Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

NEIGHBORHOODS IN BRIEF 219
Margaret, and Alice. From east to west, the streets are Edward, Albert, George,
and William, which runs into North Quay, flanking the river’s northeast bank.
Queen Street, the main thoroughfare, becomes a pedestrian mall between
Edward and George streets. Roma Street exits the city diagonally to the northwest.
Ann Street leads all the way east into Fortitude Valley. The main street in
Fortitude Valley is Brunswick Street, which runs right into New Farm.
STREET MAPS The Brisbane Map, free from Brisbane Marketing (see “Visitor
Information” above) or your concierge, is a lightweight map that shows the
river and outlying suburbs, as well as the city. It’s great for drivers because it
shows parking lots and one-way traffic directions on the confusing city-center
grid. Rental cars usually come with street directories. Newsagents and some
bookstores sell this map, and the state auto club, the R.A.C.Q., in the General
Post Office, 261 Queen St. (& 13 19 05), is also a good source.
NEIGHBORHOODS IN BRIEF
City Center The vibrant city
center is where residents eat, shop,
and socialize. Queen Street Mall, in
the heart of town, is popular with
shoppers and moviegoers, especially
on weekends and Friday nights
(when stores stay open until 9pm).
The Eagle Street financial/legal
office precinct houses some great
restaurants with river views, and on
Sundays there are markets by the
Riverside Centre office tower and
the Pier. Much of Brisbane’s colonial
architecture is in the city center,
too. Strollers, bike riders, and
in-line skaters shake the summer
heat in the green haven of the Brisbane
City Gardens at the business
district’s southern end.
Fortitude Valley Ten years ago,
this suburb of derelict warehouses
just east of the city center was one
of the sleazier parts of town. Today,
“the Valley” is a stamping ground
for street-smart young folk who
meet in restored pubs and eat in
cool cafes. The lanterns, food
stores, and shopping mall of Chinatown
are here, too. Take Turbot
Street to the Valley’s Brunswick
Street.
New Farm Always an appealing
suburb, New Farm is now one of
the city’s “in” destinations for cafehopping,
shopping, and cinemagoing.
Merthyr Street is where the
action is, especially on Friday and
Saturday nights. From the intersection
of Wickham and Brunswick
streets, follow Brunswick southeast
for 13 blocks to Merthyr.
Paddington This hilltop suburb,
a couple of kilometers northwest of
the city, is one of the most attractive
in Brisbane. Brightly painted
Queenslander cottages line the
main street, Latrobe Terrace, as it
winds west along a ridge top. Many
of the houses have been turned into
shops and cafes, where you can
browse, enjoy coffee and cake, or
just admire the charming architecture.
Milton & Rosalie Park Road,
Milton might not quite be a little
bit of Europe, but it tries hard—
even right down to a replica Eiffel
Tower above the cafes and shops.
Italian restaurants line the street,
buzzing with white-collar office
workers who down cappuccinos at
alfresco restaurants, scout interior
design stores for a new objet d’art to
grace the living room, and stock up
on European designer rags. A few
minutes’ drive away, Baroona Road