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Published: September 4th 2014
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As is often the case between two major cities, there's been ongoing rivalry between Sydney about which city is the best place to live. At the release of every international survey: the best city to live in; the friendliest city to visit; the world's best restaurants; which are Australia's most popular tourist destinations .... whatever the topic may be, either Sydney or Melbourne leaps to proudly proclaim its superiority if it was the best represented, or bemoan the biases and injustices of the verdict if not.
I confess that Melbourne wasn't a city that I immediately warmed to. I fell for Sydney's flashy charms almost immediately, however when I first visited Melbourne in 2001, it didn't have the same instant hook. Call me shallow, but Sydney's in your face beauty had me at "harbour". Melbourne's been more of a slow burn, and I feel lucky that I have had so many opportunities to revisit it over the years. Now, like an old romantic movie, it's wormed its way under my skin and I have completely fallen for its charms.
I love Melbourne's network of laneways. A few steps from the busy tooting streets you can disappear completely down a
colourful bricked alleyway. You might stumble across a tiny hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, or the latest hip restaurant where you'll need to join a queue as early as 6.30pm simply to get your name on the list for a table later in the night. Or it might be home to one of Melbourne's well established bars showcasing emerging music, or a hipster gallery, or a boutique fashion store....there's the opportunity for everything and anything to be hidden away and you feel a small secret thrill of making your own discovery.
Nearly always the laneways are covered in graffiti, but it's not the tired, grotty, vandalish type of graffiti, but the bright, vibrant, modern, fresh graffiti that is true artwork. Some neighbourhoods are better known for this than others. My latest visit saw me explore yet more new suburbs, and I completely fell for Fitzroy. Alongside the cafes, restaurants, graffitied lanes and funky boutiques, it seemed to be largely populated with hipster dudes with large bushy Ned Kelly beards, neatly parted hair with short back and sides. Strangely I felt right at home.
Melbourne is a beautiful city in the winter. The parks' trees are stripped bare and the grand
elegant squares seem to suit the stark leafless spikes on their fringes. It's almost unthinkable, but the cold, crisp wintry days with its beautiful bright sunshine almost made me pine for a real winter again. But only briefly, and only a short one!
Renowned as a foodie's paradise, it seemed hard to find a bad restaurant on my last few visits. Movida Next Door, Coda, Tonka, Movida Acqui, Church St Enoteca ...... we have been spoilt for choice. A high number of Italian immigrants to Melbourne also means an abundance of delicious Italian restaurants and one of my tastiest meals was an inexpensive meal at Mario's, a tiny little authentic trattoria-style restaurant in Brunswick Street. Maybe it's a good thing I'm not there more often - it could be very fattening. And did I mention the wine? Not far out of town is a choice of areas perfect for wine tastings and general meanderings - Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsua, Macedon Ranges, Bellarine Peninsula.
It seems that over time I have fallen for the charms of Melbourne after all. As for the great debate, which is better Sydney or Melbourne.... I'm still on the fence. Can I pick both?
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
Rose streaked glasses
Wow. had me going for a minute Rachael...she couldn't could she? Seduced by crazy graffiti, coffee shops and cosy bars down alleys. Then declaring sitting on the fence...reassured. 'Cause the diplomatic you may be...one knows in a crunch where the heart will always be.