Melbourne: Where the Coffee’s Pretentious and So Am I.

Oh, ✨ Melbourne! ✨ It only took me 13 years of Sydney-siding to see you for the very first time. How I lived in Sydney that long without having already made the visit is beyond me. Admittedly, I get very caught up in the day-to-day grind, which dissuades me from taking holidays or anything that deviates from routine… Suffice to say, Melbourne was brilliant. Not in the way everyone had chalked it up to be, but in a way that was equally brilliant to me.

For starters, I loved that, as someone who doesn’t drive, everything was centrally located – with a free inner-city tram to boot! The whole city felt centred around the CBD, which is a totally different experience to Sydney, where our CBD is more of a working hub that’s seldom visited on a weekend or day off (though I believe that’s slowly changing... I’ll write up a list of the best Sydney CBD restaurants and cafes at some point!).

Sadly, I was only in this wonderful city for two days, so my adventuring through the Garden State was limited, though I still managed a good wander around the city, turning down every laneway I could find to see what surprises awaited (there were many). I was visiting over the long weekend with my best friend, Emily, who had already been to Melbourne twice this year and absolutely loved it. We packed our two-day trip with plenty of street scoping, cocktails at various bars (one of our favourite weekend activities), and a venture to the inner north suburbs, Fitzroy, Brunswick and Carlton (Fitzroy being my Melbourne fave). We also got tattoos and friendship rings. Yes, we’re those bitches. (S/O to Valentina at True Addiction.)

Melbourne has a true urban metropolis vibe, which I was obsessed with – so much so that it’s inspired me to move to Potts Point once my lease is up. IMO, it’s the most urban-metropolis-type area you can live in Sydney without actually being in the CBD.

You may be asking why I don’t just move to Melbourne if I loved it that much, and that’s an easy answer: Melbourne has this eccentric, creative energy threaded through a clean, calculated urban landscape. It’s special. It’s fun. It makes me want to dress up in my best vintage threads, hit the theatre, and follow it up with cocktails and a nice dinner.

But Sydney? Sydney is bright. She’s blue, she’s warm, and she’s the most stunning city I’ve ever seen. So while I loved Melbourne… I adore Sydney. Therefore, I must find my own piece of Melbourne within Sydney.

And no, it’s not Newtown.