Apparently this place used to be a hospital, but that was long before my time. These days it is…read morebasically a huge, post-modern style, shopping centre, and a very confusing one at that. In fact it is very easy to get lost inside, and I have found myself wandering around it numerous times either trying to find a way out, or trying to locate a specific shop. Okay, it does have a Dan Murphy's but the way out can be a challenge to find even at the best of times.

As far as shopping centres in the CBD goes, Melbourne Central will forever have my heart. However,…read moreQV does have its own unique charm. PROS: ~ It differs from Melbourne Central in that Melbourne Central is more commercial with large-named chain stores whereas QV has a collection of smaller, independently-owned fashion boutiques. ~ Has Woolworth's and Big W - two really useful department stores. ~ Convenient location in the CBD! CONS: ~ The food court isn't very good. Yeah I know it's a pretty silly way to grade a shopping centre but mama loves her food! ~ Very confusing and hard-to-navigate. There are so many twists, turns, and hidden laneways. I have actually gotten lost on multiple occasions. Essentially, QV is a lot more hip whereas Melbourne Central is larger and more commercial. There is still room for expansion but it does have a unique charm!

Greensborough Plaza is the poor cousin to it's relative neighbours Northland and Doncaster Shopping…read moreCentres. It bills itself as a major shopping centre for one. Wrong. Chadstone is major, unfortunately you GP are not. It is significantly smaller then nearby centres, so if you are after a bunch of chain stores with some department stores thrown in (you get either Kmart or Target) your shopping marathon would be better sated in one of the larger neighbours. However that said GP does well as a large local shopping centre. The Plaza can meet all your grocery needs and chain store requirements. The multilevel mall houses over 190 retailers yet the range is limited. This is not the place to head for anything with the word designer in it. The Plaza is best suited to local families and teenagers. The Hoyts Cinema's are small, dark and dingy and not all the major banks have a branch inside. As a teenager I spent hours after school and weekends scouring the Plaza for chain store bargains and just generally killing time. Greensborough Plaza lost me after I left high school and could drive. So my history pretty much sums the Plaza up. It is convenient and family friendly but does little to appeal to shoppers that have learnt to expect more.

Greensborough Plaza is smaller than your major shopping complexes, so really it's perfect for those…read moretimes when you don't want to have to walk kilometers around the complex to find what you need (number one reason as to why I hate Chadstone..) GP has all the neccessary stores, and it's a good central place for my friends from Melb's northern suburbs and I to catch up. It doesn't have all the major department stores, but it more than meets most peoples requirements.

Love the culture and the food. Not a huge fan of the car park, but this place works better on…read morepublic transport.

I love Melbourne Central. I love how it's a one-stop-shop for everything you could need…read more ~ Smack dab in the middle of the CBD. Need something you (for some strange reason) cannot find at Melbourne Central? It's probably 10 steps away from Melbourne Central/ ~ Stunning interior design and architecture. You have your tower underneath a glass cage. At first, I thought that this was a bit strange, but then accepted the fact that the tower probably did a lot of bad things in its life and needs a cage to control it. You can't let that thing free, man. ~ Nice selection of food. Nothing too fantastic, but my favourites: Menya Ramen, Lord of the Fries, Grill'd, O-Bento, and Harajuku Crepes. There's bound to be more food heavens that I haven't explored in that massive building yet, and I'm keen to be on the lookout! ~ Convenient public transportation. If you're on the go, trust Melbourne Central to have a train running to anywhere you want in Melbourne. Trust Melbourne Central to also have great food takeaways for you to enjoy yourself at before your train arrives. ~ Loads of entertainment! Try out Cho Gao - a great Asian Beer Cafe with a stunning view of the city. Now try out Cho Gao after catching a movie at Melbourne Central's very own cinema. Seriously - what CAN'T you do here?

Look, I'm not a huge fan of shopping centres, namely because they lack the authenticity of your…read moretypical main street, and the shops inside tend to be part of larger chains, so there also seems to be somewhat of a lack of personality to many of the shops as well. They do have their uses in part, and some of them are trying to create a bit of a main street feel, but unfortunately it tends to fail more often than not. As for this one, well, I have to admit that it is pretty fancy, though like a lot of them it is easy to get pretty lost inside as well. I liked it, and they do have a number of good coffee shops as well, so I'll certainly give it marks for that.

The Ugly Duckling that once was Westfield Doncaster has recently received the ultimate makeover and…read moreflourished as a stylish swan. Luxurious lounge area's to rest after intensive shopping are glittered throughout the centre and the brightly lit malls lead to over 400 shopping outlets. This shopping mall is a mix of chain stores from high street to designer fashion stores, home wares and electronics. Home to department stores Myer and David Jones, Village Cinema, Big W , Target, Safeway and Coles and countless food outlets. If your after high end designers then Chadstone is your best bet but for designers such as Alannah Hill and Max Mara then Doncaster is a more manageable option.This centre looks bigger then it feels so if your up for a shopping marathon you may feel let down by the size. But for my shopping and entertainment needs Doncaster is fantastic! The new personal shopper suite is perfect for individuals and groups who need a little fashion help, which may be useful in the upcoming party season! While not my speed I can totally appreciate its merits. The main obstacle to shopping bliss is car parking during peak periods, especially December and weekends its every car for itself. To ad insult to injury parking will cost you if you spend more then three hours in the centre. To remedy this you can pay $10 for valet parking and have your car sheltered for you. Doncaster Westfield is my pick for shopping in the Northeastern suburbs.

Went today for the first time in ages and it was too hot. Hubby had to sit down and then left to…read morecar. I couldnt even visit the stores I wanted to. I felt like I was going to pass out and then one escalator was out and I had to walk even further. Never again

I have to say that this shopping centre is a bit of a maze. In fact it is a lot of a maze, meaning…read morethat it can be quite easy to end up getting lost in it. I guess this is what happens when shopping centres start off small and they just keep on adding more and more to it, until such a time as it is an absolute monstrosity, and you need a GPS to be able to wander around. Still, as a shopping centre it isn't too bad, and it has quite a good range of services, including a half decent pub.

If you live in Carlton North, Brunswick or Fitzroy North, then Barkly Square Shopping Centre is an…read moreabsolute godsend if you want to shop frugally for your weekly/big shop. It pretty much has everything you need irrespective of what you are after. There are a few supermarkets with a Coles and a Woollies. There is also a butchers and a seafood place that often have higher quality and better value fresh meat and seafood than the supermarkets have to offer. That solves the problem where you are usually let down by supermarkets. The KMart is absolutely massive, so you can just about find everything you need. Did I mention a liquor land too?The only thing it is really missing is a Bunnings. Nevertheless with so much parking and fairly late opening hours, this is a winner. Way cheaper than shopping at Piedemonte's.

Oh how I love Sparkly Bear! It's the little suburban shopping centre that has everything you need -…read moremultiple supermarkets, Kmart, grocers, butchers, a baker, pharmacy, bottle shops, a $2 shop and even a massage parlor. Personally, I think Sparkly Bear is one of Melbourne's ultimate hangover destinations - you can stuff yourself with McDonalds and then get a head massage before popping into one of Sydney Road's many pubs for a hair of the dog. But it's also good for doing extra big shops, preferably hangover free. As a Carlton resident, Barkly Square is the easiest place to get life's dull essentials like buckets or shower curtains (don't even mention the QV BigW - it's a nightmare!). The car park is big and not too anger-inducing because it is easily accessed without having to deal with the Sydney Road traffic. First hour parking is free!

Studfield Shopping Centre is more a strip of shops on the side of the road than a Shopping Centre…read morebut that's what they like to call themselves and I'm not one to argue. The strip boasts a wide variety of stores and there is something nice about being able to be in the fresh air between stores. It certainly beats traditional shopping centres. The staff here are very pleasant and warm too- also a nice contrast from most staff in big shopping centres. The shops are fairly small but each staff member is super helpful and willing to go the extra mile. There is an IGA store, a butchers, florist, chocolate shop, cafe, hair salon, discount store, fruit shop, take-away and a Brumbys to name a few. There is also a bank. One thing I do like about this place is that there are public toilets provided, although they are pretty feral so it really isn't that much of a plus. Parking here can be risky as it is a high accident strip. There is a big park at the IGA end and I'd recommend parking there rather than in front of the shops.

Best little shopping strip around, most helpful shop staff in this area…read more Always smiling and pleasant, especially the girls in Brumby's. Well done to their management team for training their staff to smile and enjoy their work at the same time. Well done Brumbys Team!!

Look, I hate these places enormously. They've killed off plenty of local small businesses over the…read moreyears, and every time a new one opens, the only thing I can think of is the nightmare that some poor bugger of a small businessman or woman going broke overnight. That said, these places are here to stay, and there's not much to be done about it once they've opened. And as far as these monstrosities go, this one isn't too bad. Parking is pretty easy, (although generally for only four hours - that's plenty of time to get in, get what you need and get out), there's a couple of supermarkets and pretty much everything you'll ever need. There are lots of really good restaurants within a stone's throw if you're hungry, but the food court has a couple of decent places too.

Centro The Glen is a small shopping center packed full of the most popular brands you would hope to…read morefind in one place. Sure the centers small and the areas not 'that' well known, but The Glen hits mostly all the right notes when it comes to store variety. Brands include, sportsgirls, witchery, country road, cotton on, athletes foot, bed bath n table, mimco, oroton, rebel and many other well-known brands. There is also a David Jones and Target if you prefer being in a department store. The Glen is a long 2 level building that offers ample parking and dining options. Besides their 2 food courts, just a few hundred meters down the road from the center is the Kingsway Strip which is a goldmine of cafes and restaurants. The Glen also offers a coles/woolworths/Thomas dux, as well as a center butcher, deli, fishmonger and Asian grocer.