Though Melbourne has collected many accolades – consistently voted as one of the ‘Most Liveable Cities in the World’, named city with the ‘Most Admired Knowledge’ and earned its place as the cultural hub of Australia, it is the title for the most accomplished creativity given to its population for their efforts at multi-layer dressing that Melbournians hold to their chest like a badge of honour.
Melbourne is notoriously unpredictable in weather – its ability to transform from torrential rain to searing heat in a matter of minutes is one of its most highly regarded features and means that perfecting the art of dressing for four seasons in one day is a standard pastime for its residents.
Like its erratic weather forecasts, Melbourne is constantly changing. Steady in its ascent to becoming one of the most creative and innovative cities in the world, Melbourne vibrates with an energy that is exciting and intoxicating. It holds a year-round program of festivals and events, a diverse collection of art galleries and museums, a fashion scene that is regarded as the nation’s best and drinking and dining lifestyle that makes it a foodie’s paradise.
For all the attention it receives, it would be easy to assume that Melbourne’s standout features are restricted to laneways and rooftop bars, that the most popular activity in Melbourne involves finding an unmarked doorway leading to a maze of stairs and password protected entryways into the newest ‘it’ restaurant, or battling lines of patrons waiting for a table at a local cafe, but there’s a whole lot more to the city than that.
Influenced by its diverse cultural communities, every neighbourhood in Melbourne displays a personality that is reflected in its surroundings. It is a mixed bag of suburbs that mesh together like characters in a crazy sitcom that manage to entertain everybody in some way.
From the grungy inner-city roads that are dotted with al fresco cafes, bars and eclectic boutiques, the Victorian era houses that line the streets of leafy suburbia, the parks bustling with dog walkers and tai chi instructors and the urban sprawls that are lovingly injected with doses of Kath and Kim personalities, Melbourne has a little something for everyone.
Though it’s certainly not impossible to become sidetracked by the downside to life in Melbourne – regular clashes with lumbering trams, the inability to escape sporting madness during AFL season (though some would argue that a true Melbournian would never complain about this), and the Monash Freeway during peak hour, Melbourne certainly presents its fair share of challenges, but it all comes with a reward.
After all, what other city in the world can boast inhabitants who judge others based on where they buy their coffee?
Now that’s my kind of city.
Image credit: Kathryn Sprigg
