Jo

And I work here. Sometimes known as DePressedton, because it has it’s dodgy, down-and-out side. I don’t know that I’d recommend tourists go out of their way to visit Preston, but I just wanted to see it listed here.

It definitely has it’s charms though. Not the least of which is the Preston market – a bustling, multicultural place open from Wednesday to Saturday. It’s right next to Preston Station and it has all of your food needs and other market ephemera (cheap clothes, framed prints, fabric, cane goods and gifts). Watch out for the old ladies and their trolleys though – they’ll ram them into your legs to get you out of the way if you don’t move fast enough (and they get even more agro in Bi-Lo).

There are some factory outlets along High St between Bell and Dundas.

Don’t go there on the weekend though (unless it is for the market) – High St is a ghost town! Tumbleweed blows down the street in the whistling wind!

Just a few months. And I studied in Prahran for a while too, which is just up the road (Chapel St).

Quite yuppie. Lots of boutiques and clothes shops and restaurants.
Also has an arty side.

FWIW, it’s the gay (man’s) capital of Melbourne (Thornbury / Northcote being the gay women’s capital).

It was great – close to the beach and the shops, only 20 mins from Melbourne city. I’d love to live near the beach again.

Brighton is very yuppie / poshie. And as opposed to Brunswick St, Fitzroy where everyone seems to be young, when I have visited here recently, everyone shopping here seems to be middle-aged or older.

But too quickly. I’d love to spend more time seeing the sights.

The harbour and the beaches are the best thing about it. And the ferries. I want to travel to and from work by ferry!

North Carlton actually. But all of Carlton is great. Great food, great shops.

I’ve lived in Melbourne all of my life. It’s a fine town!

It’s massive and has lots of good shops. It’s an essential stop whenever I am in the city.

It’s quite horrifying for a girl on a budget though.

I am particularly fond of the little ‘street’ that goes out into the restaurants and where Max Brenner is – it has Perfect Potion, Dusk, Kikki-K, Living Energies and lots of other cute little ‘lifestyle’ shopping. In fact, the whole of Melbourne central is good for ‘lifestyle’ shopping. It has Borders and T2 and Freedom and oh – heaps and heaps of stuff. Lots of food downstairs (and throughout, really) and designer clothes for the skinny folk upstairs.

I also went to the new Hoyts cinemas there the other day – beautiful and cool in the 43 degree heat and nice big seats to fit my big bum. There was a really weird rumbling noise regularly sweeping through in the background throughout the movie though – don’t know if that is a regular feature or just an anamoly of the day.

The main drag of Fitzroy is Brunswick St. It used to be quite boho, but it’s much more mainstream now – especially on the weekends – it’s choc-a-block with boguns and normals.

Still, it’s got lots of good restaurants, an eclectic range of shops and lots of activities.

One thing I notice whenever I am there is how young everyone is – there are not many old people hanging out in Brunswick St.

It’s very Melbourne, so it’s worth doing if you are visiting.

Half of Smith St is also in Fitzroy (the other side is Collingwood) and that is a worthwhile visit too for it’s shopping and there are a few nice restaurants and cafes there too. Smith St is infamous for the druggies, drunks and bad buskers hanging outside of Safeway.

And then there is the Spanish quarter in the Johnson St region. Lots of nice food and night spots.

Northcote is great. Although I yearn to live nearer to the beach, I’ve still been pretty darn happy living here for over 10 years.

It’s close to lots of different forms of public transport, is socially diverse (lots of cultural groups, age diversity, openly gay folk, boguns, bohemians, crazy folk, regular folk, etc…) it has lots of restaurants, galleries, parks and funny little shops.

It’s a nice little suburb.