Degraves Street was one of Melbourne's first laneways. Laneways are narrow streets, like an alley,…read more that support diversity in public spaces. Love the cute cafes and shops along this passage off busy Flinders Street.

Degrave Street feels like Europe , people watching and lots of different people walkign through…read morewhich makes it interesting . You have buisiness people coming in for their morning meeting , creatives with their cameras and artisitc accessories. There are so many friendly homeless with a story and not to mention the tourists who are from all over the world

Got to check out the famous hosier lane. So much cool art and was nice it wasn't over crowded so…read moreyou could really walk around and enjoy it. There was a little construction going on one end, but besides that, definitely a cool spot to check out!

Feels like I moved back to LA (minus the homeless people and syringes). I like all of the graffiti…read moreartwork. The rule in Melbourne is that you can only cover it up if you do better than what's already on the wall. I have no idea how often people paint over other people's work. Cool spot to take pics and walk around and have some fun.

The Public Purse is a huge granite and stainless steel sculpture. It was created after a contest to…read moredesign unique seating in Melbourne. It is a quirky place to have a seat for weary shoppers or tourists in the Central Business District. So fun!

I'm not really all that sure about this particular thing, though I guess it does serve to give…read moreMelbourne a bit of character. Mind you, I wouldn't go as far as calling it an icon, because it isn't as if people come to Melbourne just to see 'The Public Purse'. Yet, it is one of those places that could serve as a meeting spot, if it wasn't for the fact that there happen to be some clocks on Flinder's Street Station where people do the exact same thing.

With so many second hand markets around these days, it's really a hit and miss as to whether you…read morewill luck upon scoring a good find for a decent price. Fitzroy market is a small market at the Fitzroy Primary School that has a well edited selection of clothes, books, shoes, bits and bobs. There is definitely an element of 'Fitzroy cool' at the market, with a younger range of sellers. Note, when I say younger, I'm talking 20-30s (which is the age bracket I fall in). This is one of my favorite markets around at the moment.

Great little local market held in the grounds of Fitzroy Primary School on the third Saturday of…read moreevery month in 2012 (it's previously been the first Saturday of the month). Mostly secondhand clothes, records, toys and bric-a-brac - almost always at very reasonable prices. Not many food and drink options: a sausage sizzle and a very good coffee stall, but there's plenty of other cafes and bakeries nearby on Smith or Brunswick Streets if that doesn't take your fancy. Entry by gold coin donation.

My sister loves murals and street art so we had to come by and visit this area. It's a whole…read morealleyway of graffiti. It's very colorful and pleasing to the eyes, but it is dirty and it mostly consists of graffiti words and letters. There are a few art spaced out in between, but mostly it's just words. It's not a bad place to visit, but it's not something entirely unique. The good thing is it's not out of the way, it's located in between the main streets; so you could just make a short detour, take a look, and continue on your way.

Fantastic street art. Located immediately next to David Jones, blink and you'll miss it. The…read moreMelbourne Visitor Centre is right near Union Lane, in case you're having trouble finding it. One long narrow alley way, plastered with graffiti. Probably 2nd best laneway in Melbourne (next to Hosier - also check out Croft and Caledonian)

I visited The Mussel Pot at the Queen Victoria Market over a year ago and I kid you not I still…read morethink about these mussels regularly and every time I eat mussels! This was unexpectedly one of the best things I ate on my entire 2 week Australia trip!! I'm not even a big fan of mussels.... but at the market I noticed everyone was sitting at tables just eating mussels out of a big bowl? Such a random meal choice so figured it's gotta be good. Went up to order and there were so many different options I just asked the guy working there what he recommends. He suggested the chili coconut mussels which was not the one I would have picked on my own but went with it. Oh my god these mussels changed my life LOL. They were SO big, plump, juicy, and packed with so much flavor!!! The chili coconut sauce almost reminded me a bit of a curry sauce, not very spicy and very flavorful and it was perfect to mop up with the yummy bread on top. It was so good I'm literally drooling writing this review a year later and I have not had any mussels that can even begin to compare!!!! If I get to visit Australia again I am 10000% hunting down this mussel food truck as soon as I get there!

Nice fresh mussels with a side of bread, what a perfect comfort food. It's located in Prahran…read moremarket which is an awesome market.

The Merri Creek is quite simply the greatest natural thing that exists in Melbourne. The creek runs…read morefor approximately 70kms, beginning near Heathcote Junction, on Melbourne's northern outskirts, and joining the Yarra River at Dight's falls in Collingwood. Through its journey, the creek meanders through suburbs, under highways and foot bridges and in recent times a concerted effort to clean the thing up has been taking place. Spearheaded by not-for-profit Friends Of Merri Creek, the clean up and re-vegetation of the banks of the creek is redeveloping this amazing environment around the creek. Birds and other native animals (notably, snakes) are moving back into the growing bush lands and there have even been reports of Platypus sightings in Thornbury. If you haven't been to the creek, take a rug and go down there to relax in the sunshine under a tree. It is so very peaceful and gives me warm fuzzies just thinking about it.

Having been for a Sunday afternoon cycle along the Merri Creek, I have to wholeheartedly agree with…read moreSam that is is one of the most naturally beautiful areas of Melbourne. The Merri Creek trail runs for 21km and is perfect for grazing, walking, running or as we did cycling. We joined it at St Georges Road and followed it North for 10 or so clicks. Along the way are numerous play areas and areas prime for picnicking, sports clubs and the Brunswick cycling outdoor velodrome (this was a lot of fun). You can also stop for a coffee at the CERES cafe. A truly great place in Melbourne that is perfect for a leisurely afternoon in the summertime. My friend who trains for triathlons only runs here. Now I know why!

What a great way to start the morning. I Decided to go for a stroll and ended up at the market and…read morespent a good chunk of time then walked out with a bag of groceries. Reasonably priced and a great selection of products. If you ever want to prepare a meal, there's great selection.. Market city coffee was fantastic, bought some cheeses, and picked up a borek pastry. Market is separated into different buildings. Seafood, deli and meats, and I didn't get to walk to the produce section. I stopped in at nine, but according to Google, it opens at six. In a shopper. Owner told me they close at three on the weekdays and four on the weekends. Open every day!

Definitely glad I booked my Melbourne hotel next to this market knowing I'd spend a good chunk of…read moretime there! The market is huge with so much to see - I spent almost an entire day here! Really great lively atmosphere with lots of people and the large downtown buildings in the backdrop of the market were beautiful! There was a great fruit and vegetable selection - I choose a few different fruit options to take back to my hotel later to enjoy. I LOVE mangosteen but it's hard to get fresh ones in the US so was super stoked to see those available! The indoor section with cheeses, meat and seafood was also super impressive! I snacked on some lobster and oysters then went outside and had some sugarcane juice and the BEST MUSSELS I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. Such a great day at this market!!

A trip to Souk Lifestyle is an exercise in retail tourism, selling a range of Moroccan, Indian and…read moreAsian homewares, furniture and accessories alongside some pretty pricey threads. With stock displayed almost like a gallery and a good range of quite tasteful stuff, Souk Lifestyle is definitely worth a visit to see if it's your style. While I definitely wouldn't wear any of the clothes - verging as they do on middle aged - I do like Souk Lifestyle's range of what I believe is called occasional furniture - i.e. small pieces of furniture that can be put to multiple uses - with its tiled patio tables being a particular highlight. Perhaps not so much a lifestyle for me as an interesting place for the occasional browse, Souk Lifestyle is, nonetheless, an interesting and well executed boutique.

Southbank boulevard brings back memories of being 16 and finally getting the freedom to explore the…read morecity, "the city" being a restaurant at Southbank and a really D-grade nightclub at Crown Casino. But don't let my seedy memories deter you; Southbank boulevard is enduringly one of my favourite parts of the city, especially during summer. The view of the city across Fed Square and St Pauls Cathedral is so pretty and the Boulevard itself is the perfect place to stroll along and take in buskers, street artists, stop for an ice cream and feel the heat from the giant flaming tower thingys which are always a tourist trap. I recommend stopping for dinner at Bearbrass followed by a drink at Ponyfish Island. In winter there is an ice skating rink which is also kind of rad.

This is the way to enjoy a Sunday -- walk along the river, grab a drink, drop at a restaurant to…read moreeat, watch some of the performers on the walk....it does not get better than this! Awesome and always interesting.