The coolest street in Australia - Brunswick St, Melbourne

Brunswick Street, is in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, just north-east of the CBD. It is a street that doesn't try too hard to be cool, it just is.

How to get there on foot:

Just 500 metres from Parliament Station or Parliament House, pass by St Patrick's Cathedral, walk across Victoria Parade and you're at the start of Brunswick Street. 

It is a blend of inner city battlers and urban hipsters. Home to an abundance of vegan eateries (one restaurant, Smith & Daughters, call their fare: "Plant-based dining"). There is a huge range of other restaurants, from Ethiopian to Malaysian, from Basque to Mexican.

Public housing towers, welfare agencies, thrift shops mix it with antique shops, Goth clothing stores, exotic bars (e.g. "Naked for Satan") and a bondage/fetish store ("Lucrezia + De Sade"). Window shopping recommended.

Looking north

Looking south (St Patrick's spire in the distance)

First major intersection after Victoria Parade is fashionable Gertrude Street

Victorian architecture meets street art

A florist is on the ground floor

Victoria Parade, East Melbourne

Forget Melbourne's Chapel Street in South Yarra, Sydney's Newtown/Surrey Hills or Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.

Fitzroy, fascinating inner city Melbourne, tourist-free. An easy walk from the CBD.

Most tourist buses stop at Captain Cook's Cottage. Dull. The Chinese tourists have to endure this. But Melbourne gets interesting on the northern side of Fitzroy Gardens.

After the stately homes and medical offices of East Melbourne, you come to the wide thoroughfare of Victoria Parade. Cross this and you are in Fitzroy, one of Melbourne's first suburbs.

A fascinating blend of inner city slums, hipster heaven and stylish inner city living.  On Brunswick and Gertrude Streets, there is an enormous range of bars, restaurants and trendy fashion shopping. Because of its well preserved Victorian architecture, film and television productions often use this area (see photo below). All this is an easy 1 hour walk (round trip) from the edge of the CBD.

 Fitzroy Gardens, northern edge, near Albert Street, CBD in background

Graceful Victoria Parade with central tramway (think New Orleans' Charles Street)

Trendy Gertrude Street

Looking up Brunswick Street toward St Patrick's Cathedral and CBD

Beautifully renovated home in Gore Street

Fitzroy "Town Hall", Napier Street, on this particular day,  the set of a TV production - Network Ten's "Offspring"