Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Street, is a growing Spanish quarter
with tapas bars, Flamenco restau-
rants, and Spanish clubs. Tram: 11
from Collins Street.
Richmond
One of Melbourne's
earliest settlements is a multicultural
quarter based around historic streets
and back lanes. Victoria Street is
reminiscent of Ho Chi Minh City,
with Vietnamese sights, sounds, aro-
mas, and restaurants everywhere.
Bridge Road is a bustling cut-price
fashion precinct. Tram: 48 or 75
from Flinders Street to Bridge Road;
70 from Batmans Avenue at Princes
Bridge to Swan Street; 109 from
Bourke Street to Victoria Street.
Southgate & Southbank
This
flashy entertainment district on the
banks of the Yarra River opposite
Flinders Street Station (linked by a
pedestrian bridge) is home to the
Crown Casino—Australia's largest
gaming venue. Southbank has a
myriad of themed restaurants, bars,
cafes, nightclubs, cinemas, and
designer shops. On the city side of
the river is the new Melbourne
Aquarium. All are a 10-minute
stroll from Flinders Street Station.
Tram: 8 from Swanston Street.
Docklands
Near the city center, at
the rear of the Spencer Street sta-
tion, this old industrial docking
area has become the biggest devel-
opment in Melbourne. NewQuay
on the waterfront has a diverse
range of restaurants, shops, and cin-
emas. To celebrate the dominance
of the Australian Rules Football,
Melbournians recently constructed a
purpose-built 52,000 seat stadium,
the Telstra Dome, to house their
favorite game. Docklands is accessi-
ble by the free city circle tram.
St. Kilda
Hip and Bohemian in a
shabby-chic sort of way, this bay-
side suburb (6km/3
3
⁄
4
miles south
of the city center) has Melbourne's
highest concentration of restaurants,
ranging from glitzy to cheap, as well
as some superb cake shops and
delis. Historically it was Melbourne
red-light district. The Esplanade
hugs a pleasant “beach” (with
brown waters) and is the scene of a
lively arts and crafts market on Sun-
days. Acland Street houses many
restaurants. Check out Luna Park,
one of the world's oldest fun parks,
built in 1912, and take a ride on the
historic wooden roller coaster.
Tram: 10 or 12 from Collins Street;
15 or 16 from Swanston Street; 96
from Bourke Street.
South Yarra/Prahan
This posh
part of town is crammed with chic
boutiques, cinemas, nightclubs,
and galleries. Chapel Street is
famous for its well-heeled eateries
and designer fashion houses, while
Commercial Road is popular with
the gay and lesbian community.
Just off Chapel Street in Prahan is
Greville Street, a Bohemian enclave
featuring retro boutiques and music
outlets. Every Sunday the Greville
Street Market offers arts, crafts, old
clothes, and jewelry from noon to
5pm. Tram: 8 or 72 from Swanston
Street.
South Melbourne
One of the
city's oldest working-class districts,
South Melbourne is known for its
historic buildings, old-fashioned
pubs and hotels, and markets.
Tram: 12 from Collins Street; 1
from Swanston Street.
The River District
The muddy-
looking Yarra River runs southeast
past the fabulous Botanic Gardens
and nearby to other attractions such
as the Victorian Arts Centre, the
National Gallery of Victoria, the
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and
the Melbourne Cricket Ground
(MCG), all described later in this
chapter. Birrarung Marr is the first
new major parkland in Melbourne
in over a 100 years.
