MELBOURNE NIGHTLIFE |
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The western Melbourne skyline at night, from DocklandsAs one would expect
from a city its size, Melbourne contains all manner of pubs, bars, and
nightclubs. The CBD contains a wide variety of venues, from the ubiquitous
faux-Irish pubs proliferating around the world, to some very upmarket
establishments (such as the Supper Club, which offers all manner of
exclusive wines at exclusive prices), serious jazz venues on Bennetts Lane,
fashionable nightclubs and dance venues, and massive pickup joints (of which
The Metro on Bourke Street is perhaps the biggest). |
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The restaurant strips,
particularly Brunswick Street have their own bars, some of which are the
best rock venues in Melbourne. King Street, on the southern side of the CBD,
was traditionally a nightclub strip and still hosts several, but many are
now exotic dancing venues (a final note on this topic, small brothels are
legal in Victoria and are found discreetly dotted throughout the suburbs).
Chapel Street, Prahran, is perhaps the trendiest, most upmarket (and most
expensive) nightlife strip. Another area of note is St Kilda, background for
the TV show The Secret Life of Us, which is the home of several huge music
venues including the famous Esplanade Hotel (known as 'the Espy'), the
Prince of Wales, and The Palace. On its beachside setting, it also combines
the upmarket with the grungy.
The recent influx of city-dwellers have given rise to the numerous
underground bars and sidewalk cafes in the alleys between Flinders Street -
Flinders Lane and Bourke Street - Lonsdale Street Notable alleys include
Block Arcade/Block Place (off Little Collins Street), Degraves Street (off
Flinders Lane), and Hardware Lane (between Bourke and Lonsdale Streets).
Melbourne is a reasonably cheap and easy place to shop. There are
innumerable clothing shops for every budget, though bargain hunters may wish
to try the outlet stores in Bridge Road, Richmond. |
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