Melbourne

More than once, Melbourne has been named as the best city in the world to call home. And not just by the locals. Bursting with a lively arts scene, passionate sports followers and a culture made up of many cultures, Melbourne is a special and somewhat idealistic city.

Sitting on the northern banks of the Yarra River, the inner city is a neatly planned rectangle of tall skyscrapers that tower over smaller buildings from days gone by, giving way to the leafy suburbs that give Melbourne its title of ‘The Garden City’. Running through the neatly angled streets are laneways that house a lively café and restaurant culture. The aesthetic quality of Melbourne may be described as an eclectic mix of order and chaos, old and new, organic and manmade points of distinction.

Getting around is easy, with an extensive network of trams, trains and buses running their way around the streets. Melbourne is famous for its trams, being the only city in Australia that uses them as a major part of its transport system. Although most of Melbourne’s older style trams have been replaced by newer electric models, you can still catch the distinctive City Circle Tram as it loops its way around the inner city.

Melbourne has a unique multicultural population, with pockets of individual cultures springing up in different areas. Each precinct has its own ethnic identity, with Lonsdale holding the second largest Greek population outside of Athens, the Italian quarter in Carlton, Chinatown on Little Bourke Street and a rich Jewish population in St Kilda. The harmonious spirit of Melbourne is one of the things that so endears it to international visitors, and infiltrates every part of the local culture from art to food.

Melbournians have always been a creative lot, and it shows up in the arts scene. The city is bursting with a vibrant culture around art, and is widely known as the arts capital of Australia. The other cultural commodity Melbournians are crazy about is sport. Like most Aussies, they can be quite passionate about the victory or defeat of the home team. This passion has given rise to the construction of the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground, home of many a well watched sporting event.

Entertainment is no scarce phenomenon in Melbourne, with cafes, restaurants and a thriving nightlife. Just as Melbourne is divvied up into cultural sections, so it is with types of entertainment and indulgence. You’ll find whole streets filled with the aroma of coffee, or lined with clubs and pubs. There are high end fashion sections, and parts that are perfect for the more bohemian arts minded individual.

The only thing you could possibly complain about would have to be the unpredictability of the climate. There is a running joke around here that if you don’t like the weather, you just have to wait around for a few minutes. It’s not uncommon to experience four seasons in one day, with sunshine one minute and cold rain the next.

Putting that aside, there are few places in the world where you can find so many cultures existing side by side in perfect harmony, giving rise to a unique and varied spirit that makes Melbourne a truly international city.