Start at the Railway Street end of Napoleon Street, just east of Cottesloe train station. Follow the public footpath into the village shops.
The village grew around Cottesloe Station, with Napoleon Street becoming the suburb's traditional shopping and social centre. Grocers, butchers, bakers, drapers, banks and chemists once served everyday local life here. Today the mix has shifted towards independent fashion and homewares, cafes, restaurants, specialty food and services, but the compact village feel remains.
Start with Napoleon Street, then explore the smaller shops, cafes and public art around Station Street. Jarrad Street extends the village east and west of the railway, while Cottesloe Central on the Stirling Highway side adds a supermarket, fresh food, shops and services for the practical things. Nearby, the Grove Library is worth knowing about for its library, local history collection, exhibitions and community activities.
There's art and history mixed through the everyday streets too. Look for Lucky Country, Threshold of a Dream, Tribanga III and Farewell Kiss, along with murals and some of Cott's older commercial and residential buildings. Cafes and restaurants make it easy to turn a browse into breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Cottesloe Station sits right in the middle, so the village is particularly easy to visit without a car. From here it's roughly a 15-minute walk west through the residential streets to Cottesloe Beach, or catch the Route 102 bus from the station. Village first, beach second makes a very good Cott day - or reverse the order and enjoy the beach in the calmer morning conditions before the Fremantle Doctor, our regular south-westerly sea breeze, arrives and turns a glassy ocean into an afternoon of whitecaps.