Melbourne - Mr. Rapleys Global Livability Survey
Melbourne. The Economist Intelligence Units Global Livability Survey has ranked it first in the world. Whatever that means. From my point of view, it's a nice place to be.
I flew into Melbourne airport on November 8, 2013 around the time of the Melbourne Cup horse racing tournament. The city is famous for horseracing. A staggering percentage of the population was in fancy attire, the men in suits, the ladies wearing gowns and fancy hats, staggering out of pubs and sports bars. Australians are famous for getting drunk. I checked into a hostel and proceeded to drink. I had a suit made for me in Thailand leftover in my backpack, but I didn't bother to put it on. I feel like a wierdo when I wear a suit.
So, in my sneakers and jean, I roamed the city and made friends with it's streets and inhabitants. I experienced Melbourne on a personal level, and I found myself at home. I discovered theres more to this city than horses and beer.
Here are a few of my favorite things from the wonderful city of Melbourne:
#1. Lentil As Anything.
I heard about this place before I arrived in Australia. It's a buffet style restaurant situated in a refurbished church convent, surrounded by gardens filled with trees, flowers and snakes. It's a not-for-profit community organization, run by volunteers from Melbourne and around the world. The food is delicious, nutrition, and vegetarian. And it's paid for on a pay-what-you-can basis. In this way it brings people of all walks of life and income levels together for a unique dining experience.
"...where customers give what they feel the food is worth and have the opportunity to contribute towards a world where respect, generosity, trust, equality, freedom and kindness rule." -www.lentilasanything.com
#2. Festivals.
Shortly after my arrival I attended the Johnson Street Latin Festival. It was 3 days of latin food and dancing and madness in the street. I ate chimichangas and pupusas. I both ate and danced the salsa. I stayed up all night making friends. Since then I've been to a few other festive gatherings: The Thursday Night Market in St. Kilda, and the Brunswick Street Music Festival. I've also taken a couple weekends into the countryside to attend Earthcore and Rainbow Serpent Festival-electronic music parties locally known as "doofs" (named after the sound of the BASS).
#3. People
I've found it very easy to make friends here. I have stayed with a couple of couchsurfing hosts and been welcomed and shown around the city.
#4. Cycling
I bought a used bike and rode it to work sometimes. I lived in the suburbs about 25km from the city center. Ninety percent of my ride was on sealed bike paths. Once I got into the city, if I stopped at a red light, some days there would be 10 other bikes stopped with me. I like these numbers.
I also like the needlework decorations that cover many of the bike lock stations.
And the city bikeshare stations.
And the option to take your bike along on the trains for free, so I could ride the bike to work, and then take the train home.
#5. Art and Architecture.
There are a lot of colonial style buildings dotted around the city -relics of another time. Some of them are dilapidated while others are nicely restored. Both are fun to look at. There are palm trees as well, architectural masterpieces of the plant kingdom.
There is also some funky street art in the alleyways...
#6. Public Space
Melbourne has heaps of green-space. The house I stayed in was across from a park, and if I went up the hill and looked out over the suburbs, it looked like there as many trees as houses.
There's plenty of water frontage around Melbourne. This photo was taken from the deck outside the restaurant where I was working. There are rivers and lakes and the harbour and the ocean nearby. Many of these features have been coupled with public spaces so that everybody can enjoy.
This list is by no means exhaustive. There are many little things and special people that made my stay in Melbourne magical. Too many sights, sounds and stories to be shared. But my overall impression is that it's easy to have a good time in Melbourne. I would have the ability to live there.
I flew into Melbourne airport on November 8, 2013 around the time of the Melbourne Cup horse racing tournament. The city is famous for horseracing. A staggering percentage of the population was in fancy attire, the men in suits, the ladies wearing gowns and fancy hats, staggering out of pubs and sports bars. Australians are famous for getting drunk. I checked into a hostel and proceeded to drink. I had a suit made for me in Thailand leftover in my backpack, but I didn't bother to put it on. I feel like a wierdo when I wear a suit.
So, in my sneakers and jean, I roamed the city and made friends with it's streets and inhabitants. I experienced Melbourne on a personal level, and I found myself at home. I discovered theres more to this city than horses and beer.
Here are a few of my favorite things from the wonderful city of Melbourne:
#1. Lentil As Anything.
I heard about this place before I arrived in Australia. It's a buffet style restaurant situated in a refurbished church convent, surrounded by gardens filled with trees, flowers and snakes. It's a not-for-profit community organization, run by volunteers from Melbourne and around the world. The food is delicious, nutrition, and vegetarian. And it's paid for on a pay-what-you-can basis. In this way it brings people of all walks of life and income levels together for a unique dining experience.
"...where customers give what they feel the food is worth and have the opportunity to contribute towards a world where respect, generosity, trust, equality, freedom and kindness rule." -www.lentilasanything.com
#2. Festivals.
Shortly after my arrival I attended the Johnson Street Latin Festival. It was 3 days of latin food and dancing and madness in the street. I ate chimichangas and pupusas. I both ate and danced the salsa. I stayed up all night making friends. Since then I've been to a few other festive gatherings: The Thursday Night Market in St. Kilda, and the Brunswick Street Music Festival. I've also taken a couple weekends into the countryside to attend Earthcore and Rainbow Serpent Festival-electronic music parties locally known as "doofs" (named after the sound of the BASS).
#3. People
I've found it very easy to make friends here. I have stayed with a couple of couchsurfing hosts and been welcomed and shown around the city.
#4. Cycling
I bought a used bike and rode it to work sometimes. I lived in the suburbs about 25km from the city center. Ninety percent of my ride was on sealed bike paths. Once I got into the city, if I stopped at a red light, some days there would be 10 other bikes stopped with me. I like these numbers. I also like the needlework decorations that cover many of the bike lock stations.
And the city bikeshare stations.
And the option to take your bike along on the trains for free, so I could ride the bike to work, and then take the train home.
#5. Art and Architecture.
There is also some funky street art in the alleyways...
#6. Public Space
There's plenty of water frontage around Melbourne. This photo was taken from the deck outside the restaurant where I was working. There are rivers and lakes and the harbour and the ocean nearby. Many of these features have been coupled with public spaces so that everybody can enjoy.
This list is by no means exhaustive. There are many little things and special people that made my stay in Melbourne magical. Too many sights, sounds and stories to be shared. But my overall impression is that it's easy to have a good time in Melbourne. I would have the ability to live there.
Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) 2013 Global Liveability Survey.
- See more at:
http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/280808-melbourne-world-s-most-liveable-city-for-third-year-in-a-row#sthash.FYguG32g.dpufTh
- See more at:
http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/280808-melbourne-world-s-most-liveable-city-for-third-year-in-a-row#sthash.FYguG32g.dpufTh
Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) 2013 Global Liveability Survey.
- See more at:
http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/280808-melbourne-world-s-most-liveable-city-for-third-year-in-a-row#sthash.FYguG32g.dpuf
- See more at:
http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/280808-melbourne-world-s-most-liveable-city-for-third-year-in-a-row#sthash.FYguG32g.dpuf
Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) 2013 Global Liveability Survey.
- See more at:
http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/280808-melbourne-world-s-most-liveable-city-for-third-year-in-a-row#sthash.FYguG32g.dpuf
- See more at:
http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/280808-melbourne-world-s-most-liveable-city-for-third-year-in-a-row#sthash.FYguG32g.dpuf
Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) 2013 Global Liveability Survey.
- See more at:
http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/280808-melbourne-world-s-most-liveable-city-for-third-year-in-a-row#sthash.FYguG32g.dpuf
- See more at:
http://www.invest.vic.gov.au/280808-melbourne-world-s-most-liveable-city-for-third-year-in-a-row#sthash.FYguG32g.dpuf
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