Fitzroy is Melbourne’s oldest suburb, and consequently, one that many communities feel connected to. Walk any of the main streets – Smith, Gertrude, Brunswick or Johnston – and you’ll see a suburb struggling with its identity. Tattooed 20-somethings sail by on skateboards; downsizing Baby Boomers sip coffee on the footpaths; and newly arrived African migrants walk their kids to school. Many backpackers and interstate arrivals also find their first share houses here.

In its earliest days the area was working class. Most of the small terrace houses from that era remain, alongside pubs such as the Rose, Napier, Union Club, Rainbow and Labour in Vain. The backstreets often have a quaint feel. That is, until you stumble on a massive piece from one of the many graffiti artists who paint in the area.

Zoom out and skyline is dominated by four Housing Commission towers built in the 1960s, though upscale restaurants and designer boutiques have gradually surrounded them. Right now, there really is no better place to take the pulse of Melbourne’s dining and fashion scenes.

This is a relatively new development, but the area has had a strong bohemian population since at least the ’60s. Even with gentrification and escalating property prices, second-hand shops, live music, independent galleries, artist studios and community theatre shows remain a fixture.

Three Very Different (But Equally Intensive) New Melbourne Gyms to Try

Spin Workout Fan? Now You Can Do It in Your Home via Two Subscription Services – One With Beyoncé-Curated Classes, the Other With Netflix Built In

A Blue-Lit Tunnel Leads to Maddox, a Futuristic New Gym-Slash-Wellness-Retreat in the CBD

Great Ocean Road Running Festival

25 Per Cent Off Normal Sale

Sold Out: Waterfront: Metung Hot Springs Pop-Up Bathing and Tour

Most Popular

Maniax Axe Throwing

Shop

Stand-up paddleboarding

Bass Coast Rail Trail

Nature

Bushrangers Bay Walk & Cape Schanck Lighthouse

Mornington Peninsula Coastal Walk

Great Southern Rail Trail

Most Read

10 Gorgeous Natural Swimming Spots Close(ish) to the City

12 of Melbourne’s Best Picnic Spots to Visit All Year Round

From London to Melbourne: 1R Is a New Concrete Jungle-Like Gym in South Yarra (Where You Can Pay Per Class)

Active

Spin Workout Fan? Now You Can Do It in Your Home via Two Subscription Services – One With Beyoncé-Curated Classes, the Other With Netflix Built In

A Blue-Lit Tunnel Leads to Maddox, a Futuristic New Gym-Slash-Wellness-Retreat in the CBD

Great Ocean Road Running Festival

25 Per Cent Off Normal Sale

Sold Out: Waterfront: Metung Hot Springs Pop-Up Bathing and Tour

The Beer Run

From London to Melbourne: 1R Is a New Concrete Jungle-Like Gym in South Yarra (Where You Can Pay Per Class)

Laps for Life

I Had to Sign a Waiver to Do a Bootcamp-Style Workout in the Barry’s “Red Room” – And Now I Know Why

Better Starts Today

13 of Melbourne’s Best Outdoor Pools

What to Get a Runner For Christmas (From Head to Toe)

Lekker Bikes Has Brought Its Dutch-Style Single-Speed E-Bike Down Under

Hawthorn East’s Bike Gallery Has Had a Makeover to Celebrate 10 Years, and It Now Stocks Famed Dario Pegoretti Frames

Free Bodhi & Ride Open-Air Spin Classes

The Best At-Home Fitness Classes to Come Out of 2020

Inflatable Fun Park

The Best Walks Near Melbourne

Zoomo Launches an E-Bike Subscription Service in Australia, From $4.14 per Day

Get the Goop Glow: For the First Time You’ll Be Able to Buy Gwyneth Paltrow’s Beauty Products in Australia

No Pool? No Worries: A Pool-Sharing Platform Lets You Track Down One In Your City

This Body-Positive Aussie Activewear Label Currently Has Up to 50 Per Cent Off Storewide – and Free Shipping

This New Illustrated Meditation Guide From the Experts Behind The Broad Place Will Help You De-Stress, Find Clarity and Improve Your Wellbeing

Facebook Reversed Its Decision to Ban a Modibodi Ad Depicting Period Blood, Finally

I May Never Go Skydiving, but I’d Gladly Revisit This Exhilarating Indoor Alternative

Urbnsurf, Australia’s First Surfable Wave Park, Reopens This Week – And You Can Book in Advance

Happy Collective Is a Fun New Online Shop Delivering Good Vibes to Aussie Women

Facebook Banned a Modibodi Ad Because It Depicts Period Blood

Follow Us

Our Network