This place is pretty good for concerts, and of course the tennis, if you happen to be one of those…read morepeople that tend to like to go to the tennis. Well, I'm not so I really only come here for concerts, and they do tend to be pretty large concerts at that. Actually, this is a pretty cool place for concerts, though of course I generally end up getting the rather annoying seats right up the top, but that is because I tend to not want to pay too much for my tickets. Anyway, it is a pretty cool venue with quite a few bars, and a rooftop bar as well, which was pretty nice. However, I have found the food areas to be a little disappointing, but still, it is pretty cool.

This is the venue for the Australian Open Tennis Championship held in early January every year. I…read morehave personally watched matches here and the whole facility including Margaret Court are fantastic. People are allowed to come on the premises during business hours but you are not allowed to use the practice courts. There is a train station between this site and the Melbourne Cricket Grounds. A concrete walkway allows passage between the two major venues. Historical matches have been played here with famous people who have their name and busts erected on the ground.

Great little theatre for live performance, not too big, not too small…read more Love the restored front facade to this place

The Clocktower Centre has stood as a space for the community from its humble origins as Essendon…read moretown hall, to its current use as a space for the performing arts, local events and ceremonies. Predominantly used as a theatre and concert space, the Clocktower is used by schools, local amateur groups and professional productions.It was also used for my highschool grauation ceremony. Its great to have such a multifunctional space in the area that can really be useful to the local community Its well kept, modern and i a real asset to the area. Check their website for upcoming productions.

If I had to pick one place that represented what makes Melbourne great, I'd pick The Wheeler…read moreCentre. To me it shows the creativity, innovativeness and curiosity of Melbourne culture at its best. The Wheeler Centre runs multiple high quality events a week where interesting people from a very wide variety of fields come to talk about writing and important ideas. I've been to talks and panel discussions there on topics as diverse as indigenous understandings of place, the importance of young adult literature, gender roles and even why cats are so popular on the internet. Many of the events are free and the others are at reasonable ticket prices. You see people of all ages and all walks of life at their events. If you love to learn and explore ideas it's a truly wonderful place.

Little known fact: Melbourne is a UNESCO City of Literature owning to the high concentration of…read morepublishers located here. This means there's a lot of great resources for writers and lovers of books, including The Wheeler Centre. The Wheeler Centre is a hive of ideas and literature. The calendar of events features talks, discussions and workshops with noted writers, journalists, politicians and more. And the best thing is many of the events here are free. The centre is the home of the Melbourne Writers' Festival and the Emerging Writers' Festival, and also houses the Victorian Writers' Centre - a must-join for any aspiring writer for networking, support and resources. Go to their website and subscribe to the eNewsletter to stay up to date on what's happening. Many of the events are extremely popular, especially readings and talks by international authors, so you need to book early.

The Alexander Theatre is probably the most well established of all Monash's performance spaces. I…read moresay this because of the box office, the bar, the ticketing system and the nice backstage area. Actually, it's probably on par with the Robert Blackwood with the addition of a stage curtain. Like most of Clayton's facilities it looks incredibly outdated, even more so when compared to city theatres with their fancy refurbishments. Having said that, a theatre in the mid-east suburbs is a great thing to have because it means one can pop down the road to see Bell Shakespeare on their "regional" tour, or something equally exciting. Capacity is a tad smaller than I'd like, which forces either plays to put on slightly longer runs or audiences to book ahead.

Contemporary art & theatre in a wonderful setting…read more Went west to catch a highly rated play "Cain & Abel" which whilst disturbing was a revelation. But this isn't a review of the play, the theatre space was fantastic (an aisle on the right of the stage would be handy as you have to hop over other patrons legs), seating a lot but every seat with a view. Stage massive and could suit large productions. Gallery space downstairs fantastic with a number of rooms able to show works by different artists. Again a great use of an old building's space. Bar a little ordinary with one red & 2 whites to choose from & your standard fare, wine only average at $8 a glass. Wonderful space I'll be visiting again.

The substation is an iconic building of Melbourne's west. If you've ever tracked by rail through…read moreNewport, you've seen it. When I was growing up, it was derelict and home to many homeless and winos. And of course the fascination to kids all around. All the "cool kids" would break in to throw rocks at the window, or so my cool older sister would tell me. I was too busy at trombone practice. Newly renovated to resemble a New York loft, the substation is opened for business. Ideal for many functions, current uses are performances, art shows and markets. I do believe they can host wedding, though I'm not sure they have kitchen facilities. All in all, it's a modern building with multiple uses. The only (major) downfall is there is no aircon. Meaning during summer it can and does get extremely hot. And for that reason, it's 3, not 4 stars.

The State Netball and Hockey Centre is located in the Royal Park close to the Melbourne Zoo. It is…read morehome to a number of sports teams including the Melbourne Vixens (netball) and the Melbourne Tigers (basketball). I've been here to play hockey and it is home to a number of Melbourne based hockey clubs. There are two water based hockey pitches that are of the highest quality. In fact they are of international standard. They are hands down the best hockey pitches I've played on in Australia and for that reason it is hard to give them anything other than 5 stars. It is also run as a non-profit facility by the State Sport Centres Trust which can only be a good thing.

Cecil Street studio is a space that is home to movement, dance, and performance classes, rehearsals…read moreand training with a strong undercurrent of improvisation. Established as a studio space in 1997, the building has been converted from an old factory. I was led here by a dancer friend of mine and she introduced my to contact dance, which is a beautiful free form contemporary dance style that was an absolute pleasure to be a part of. The space itself is very easy to miss. Hidden in the small streets of Fitzroy, the two-story building is covered in vines and looks quite dilapidated. Inside is a small office and entranceway that opens into the large movement space. It is very simple inside, with a distinct lack of effort put into the furnishings. The studio is available to hire for personnel of group work and holds various events that you can take part in all year round. Check out their website for details.

This is a great venue. I've been to several AFL football matches here and a few music concerts too…read more In both cases the seating is good - you will get a great view, no matter where your seat is. For sports, if you're in General Admission it's easy, but make sure you're not sitting too high up on Level 3, or your view of the big screens will be obscured by the roof structures. The ground is easy to get to - by trams along Collins and Bourke Streets, or by train to Southern Cross Station - then a few hundred meters walk into the ground. There's lots of places to get food and drinks both at the stadium and as you approach. Overall, the venue is a winner.

Melbourne's second AFL stadium and it's only purpose built one. It has a very different atmosphere…read moreto the MCG. It's all new and clean and shiny and a little bit more clinical. Having said that it has a retractable roof which, when closed, makes all the sound reverberate. Imagine 50,000 mad and drunk Australians yelling at the tops of their voices in a closed room? Also because it's smaller and the seats are designed well and steep, you can see the action very well form all vantage points. Beer and pies are a bit more expesive than the G and so is entry, but I admit that I do enjoy watching games here. Oh and they have concerts and other shows like soccer as well but I don't bother with that.