New York has Little Italy, Melbourne has Carlton. The old traditions are alive with each new generation blending their own style into the bianco, rosso and verde of this uniquely Australian-Italian community.
The life flows onto the streets with endless cafes and restaurants serving steaming bowls of pasta, strong espressos and delicious gelati. And, as you walk past, charming waiters smile i?1/2 their only motivation in life seems to be to entice you inside.
If you can bear to tear your tastebuds away from the heady aroma of authentic trattoria cooking, further down Lygon Street discover a shopping precinct to die for.
Bookshops to browse through, fashion emporiums to breeze through, and the latest European fashions sitting comfortably side by side with the best Australia has to offer.
Fitzroy
Iti?1/2s north of the city and somewhere south of cool. Remember those tales of the Bohemian life of early twentieth century Europe? Theyi?1/2re here. Transplanted and updated, but still with the same relaxed attitude.
Fitzroy is a village protective of its past and delighting in its present. Retro, the understated, cool and unashamedly groovy, is alive and well and living in Fitzroy.
Creativity abounds from quiet, quaint and quirky shops to colourful street benches and footpaths. The cafes and bars along Brunswick Street like Retro and Vertigo are great places to sit and watch the world go by. At night the whole place lights up with tapas bars, Latin American clubs, pubs, comedy bars and jazz clubs.
If youi?1/2re lucky to be here during the Melbourne Fringe Festival (September-October), dive right in for the experience of a lifetime.
Dining on Brunswick Street
For a Greenwich Village lifestyle with a downunder twist, doni?1/2t miss the funky streetlife of this laidback inner-city village. If an alternative approach is tempting, this part of Melbourne has the most vibrant venues i?1/2 arty, music-filled cafes, restaurants and bars as well as second-hand and young designer stores. The cafes and bars along Brunswick Street like Retro and Vertigo are great places to sit and watch the world go by. At night the whole place lights up with tapas bars, Latin American clubs, comedy bars and jazz clubs.
Browsing is part of the scene, so combine some window shopping with your green tea or decaf skinny soy latte. Home to the Fringe Street Party each year, Brunswick Street is renowned for the eclectic and original shops that sell handmade jewellery, art, sculpture to the alternative community so youi?1/2re bound to find that gold lame catsuit or pink leather chaps.
