"What is Melbourne for You?"

There is no doubt, Melbourne, Australia, is a happening and exciting place to be.

It has something special and is growing steadily as a world-class city that can hold its own amongst other international favourites. It has been up there with the most liveable cities in the world for years.

It is changing at such a rapid pace that the Melbourne of 20 years ago is barely recognisable. The first time we visited, the only coffee you could get was 'instant', and that was in a milk bar. What a change!

Melbourne is young, alive, professional, and constantly changing. It follows its own laws and ways of doing things.

What we love - and this distinguishes from other places we have lived - is the passion and enthusiasm with which Melburnians pursue whatever their particular niche and passion happens to be. They embrace their activities with such fervour - in the arts, music, fashion, design, sport or a long line of festivals. They LOVE their city and this is contagious.

This is what gives this city presence, depth and soul - a real genuine trait. We are no longer at the end of the world trying to catch up to the cities overseas, but have something cutting edge and with style.

The Need for Personal Information

Melbourne is friendly and beautiful - with art on street corners, tree-lined boulevards and parklands that extend right into the heart of the city, and a unique tram system that makes it easy to get around.

However, you won't be able to absorb its energy in a quick glance by walking its main streets or from a tram. You will enjoy the aesthetics of the cityscape, but may miss the Melbourne beat entirely.

To know this city, you need to immerse yourself in one of its unique facets.

It has many subcultures, personalities and styles, and it is these layers and specifics that make it so interesting.

It has a vibrant arts and music scene, live music venues, markets, designers, community activities, eccentric Cafes, cobbled laneways, quirky shops, intimate bars and restaurants, festivals, activities and events.

With the real Melbourne life taking place in the city's many crannies and niches, connecting with it may not necessarily be that obvious. Yet it is these specific experiences that will give you the Melbourne feel.

The thing is, as much as you might like to explore a particular niche or subculture, you need to know where to start. For this reason we have dedicated this website to the task of giving you information that will help you have a great time and provide your with a door into the world of Melbourne.

The Dark Side

Melbourne is a city of superlatives. It is the Australian fashion capital, sports capital, food capital, arts capital, music capital, design capital - and capital of whatever else of Australia. This is not a joke, but mostly true and reflects the passion with which life is lived here. Some areas of Melbourne are even the capital of conservatism!

Being such a city of superlatives has its dark side. It can be very 'Victorian'. As an example, driving in Melbourne is dominated by stops, speed- and red-light cameras. Unlike in Sydney, when the lights turn orange everyone stops. I nearly ran into the back of the car in front of me a few times before learning the rules.

Furthermore, Melbourne is also the drug and crime capital. We even run underbelly crime tours. We've got a Mafia, gangland warfare, suburban sprawl and high-rise developments.

It is really what you make of it. Melbourne gives us ample opportunity to create, connect and experience the superlatives of life. It is a fantastic place to travel to and visit, - and an even better place to be.

Stay Informed

Our city is changing and evolving, with events and even places of interest coming and going. To stay in touch with what is happening, please sign up to our free Newsletter or the Melbourne Blog.

That way you will find out when we are featuring a new place or experience, and what the latest things to do in Melbourne are.