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

NEIGHBORHOODS IN BRIEF 529
You’ll find some information services at Information Victoria 356 Collins St.
(& 1300/366 356). Staffed information booths for Melbourne Visitors Centre
are also found in Bourke Street Mall. Also look for Melbourne’s City Ambassadors,
roving the central city area, who are available to provide tourist information
and directions.
Good websites on the city include http://melbourne.citysearch.com.au/, www.
melbourne.vic.gov.au, and www.visitmelbourne.com.
CITY LAYOUT
Melbourne is situated on the Yarra River and stretches inland from Port Philip
Bay, which lies to its south. Look at a map, and you’ll see a distinct central oblong
area surrounded by Flinders Street to the south, Latrobe Street to the north, Spring
Street to the east, and Spencer Street to the west. Cutting north-to-south through
its center are the two main shopping thoroughfares, Swanston Street and Elizabeth
Street. A series of cross-streets, including Bourke Street Mall (a pedestrians-only
shopping promenade), runs between these major thoroughfares. If you continue
south along Swanston Street, and over the river, it turns into St. Kilda Road, which
runs to the coast. The central area is surrounded by Melbourne’s various urban
“villages,” including South Yarra, Richmond, Carlton, and Fitzroy. The seaside
suburb of St. Kilda, known for its diverse selection of restaurants, is also positioned
very near to the beach. If you’ve visited Sydney, you’ll find Melbourne’s city center
to be smaller and far less congested with people and cars.
NEIGHBORHOODS IN BRIEF
Melbourne is huge. At more than 6,110 sq. km (2,383 sq. miles), it’s one of the biggest cities
in the world. Below are the areas of most interest to visitors.
City Center Made up of a grid of
streets north of the Yarra River, the
city center is bordered to the south
by Flinders Street and to the north by
Latrobe Street. The eastern and western
borders are Spring Street and
Spencer Street, respectively. There’s
some good shopping, charming
cafes, and in recent years an active
nightlife has sprung up with the
opening of a swath of funky bars and
restaurants playing live and recorded
music to suit all ages. The gateway to
the city is Flinders Street Station,
with its dome and clock tower and
flanked by the stunning new Federation
Square precinct.
Chinatown This colorful section
of the city is centered on Little
Bourke Street between Swanston
and Exhibition streets. The area
marks Australia’s oldest permanent
Chinese settlement, dating from the
1850s, when a few boardinghouses
catered to Chinese prospectors lured
by gold rushes. Plenty of cheap
restaurants crowd its alleyways.
Tram: Any to the city.
Carlton North of the city center,
Carlton is a rambling inner-city suburb
famous for the Italian restaurants
along Lygon Street with outdoor
seating—though the quality of the
food served is variable. It’s the home
of the University of Melbourne, so
there’s a healthy student scene. From
Bourke Street Mall count on a 15-
minute walk to reach the restaurant
strip. Tram: 1 or 22 from Swanston
Street.
Fitzroy A ruggedly Bohemian
place, 2km (1 1 ⁄4 miles) north of the
city center, Fitzroy is raw and funky,
filled with students and artists and
popular for people-watching. Fitzroy
revolves around Brunswick Street,
with its cheap restaurant scene,
busy cafes, late-night bookshops,
art galleries, and pubs. Around the