MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Melbourne is a city of neighborhoods. Italian or Chinese, groovy or chic, bohemian or beachside — Melbourne has them all. Each has its own character instilled by the type of people who live and work there — émigrés from all over the world who have brought their customs, beliefs, businesses, food, art and style to the city.

The Central Business District

Laid out as a grid, the city center is easy to navigate. The modern skyline of the financial district contrasts with well-preserved Victorian architecture, and the alley ways and arcades that snake through the city give it all charm and character. Swanston Street, a pedestrian mall generally considered to be the city's main drag, runs from the ornate 19th century domes of Flinders Street Station to the gleaming, billion dollar Melbourne Central Shopping Complex. The stretch of Collins Street between Swanston and Spring Streets is a more exclusive shopping strip. Known as "the Paris end" of the city, it is home to luxury boutiques and prestigious offices and hotels. Running parallel is Bourke Street, the oldest... more