Apparently this place used to be a hospital, but that was long before my time. These days it is…read morebasically a huge, post-modern style, shopping centre, and a very confusing one at that. In fact it is very easy to get lost inside, and I have found myself wandering around it numerous times either trying to find a way out, or trying to locate a specific shop. Okay, it does have a Dan Murphy's but the way out can be a challenge to find even at the best of times.

As far as shopping centres in the CBD goes, Melbourne Central will forever have my heart. However,…read moreQV does have its own unique charm. PROS: ~ It differs from Melbourne Central in that Melbourne Central is more commercial with large-named chain stores whereas QV has a collection of smaller, independently-owned fashion boutiques. ~ Has Woolworth's and Big W - two really useful department stores. ~ Convenient location in the CBD! CONS: ~ The food court isn't very good. Yeah I know it's a pretty silly way to grade a shopping centre but mama loves her food! ~ Very confusing and hard-to-navigate. There are so many twists, turns, and hidden laneways. I have actually gotten lost on multiple occasions. Essentially, QV is a lot more hip whereas Melbourne Central is larger and more commercial. There is still room for expansion but it does have a unique charm!

A great shopping mall! This place has really picked up over the years! Lots of amazing shops! A…read moreplace to get some great buys! I go here often for my lunch break and head back to work with bags of shopping. I just can't help it. There is always new shops and new items to buy! Omg I love sales racks! :-)

This is a bit of a tricky one to review as there is pretty high store turnover so if anything I…read moremention here appeals, check online that it's still there before you visit. If jewellery is your thing and you're on a tight budget, check out Lovisa. They have a great range of classic and cool styles. Much of it is a lot cheaper than their normal stores. Thanks to their outlet, I now own more pairs of earrings than I will probably ever wear. The Cotton On outlet is enormous. In addition to the standard Cotton On men's and women's ranges, they also stock sister brand Rubi Shoes. They often have cute shoes crazy cheap eg. 3 pairs for $10 deals are not uncommon. Look out for the cute $2 tote bags too. As the normal Strandbag stores are pretty reasonably priced the savings at the outlet don't tend to be massive but it is still worth a look. The outlet has a great selection and I've always been really happy with the quality of what I brought there. If you're into stationery don't miss checking out Typo. They often have great journals and notebooks on sale. I really need to stop buying those! Trade Secret is an interesting store to have a browse in. They stock a very large range of assorted fashion and home-ware items from a range of designers. There isn't many of each particular item so it takes a bit of rummaging through the racks. Personally I haven't had much success in there but you're a size that a lot of designers like to make for you might get lucky.

Look, I hate these places enormously. They've killed off plenty of local small businesses over the…read moreyears, and every time a new one opens, the only thing I can think of is the nightmare that some poor bugger of a small businessman or woman going broke overnight. That said, these places are here to stay, and there's not much to be done about it once they've opened. And as far as these monstrosities go, this one isn't too bad. Parking is pretty easy, (although generally for only four hours - that's plenty of time to get in, get what you need and get out), there's a couple of supermarkets and pretty much everything you'll ever need. There are lots of really good restaurants within a stone's throw if you're hungry, but the food court has a couple of decent places too.

Centro The Glen is a small shopping center packed full of the most popular brands you would hope to…read morefind in one place. Sure the centers small and the areas not 'that' well known, but The Glen hits mostly all the right notes when it comes to store variety. Brands include, sportsgirls, witchery, country road, cotton on, athletes foot, bed bath n table, mimco, oroton, rebel and many other well-known brands. There is also a David Jones and Target if you prefer being in a department store. The Glen is a long 2 level building that offers ample parking and dining options. Besides their 2 food courts, just a few hundred meters down the road from the center is the Kingsway Strip which is a goldmine of cafes and restaurants. The Glen also offers a coles/woolworths/Thomas dux, as well as a center butcher, deli, fishmonger and Asian grocer.

Ferntree Plaza located directly opposite Upper Ferntree Gully Train Station is pretty popular. This…read moreis mainly because it has Maxi Foods on the inside. The plaza itself is quite old now and is in need of a refurbishment. It still has the old billboard sign out the front and the colours of the place are reminiscent of the nineties. Inside the plaza you will find Maxi Foods, Bakers Delight, Hawke's Pharmacy and a few cafes. It is pretty dark inside, which doesn't increase my enjoyment of the place. There are a lot of shops outside too. These include restaurants, butchers, chicken shops, newsagents and hairdressers. There is a large variety of shops here and as such it attracts a lot of people on a daily basis. There are a lot of car parks available but these are often quick to fill. In this circumstance you can park at the station across the road or on Dawson road. Be careful parking on Dawson road though as buses run there frequently. The demographic here tends to be older during the day with most patrons around fifty years old. Once it hits 3pm however, the place is swamped with school kids from Upwey, St. Joes and Mater Christi who get there via buses and the train. It can get pretty hectic at those times because there are people everywhere in the car park and driving is a nightmare.

As a local resident Ferntree Plaza is irreplaceable. The main tenant, Maxi Foods, is an independent…read moresupermarket and this is currently their only Melbourne Metro store. Their 'house' brand is Black & Gold and their specials closely mirror that of the IGA chain. Their speciality products feature an aisle specifically allocated to home bread-making, with an extensive range of ingredients. They also have an extensive range of health, organic and gluten-free foods and a good supply of UK, US and South African sourced products. The liquor department is reasonably comprehensive, but lacks the big specials of the larger chains. Maxi's also features a large fruit and veg department, butchery and bakery. The post office is not large but is well stocked, very friendly and open on Saturday mornings. Both the indoor and outdoor cafe's are good as is the chemist and tobacconist. Brumby's bakery is fresh and has a good range and the butchers has a good range and some great specials at closing time on Saturday. The clothes shop and $2 shop are both full of bargains.The newsagent has a huge range of cards and magazines but also sells Tattersall's lottery tickets. Outside the main shopping area you will find a hairdresser which is a small shop but very reasonably priced, a newish take-away food shop featuring pizzas and a tiny but excellent Chinese restaurant that features dumplings. On Saturday mornings the car park is a little frantic, but at all other times there is always a spare space. Given the difficulties of ingress / access and parking at the nearest Woolworths, Coles and Aldi outlets, Ferntree Plaza may not always be the cheapest choice but it is often the sanest choice for local shopping.

Love the culture and the food. Not a huge fan of the car park, but this place works better on…read morepublic transport.

I love Melbourne Central. I love how it's a one-stop-shop for everything you could need…read more ~ Smack dab in the middle of the CBD. Need something you (for some strange reason) cannot find at Melbourne Central? It's probably 10 steps away from Melbourne Central/ ~ Stunning interior design and architecture. You have your tower underneath a glass cage. At first, I thought that this was a bit strange, but then accepted the fact that the tower probably did a lot of bad things in its life and needs a cage to control it. You can't let that thing free, man. ~ Nice selection of food. Nothing too fantastic, but my favourites: Menya Ramen, Lord of the Fries, Grill'd, O-Bento, and Harajuku Crepes. There's bound to be more food heavens that I haven't explored in that massive building yet, and I'm keen to be on the lookout! ~ Convenient public transportation. If you're on the go, trust Melbourne Central to have a train running to anywhere you want in Melbourne. Trust Melbourne Central to also have great food takeaways for you to enjoy yourself at before your train arrives. ~ Loads of entertainment! Try out Cho Gao - a great Asian Beer Cafe with a stunning view of the city. Now try out Cho Gao after catching a movie at Melbourne Central's very own cinema. Seriously - what CAN'T you do here?

One of the BEST dang H&M locations we've ever been to. This whole spot was a vibe and the staff…read morewere so helpful.

Got to love H&M anywhere but this store especially good…read more Always great value and great bargains to be had on well made fashionable items. This store in the grand old post office building with elegant spaces and staircase. It means the men's upstairs gets split into more intimate shopping spaces which make it feel more special

Bulleen Plaza is less a shopping mall and more a community centre for the nearby Bulleen community…read more While it is home to a small overstocked Coles and various discount stores, badly lit cafes, newsagency, fish monger and greengrocer the mall itself is poorly lit and is crying out for a modern makeover. It is also packed on a Saturday morning so I guess it serves it's community. However it is most likely it's social aspect that draws in crowds of senior residence and families. The mall is littered with people who have happened upon a chance meeting and are catching up on gossip and family events. Groups of Italian men sit and watch the buzz of the shoppers pass around them. As a local shopping centre is does it's job, but not with style. Overall a no-frills shopping centre with a community vibe but apart from that no atmosphere in itself.

This place really hasn't changed too much over the years. I went when it first opened, then didn't…read morego back for about twenty years, and over the last few years I've used it a fair bit for shopping on my way home from work or for family barbecues and that sort of thing. Most of everything you could ever reasonably need can be found here. It's pretty good in that regard. There's plenty of parking, you don't have to walk an awfully long way from the car to the shops and back, and it's usually not stupidly busy like some other shopping centres. Really, it's just a good sized suburban shopping centre. Don't expect Chadstone, but something much smaller and in many ways much better.

Walking into this shopping center feels like I'm walking into the past. Though this center isn't…read morevisibly old or worn out, it just feels aged and out of fashion. Waverley Gardens is the local small shopping center for the suburb of Mulgrave, they offer a few essential stores but lack popular fashion brands. Waverley Gardens is really just a place you would go to get groceries, visit the bank and maybe pick up a few household items. If I were looking for an outfit, I would definitely not be thinking of this place. Being a small center, this place does offer quite a lot. There is a Coles, Woolworth, Aldi, Target and Big W. There is also quite a good fruit and veg market here located just next to the Coles. Overall I think Waverley Gardens is a good shopping center for what it is- a small suburban center to pick up household essentials. I have no problems with coming here when I'm in the area.