Melbourne is Australia’s most European city, and I was drawn to the promise of sunshine, creative communities, general walkability, a lively coffee/cafe culture, and city quirks like hidden laneways and a free tram system. Off the bat, the public walking tour downtown helped to orient me to my new home (and welcome me to the longstanding rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney)… And I will say — over my two month stay in Melbourne, I appreciated the accessibility and informal pervasiveness of art, the staunch resistance towards corporate chains (Starbucks originally opened 75 stores in Australia, and Melburnians quickly put all but 20 out of business so far), and my morning flat whites (there are over 5,000 cafes — baristas are highly trained and talented, and it’s a coveted career choice). But my time here was marked by two scorching heat waves (happiest at 65 degrees, this level of heat can truly take the enjoyment out of exploration… and how dearly I missed Sydney’s ocean pools), plus a realization that the city’s mix of Victorian architecture and modern skyscrapers just doesn’t awe me the way urban centers in Scandinavia and Europe do (probably has to do with the fact that they’re all centuries older than Melbourne). So the Sydney vs. Melbourne verdict is still out for me.
My home here was a spacious, light-filled one-bedroom flat on Flinder’s Lane. Mornings often began before 5AM in this space, as I tried to keep up with colleagues back in the US. Watching as the morning light flooded in through those oversized windows was my favorite part of the day, followed by my daily routine of running downstairs to Duke’s coffee shop for their first pour at 7AM. The apartment dates back to 1898 (originally designed as offices for the British and Foreign Bible Society) and it was renovated beautifully — inspired by traditional Japanese houses and essentialist living. The clever plywood joinery and built-ins and stacks of old magazines and overflowing sunshine and plant life — with the tiny balcony overlooking the Arts Centre — all created such a warm homebase for my time in Melbourne.
When it wasn’t unbearably hot outside, I ventured to the local weekend running spot: The Tan — just across the river in the botanical gardens. Melbourne’s Royal Botanical Gardens are an expansive, lush oasis the heart of the city, and home to film screenings and theater performance all summer long.
For all the days I couldn’t stand the heat, I dipped into the city’s galleries and museums. The NGV International (National Gallery of Victoria) is Australia's oldest, largest museum and is free to the public! It was here I discovered William Wegman’s hilarious dog portraits, Julian Opie’s walking figures on the streets of Melbourne, and an exhibition on Tablewares from the 1900s that featured the Danish Stelton vacuum jug I had been using and admiring every day in my apartment.
The Love exhibition at the Immigration Museum on Flinder’s street was an unexpectedly heart-warming/breaking interactive display of migration, humanity, friendships and romance. For pieces that shed light on and educate about Australia’s Indigenous people, visit the Koorie Heritage Trust and Flinders Lane Gallery. And for a modern spin on it all, the Heide Museum is a solid day trip out of the city.
The the photo of the surfer to the right was taken at Anglesea Beach. A day trip from Melbourne on the Great Ocean Road with my dear friend Keryn. One of the most stunning beaches I’ve visited.
eating / shortlist
The culinary scene in Melbourne is nothing short of incredible. Here are my coveted spots that make the 25 hour journey across the world worth it.
Cibi — quirky Japanese cafe / plant store / homewares shop
City Wine Shop — Italian bistro & chic wine bar / shop
Chin Chin — Southeast Asian, worth the wait, however long, if only for the barrachini pork salad
Hu Tong Dumplings — for the xiao long bao & wontons with hot chili sauce
Queen Victoria Market — Melbourne’s historical 19th century open air market
Grub Fitzroy — casual, local secret garden brunch spot
Moroccan Soup Bar — spoken menu, best vegetarian food in existence
Higher Ground — a bit pretentious, but go for the space
Cumulus — classy, delicious. Eat at the bar.
Bowery to Williamsburg — Jewish deli (the halloumi eggplant egg sandwich!)
Shandong MaMa Mini — tiny dumpling spot on Bourke (lotus root chips!)
D.O.C Pizza — conveniently next to Readings bookstore & Nova cinema :)
Laughing Waters is about an hour by train from Melbourne out by Eltham, and is a series of broad, deep pools separated by small rapids along a reach of the Yarra River. It’s entirely surrounded by native bush (i.e. kangaroos & snakes!).
laneways
In Melbourne, the more obscure and difficult to find a venue is, the better. The adventure in finding these tucked away rooftop bars (like Union Electric and Siglo) and leafy coffee shops and back alleys filled with street art was half the fun. There are over 40 laneways in Melbourne— narrow alleys that originated as service laneways for horses and carts in the mid-1800s! They’re home to the funkiest boutiques and international street art, along with hordes of tourists… Little Bourke and Little Collins are well-trafficked but my favorites to wander down. (And they aren’t nearly as photographed as Hozier Lane).
Of all the shops I popped into, what follows is a narrowed (truly) list of my favorites. In Fitzroy: Obus, Arnsdorf, Kloke, Búl, Assembly, Pepite, Who Invited Her, Kuwaii. (Also worth strolling down Gertrude & Smith streets). Downtown in the CBD: Alpha60, Craft Victoria, Incu, Zomp, The Paperback Bookshop (pick up Paper Sea & WomanKind publications). In Fitzroy Carlton: Readings bookstore, Lygon and Brunswick streets. And in Brunswick: Monk House, Pop & Scott, Mr Kitly, and Abby Seymour jewelry.
Yarra Valley
flat whites
I credit the following roasters for cultivating an appreciation for coffee for the first time in my life.
Dukes, seen right here — just downstairs from my flat on Flinder’s lane. the best place to start your day and take a few minutes to flip through the paper
Market Lane Coffee (a local institution of sorts)
Brother Baba Budan
Baker D. Chirico (or just go for the bread)
Seven Seeds
Other favorites, but less frequented: Pellegrini’s (a neighborhood institution), Switch Board Cafe (adorable, just one or two seats), Luna for a croissant, Shambles for a leisurely morning, Federal Coffee (under the arches of Melbourne’s beautiful post office), Brunetti (far too many pastries were had here), Kuura for tea, Vacation (for their grapefruit spritz and espresso soft serve)
Mornington Peninsula
Since reading this account of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, I was eager to visit. I would have loved to roadtrip, but alas, didn’t have the confidence to drive on the opposite side of the road. An Airbnb day trip experience had to do. This city escape was so well timed with Melbourne’s heatwaves and my general cravings for the sea. We started out at Arthur’s Seat to take in the views across Port Phillip Bay, and made our way to Bushrangers Bay for a hike. The trek started inland, winding through the bushland and opening right up into the wild, rocky coast. With kangaroo spottings and teeny native birds, if you listen and look quietly. Cape Schanck light house (built from limestone) was another stunner — you can see the wooden path that winds along the peninsula. The Mornington Peninsula is known for its natural hot springs, so we finished the day soaking in geothermal mineral waters at Peninsula Hot Springs :)
Great Ocean Road Trip
The day we roadtripped the Great Ocean Road was overcast and a bit dreary — in retrospect, it might have made these landscapes even more striking. The waves a little rougher, the grassy cliffs a bit more vibrant. The Twelve 12 Apostles are actually eight limestone columns rising out of the Southern Ocean, carved and battered over decades by wind and waves. A mile east of the apostles are the Gibson Steps, just as epic a walk down a pathway crossing 300 foot cliffs to the beach.
Great Otway National Park
In the same way the day’s dreary weather made the Twelve Apostles even more spectacular and vibrant, it transformed the ancient rainforests in the Great Otway National Park into a fairyland. The enormous ferns en route to Beauchamp Falls was complete enchantment. We wandered through California redwood trees on our way out (experimentally planted in 1936), and stopped by the Kennett River to spot native koalas snoozing in the trees above us — closing out perhaps the perfect Melbourne escape I could have dreamed up.
