Top 5 things to know about Melbourne

Ah, the steps of Flinders Street Station. Among the many things to know about Melbourne is that, to residents, there is often nothing more recognisable within the heart of the city. Most notably, by its multiple clocks.

A gorgeous building amongst Melbourne’s skyline, don’t be surprised to hear a local utter the phrase “I’ll meet you under the clocks,” as a reference to meeting someone at this location.

You’ll also often hear people say we are the sporting capital of Australia, and I will delve into that a bit later, but when it comes to Melbourne, there is so much more to see, taste, and explore.

You don’t get noted for a famous food and wine festival without a bit to savour. From expansive food choices to multiple attractions, Melbourne is a city of discovery. Let me give you my top five tasters on the expansive platter of experiences this city has to offer.

1. Accommodation close to many attractions.

Whether you’re a lover of food, sea life or just want to see the sights, one of the things to know about Melbourne is that we have an array of accommodation that can be close to all you want to see.

If you really want to feel like a local, apartment hotels such as Q2 are becoming more and more the normality, with the feeling of a home away from home. Many offer two and three bedroom apartments close to multiple attractions.

Immerse yourself in a Sunday morning institutional, by scanning the market and produce stalls of an icon of North Melbourne — Queen Victoria Market — which is situated not far from your Queensbury Street location.

This is great for any lover of artisan products or a foodie looking for their next creation. In addition, for the tourist, there are plenty of souvenirs stands to get that Australian memento.

2.  A sport for every season:

While I mentioned it in the intro, another of the many things to know about Melbourne is that we love our sport. From Australian Rules Football (AFL) to cricket, whatever the season, you’ll usually find a sporting event being held in this glorious city.

Summer:

Summer in Melbourne is the time of cricket and tennis. The Boxing Day Test Cricket, just after Christmas and the Australian Open in January are some of the sports played, with Rod Laver Arena hosting the tennis and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG or “the ‘G” to us locals) hosting its namesake sport.

Autumn:

As the coloured leaves fall, this is usually the time for Formula One Car Racing and the Australian Grand Prix. Held in the suburb of Albert Park at its namesake grounds each year; this is a great event for any rev head.

Winter:

As the time for the winter woollies sets in, we come into the heart of Australian Rules football season. If you are brave enough to brace the cold and support a team, the game is great for those who like fast action and a liking for contact sport.

A fun fact for tourists, particularly those from the cricketing nations, the game was originally devised as a training method to keep cricketers fit during their off-season. The MCG is often the central stage for many matches and is a great venue, holding a total capacity of 100,024 people. It’s a brilliant place under lights, occasionally referred to as our “Colosseum.

Spring:

As the buds burst into bloom, another thing to know about Melbourne is its famous racing carnival, held between September and early November each year.

A number of horse races, including the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate, run during the season. However, for many, the epitome is the Melbourne Cup, held at Flemington racecourse, on the first Tuesday in November.

While only a public holiday in the state of Victoria, the Melbourne Cup is referred to as “the race that stops a nation,” often because many in different states will attempt to view it.

3. We enjoy a good caffeine hit:

Our third decadent taster in the plate of things to know about Melbourne has a coffee flavoured centre.

We Melburnians love good coffee. Along with our quaint little laneways, we can thank our continental friends for planting the roots of our extensive coffee culture.

Whether it’s a cup with a continental cake on Acland Street in St Kilda or in an Italian restaurant in our “little Italy” in Lygon St, Carlton, you’ll usually find a local enjoying a professionally made cup of caffeinated bliss.

For me personally, my favourite coffee haunt in the city is definitely a place to know about Melbourne – Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar on Bourke St. Home to a great cappuccino, delicious homemade pie and some generous hospitality.

4. Multicultural Melbourne:

The fourth thing to know about Melbourne is that of our multitude of cultures. From Italian to Chinese to Greek, Melbourne has been influenced by a diverse range of ethnic groups. This isn’t shown any better than through our extensive food diversity.

From being able to know about how Melbourne is home to the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the Western world and the oldest Chinatown in the Southern Hemisphere, to our city also being home to the largest Greek population outside of Athens.

One final bite in this taster of things to know about Melbourne’s multiculturalism is that of Toto’s, situated in Lygon St, Carlton, famous for being the first pizza shop opened in Australia, it is only a 17 min walk from Q2 apartments.

5. An easy way to get from place to place.

Our final taster on this board of things to know about Melbourne presents itself in the main picture — that of the CBD’s “City Circle” tram and a snippet into Melbourne’s extensive tram/streetcar/trolley network.

The “City Circle” tram is a ‘get on/get off’ tram route that runs through the city’s main streets and is a brilliant and easy way to get to know the centre of town. 

It is perfect for tourists as it passes along many Melbourne landmarks, such as the Docklands harbour and best of all – it’s free to use! A full circuit of the route (route 35) takes roughly an hour to complete.

One of the best things to know about Melbourne’s tram network is that, with 1,763 stops around the city and surrounding suburbs, it is so extensive that we boast “the world’s largest operational tramway. “

This means that along with our trains and buses, you can catch an easy ride from almost anywhere.

Therefore, whether you’re a tourist, exploring our beautiful city or a local, looking to rediscover, there are my Top 5 Things to Know About Melbourne. Cheers!