After an ideal start to the trip in Sydney, the next stop on the adventure was Australia’s other major city, Melbourne. As far as geography goes, I liken Sydney and Melbourne to California’s competing cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Like San Francisco, Sydney sits in gorgeous topography, nestled into a harbour and littered with skyline views. Melbourne on the other hand, while near the coast, is relatively flat and dry, save some mountains on the horizon. Flying in, the landscape looked very similar to that of the greater Los Angeles area, albeit not nearly as sprawling. When it comes to the culture of the two cities, however, it’s quite the opposite. While I wouldn’t necessarily equate Sydney to LA, Melbourne screams San Francisco. And Austin. And maybe a little Portland, too. Coming from Sydney, where both the city and the people were always neatly buttoned-up, it was immediately clear that Melbourne was quite the opposite. Any and all styles go. Walking down Bourke street you’ll find performers, homeless, businessmen, exuberant youths, nomads, and hipsters, all hanging out in front of a high end fashion boutique. The mesh of lives, ideals, and styles is woven together seamlessly.
Turn down one of the main streets in the city center, and you’ll more than likely find yourself immersed in a world of street art, as spray paint cans and cigarette butts line the alleyways. Don’t turn around back to the main drag though, else you might miss out on the award-winning speakeasy cocktail bar located at the end of the lane. Endless nondescript cafes, bars, and restaurants are speckled throughout the city. I felt like I needed a treasure map to find all the hidden gems. Though I didn’t have a treasure map, I did have something just as valuable: Local Friends. I wouldn’t have made it to half of the tasty eateries and bars without the help of some former travel friends and coworkers. Thanks Alex and Lee!
About these bars. These aren’t your standard. There’s Berlin Bar, where east literally meets west, with half the bar covered in communist decor, while the other half looks a bit more...western. Or Bar Americano, which requires you walk down an alley within an alley to find a corner cocktail bar that holds all of 10 people at a time. You never know what the seemingly non-descript establishment you’re walking into may have on the other side. Perhaps you’ll get a rooftop view of the skyline, or maybe a DJ spinning records from the cockpit of a 1950’s war plane.
While Sydney was easy on all the senses, Melbourne focuses almost entirely on every aspect of one’s sense of taste.
Food, Drink, Style.
Melbourne.
