There’s three well worn and marked armchairs, along with a massive oval ottoman. I wouldn’t mind having a rest in here, but the chairs are so grotty looking….it’s kind of off-putting. I was even hesitant about resting the nappy bag on the chair. Was the floor a better option?

The incredibly sparse play area

On the opposite wall is the toilets, private feeding cubicles and play area. The play area is more of a holding pen. A corner of the room has been sectioned off with a safety fence. BYO toys.

Well equipped private feeding cubicles

The private feeding cubicles are pretty good. Nothing overly flash in terms of decor, but for a bit of peace, quiet and privacy it does the trick. Each cubicle has a manual sliding door, so you can keep little curious eyes out. There’s a couple of armchairs plus a change table with disposable change mat liners, and nappy bin. Sadly no extra powerpoints for those who need to electric pumps. Apart from that, these are fuss-free comfortable feeding rooms.

For a Myer store, I had expected a higher standard of Parent Room. But I guess the store isn’t too focussed on the maintenance of it since there are a few others in the rest of the shopping centre for people to use. Just a bit of a bummer it’s so neglected. With a paint job, new furniture and a couple of wall mounted activity units in the play area it would be a nice place to do what you have to do. It’d probably even encourage parents and bubs to stay in the actual store itself a little longer.

If you need to get to a Parent Room quickly when you’re in Myer, this one will do the job. At least during busy shopping periods, this room is usually the less populated one of them all.