Degraves Street was one of Melbourne's first laneways. Laneways are narrow streets, like an alley,…read more that support diversity in public spaces. Love the cute cafes and shops along this passage off busy Flinders Street.

Degrave Street feels like Europe , people watching and lots of different people walkign through…read morewhich makes it interesting . You have buisiness people coming in for their morning meeting , creatives with their cameras and artisitc accessories. There are so many friendly homeless with a story and not to mention the tourists who are from all over the world

Feels like I moved back to LA (minus the homeless people and syringes). I like all of the graffiti…read moreartwork. The rule in Melbourne is that you can only cover it up if you do better than what's already on the wall. I have no idea how often people paint over other people's work. Cool spot to take pics and walk around and have some fun.

It's a tourist attraction a smaller less formal version of Wynwood Walls in Miami. Essentially an…read moreartist can tag this alley even over existing artists. It's free flow and you get some interesting results.

The Public Purse is a huge granite and stainless steel sculpture. It was created after a contest to…read moredesign unique seating in Melbourne. It is a quirky place to have a seat for weary shoppers or tourists in the Central Business District. So fun!

I'm not really all that sure about this particular thing, though I guess it does serve to give…read moreMelbourne a bit of character. Mind you, I wouldn't go as far as calling it an icon, because it isn't as if people come to Melbourne just to see 'The Public Purse'. Yet, it is one of those places that could serve as a meeting spot, if it wasn't for the fact that there happen to be some clocks on Flinder's Street Station where people do the exact same thing.

On a nice day there is nothing better than going for a ride around Elwood Park, heading to the…read morebeach for a dip and relaxing at the waters edge admiring the boats coming in and out of the marina. It's a gem of a position down on the grass looking out on the horizon at the bottom of Glenhuntly Rd where access is easy, finding a spot is easy and life sure as hell is easy when you've parked yourself in a nice spot. Get you iPod going, read a book or head down with a loved one, as it's a great pleasure to enjoy the serenity and realize why it's good to be alive!

One thing I love about Elwood is that's a cute little seaside village filled with Art Deco…read moreapartments, fabulous brunch places and plenty of French bulldogs. The other thing I dig about Elwood is the beach - stand on the foreshore and you can see the CBD and West Gate Bridge to the right, and the to the left the leafy bayside suburbs stretching as far as the eye can see. On a hot summer's day, this is a great location to chill out in the park, watch the waves lap the sand and eat My Whippy ice cream. If you're feeling more energetic, a walk to Brighton Beach and back takes less than a couple of hours. Either way, you're less than a 10 minute walk away from good coffee.

I visited The Mussel Pot at the Queen Victoria Market over a year ago and I kid you not I still…read morethink about these mussels regularly and every time I eat mussels! This was unexpectedly one of the best things I ate on my entire 2 week Australia trip!! I'm not even a big fan of mussels.... but at the market I noticed everyone was sitting at tables just eating mussels out of a big bowl? Such a random meal choice so figured it's gotta be good. Went up to order and there were so many different options I just asked the guy working there what he recommends. He suggested the chili coconut mussels which was not the one I would have picked on my own but went with it. Oh my god these mussels changed my life LOL. They were SO big, plump, juicy, and packed with so much flavor!!! The chili coconut sauce almost reminded me a bit of a curry sauce, not very spicy and very flavorful and it was perfect to mop up with the yummy bread on top. It was so good I'm literally drooling writing this review a year later and I have not had any mussels that can even begin to compare!!!! If I get to visit Australia again I am 10000% hunting down this mussel food truck as soon as I get there!

Nice fresh mussels with a side of bread, what a perfect comfort food. It's located in Prahran…read moremarket which is an awesome market.

My sister loves murals and street art so we had to come by and visit this area. It's a whole…read morealleyway of graffiti. It's very colorful and pleasing to the eyes, but it is dirty and it mostly consists of graffiti words and letters. There are a few art spaced out in between, but mostly it's just words. It's not a bad place to visit, but it's not something entirely unique. The good thing is it's not out of the way, it's located in between the main streets; so you could just make a short detour, take a look, and continue on your way.

Fantastic street art. Located immediately next to David Jones, blink and you'll miss it. The…read moreMelbourne Visitor Centre is right near Union Lane, in case you're having trouble finding it. One long narrow alley way, plastered with graffiti. Probably 2nd best laneway in Melbourne (next to Hosier - also check out Croft and Caledonian)

With so many second hand markets around these days, it's really a hit and miss as to whether you…read morewill luck upon scoring a good find for a decent price. Fitzroy market is a small market at the Fitzroy Primary School that has a well edited selection of clothes, books, shoes, bits and bobs. There is definitely an element of 'Fitzroy cool' at the market, with a younger range of sellers. Note, when I say younger, I'm talking 20-30s (which is the age bracket I fall in). This is one of my favorite markets around at the moment.

Great little local market held in the grounds of Fitzroy Primary School on the third Saturday of…read moreevery month in 2012 (it's previously been the first Saturday of the month). Mostly secondhand clothes, records, toys and bric-a-brac - almost always at very reasonable prices. Not many food and drink options: a sausage sizzle and a very good coffee stall, but there's plenty of other cafes and bakeries nearby on Smith or Brunswick Streets if that doesn't take your fancy. Entry by gold coin donation.

Ever had that urge to dress up as a giant smurf?…read more Then Mozzies Cozzies is for you. An adult costume will set you back around $80 to hire. They have a pretty big range, from superheros, to nurse outfits, to animals. I used Mozzies for my cousins 21st, opting for a nuns outfit while my then boyfriend dressed up as Wally. The costumes were clean and didn't smell and the process of hiring was fast and easy. There is plenty of parking, and it doesn't get too congested traffic wise around the area.

If you are someone who thrives on exercise, and you are after some adventure: you have come to the…read moreright review. The Melbourne Bike Share (created and operated by the RACV) enables locals and visitors to Melbourne CBD and Inner City areas alike an opportunity to rent a blue Melbourne bike from one of many stations. Feel free to hire the bike for as long you need. Daily access starts at $2.50, and the value gradually increases depending on how long you hire one of the bikes for. Around 60 minutes of bike riding will set you back around $4.50. Annual subscriptions for unlimited use are available for $50. A $50 bike bond is payable which will be refunded back onto your credit card upon successful return of your hired bike to any station. There is great flexibility in the sense that the bike you hired does not have to be returned to the same station that you hired it from. Remember, it is a legal requirement to wear a helmet while bike riding in Melbourne. Helmets are available for only $5 at 7-Eleven on Spencer Street (and other participating 7-Eleven outlets around Melbourne); or alternatively available for purchase at a designated vending machine at Southern Cross Station opposite the Vibe Savoy Hotel. These bikes are of high quality, and I find this service to be outstanding without any issues to date. Bike riding along the Yarra also makes me feel so prosperous. Further information on this service can be found at www.melbournebikeshare.com.au

If I have a helmet with me in the CBD it's because I also have my bike. This is not a practical…read moreidea in Australia and the effort could be better spent promoting bicycling in other ways. It's not that the idea is bad, it just doesn't work here.