So I just got back from Melbourne, and although 5 days was never going to be enough, I did endeavour to cram in as many new experiences as I could, the emphasis especially being on 'new'. On my travels to Melbourne it's all too easy to spend the whole trip revisiting the familiar old stomping grounds, the gallery spaces, and the cultural hotspots I know and love - but it's more of a challenge to scope out the new and as yet undiscovered places.
And so it was this trip, the focus on new discoveries led me to some fantastic finds:
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Asta Pubblica
355 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North
www.astapubblica.com
Fitzroy North is a part of Melbourne I've not experienced prior to this little trip, so it was fun to stumble upon this quirky little shopping strip in our search for the brand-spanky-new Asta Pubblica shop. Featuring hand-made local designs crafted from either re/used, re/cycled, local or natural materials, Asta Pubblica is a bit of a hybrid space - a mixture of gallery, retail, public art windows and office/meeting space. You'll know you've found it when you see a shopwindow decked out in swathes of lovely pianola rolls (of which I'm a huge fan...).
Images sourced from the Asta Pubblica website.
Sidenote: I found an amusing Stuff White People Like article whilst sifting through the internet, and it really hits the North Fitzroy nail squarely on the head:
"North Fitzroy is Melbourne's Whitest Spot. It has more organic bakeries and vintage shops per square mile than anywhere else. It's been gentrified—but not completely, which means it still has credibility. And most importantly, everyone seems to be in possession of at least one blonde child. When a suburb is hip enough to contain vintage shops, but safe enough for white people to have kids in, then it's truly white."
Full article can be found here.
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Arthur's Circus
631 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne
http://www.arthurscircus.com/
http://arthurscircus.blogspot.com/
I first heard about this store while researching online (I found it on the incredibly useful Craft City Melbourne site), but the website did not sufficiently prepare me for the happy thrill of the real place. Susy captured it quite well on her blog when she described me 'going wild' at Arthur's Circus, but how could I not? - a whole store dedicated to vintage games and cool collectibles, with a bit of handcrafted goodness thrown in for good measure. It was like a vintage playground wonderland...! Lots of lovely, lovely stuff.
Susy and I arrive with much anticipation and excitement...
Just look at this gorgeous shop space!
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Brother Baba Budan
359 Little Bourke St, Melbourne CBD
http://brotherbababudan.com.au/
It's taken a couple of Melbourne visits before I've been able to experience this cafe with anything more than a nose pressed up against the front glass window, but now I've indulged in one of their sensational caffe lattes I'll certainly be back for a repeat visit. Most people know this cafe for its peculiar arrangement of old chairs dangling from the ceiling, and as a marketing/design feature, it's pretty darn clever really. Not only that, however, the chairs actually lend a quirky warm intimacy to the space (if you can get over your fear of one falling on your head, that is), and this cafe is wonderful as a refuge from Melbourne's chilly winter air.
Images sourced from the Brother Bada Budan website
____________________________________________________ Lost + Found Market While technically not a new discovery, the Lost + Found Market has moved locations since I last visited, so I'm slipping it in regardless. Full of lots of vintage goodies: clothing, books, bric-a-brac (who on earth came up with that term anyway?), it's a pretty fun place to spend a couple of hours browsing, and I challenge you to leave empty-handed! ____________________________________________________ Thread Den Our side adventure out to North Melbourne was initially planned solely so we could visit this funky little place. I've been enamoured with Thread Den's central 'concept' ever since I learned about the store last year (it opened in late 2007) - it is essentially a 'sewing lounge' combined with a retail store featuring local, designer and vintage clothes and accessories, as well as vintage fabrics and sewing notions. You can drop-in to 'hire' a sewing machine on a per hour basis, or attend one of their regular workshops (class timetables here). The space itself is truly vintage-inspired and lovingly decked out with all sorts of interesting knick-knacks, and it's quite fun to rummage through the many small, interconnected rooms.
12 Smith St, Collingwood
www.lostandfoundmarket.com.au
Image borrowed from Lost + Found website
Level 1, 16 Errol St, North Melbourne
(Entrance via Webbs Lane)
www.threadden.com
Images sourced from the Thread Den website
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Kent St bar/cafe
201 Smith St, Collingwood
It was nice to happen-chance upon this place as DD and I were gallavanting along Smith Street cursing Melbourne's bone-chilling cold night air. Kent St was so warm and beckoning, and we always love a place with high quirk factor. It was so genuinely relaxed that we were able to snuggle ourselves into a booth seat, pull out a bit of reading, share an espresso cocktail, and had permission to order our tempura/sushi dinner from the restaurant next door. Kent St looks like it's been around forever, and it's easy to see why. I wish I had a local like this...!
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Atomica Caffe A brilliant new cafe discovery is always welcome, and I was particularly pleased to come across this one in Fitzroy, just down the road from our hotel. A perfect cafe experience—all boxes ticked for food, coffee, service, location, ambience and interior design. A must for breakfast when you're in Melbourne.
268 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
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More to come...
Oh Shell, you must have gone nuts in Arthur's Circus :) Personal fav so far is the Brother Baba Budan with all those chairs but did you see anything plant related?? Looking forward to hearing more - will be in Melbourne weekend after next too!! xxoo
Posted by: Jay Dee | June 10, 2009 at 08:31 PM
What a fabulous post! Thanks for this. Great idea too - I always find myself stuck on my own treadmill in Melbourne. Fabulous finds. :) K
Posted by: Kylie Hunt | June 11, 2009 at 03:12 PM
You've painted a salivatingly vivid picture of Melbourne's hidden treasures... love your products throughout your blog too :)
Posted by: irninology | June 27, 2009 at 06:25 PM