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.

What a great way to start the morning. I Decided to go for a stroll and ended up at the market and…read morespent a good chunk of time then walked out with a bag of groceries. Reasonably priced and a great selection of products. If you ever want to prepare a meal, there's great selection.. Market city coffee was fantastic, bought some cheeses, and picked up a borek pastry. Market is separated into different buildings. Seafood, deli and meats, and I didn't get to walk to the produce section. I stopped in at nine, but according to Google, it opens at six. In a shopper. Owner told me they close at three on the weekdays and four on the weekends. Open every day!

Definitely glad I booked my Melbourne hotel next to this market knowing I'd spend a good chunk of…read moretime there! The market is huge with so much to see - I spent almost an entire day here! Really great lively atmosphere with lots of people and the large downtown buildings in the backdrop of the market were beautiful! There was a great fruit and vegetable selection - I choose a few different fruit options to take back to my hotel later to enjoy. I LOVE mangosteen but it's hard to get fresh ones in the US so was super stoked to see those available! The indoor section with cheeses, meat and seafood was also super impressive! I snacked on some lobster and oysters then went outside and had some sugarcane juice and the BEST MUSSELS I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. Such a great day at this market!!

Where Lygon becomes Nicholson, intersected by Albion street, with a Mc Donalds across from you, is…read morewhere you can discover a very comforting scent. Most nights, outweighing the fast food overtones of the surrounds, one can pass by the building with blacked out doors and windows and breath in the yeast and floury scent of breadmakers at work. Hidden within the walls are bakers at work for many of the restaurants and bakeries along Lygon and Sydney Rds. Many times I will cross the intersection i a car and want to stop, get out and breath it all in. I didn't used to be much of a bread person until I lived nearby. It'll change your mind. Maybe don't stick around too long, a passing scent should be enough till next time.

Seeing Dight falls yesterday for the first time was an incredibly underwhelming experience…read more It's small and brown and blah. Even with perfect weather I was quite happy to take the five seconds to look at it then just keep on moving. It's located on the walking path near the Collingwood Children's farm. You'll see it if you're willing to walk extra 1km from the farm (towards Fairfield) but I certainly would not reccommend seeking out these Falls, be prepared to have a few things on your list.

The Merri Creek is quite simply the greatest natural thing that exists in Melbourne. The creek runs…read morefor approximately 70kms, beginning near Heathcote Junction, on Melbourne's northern outskirts, and joining the Yarra River at Dight's falls in Collingwood. Through its journey, the creek meanders through suburbs, under highways and foot bridges and in recent times a concerted effort to clean the thing up has been taking place. Spearheaded by not-for-profit Friends Of Merri Creek, the clean up and re-vegetation of the banks of the creek is redeveloping this amazing environment around the creek. Birds and other native animals (notably, snakes) are moving back into the growing bush lands and there have even been reports of Platypus sightings in Thornbury. If you haven't been to the creek, take a rug and go down there to relax in the sunshine under a tree. It is so very peaceful and gives me warm fuzzies just thinking about it.

Having been for a Sunday afternoon cycle along the Merri Creek, I have to wholeheartedly agree with…read moreSam that is is one of the most naturally beautiful areas of Melbourne. The Merri Creek trail runs for 21km and is perfect for grazing, walking, running or as we did cycling. We joined it at St Georges Road and followed it North for 10 or so clicks. Along the way are numerous play areas and areas prime for picnicking, sports clubs and the Brunswick cycling outdoor velodrome (this was a lot of fun). You can also stop for a coffee at the CERES cafe. A truly great place in Melbourne that is perfect for a leisurely afternoon in the summertime. My friend who trains for triathlons only runs here. Now I know why!

I'm not a particularly outdoorsy person. I am your standard, Gen-Y,…read morefind-it-hard-to-leave-the-computer kinda gal. But sometimes you can stumble upon an area so stunning that you just want to LIVE there. Alexandra Gardens is this place. Tucked up in Kew's suburbia is this stunning, open-garden area with barbecues, ponds, rotundas and a bunch of people laying on the grass soaking up the sun. This is the perfect place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with a picnic and some good friends. It has also begun to gain popularity as a wedding location due to it's size (it could fit even the biggest wedding party), its central rotunda and the stunning backdrop it provides. I couldn't recommend a more gorgeous way to spend your spare time. Alexandra Gardens could certainly rival some of Melbourne's most famous outdoor areas.

This is one of the first bars that I discovered when I first arrived in Melbourne (probably because…read moreI lived a little further up the line from where it is located) and I have to say that I have always been pretty impressed with it. Since it is located a little further along High Street from the main Northcote strip it has never been anywhere near as packed as some of the other places, but it still seems to draw a pretty decent crowd. Basically it is your typical hole in the wall bar, which includes a decent beer garden (though it is huge). It also has an upstairs area (which I have yet to check out). I can't say it is the biggest place, but they do have live music occasionally, as well as other event. Oh, they also have a late night kitchen, which means that you can grab a bite to eat when everything else has shut. It's a pretty decent place and I'm sure to visit it again sometime.

As soon as you include the word 'local' in your business name, there is an implication of…read moreinclusiveness that doesn't rub well with me. I had a similar experience down Balaclava way a few years back where the local bar, named appropriately 'The Local', felt like this place for about five family's worth of folk to hang and generally dictate the terms of. While the Thornbury Local doesn't necessarily fall into this trap, there is still something about the place that rubs me up the wrong way. They do drinks and are promising to open up a restaurant soon. The DJs they select haven't been great in my experience, but at least they are dedicated to having music on a nightly basis. I haven't been to the karaoke here, but would prefer to stick to the private rooms in Chinatown that punch out 'Eye Of The Tiger' in a room full of people I don't know. They do have great signage here and they are open late, but I feel like there are other places in the area that fit better with my tastes. This doesn't mean it's not a worthy addition to the strip, just that I'll be somewhere else.

The Grecco Pixel building is quite a site, standing out in its technicolour glory against the grey…read moreMelbourne skyline. The building is purported to be Australia's most environmentally friendly building, and boasts a Carbon Neutral status. This is due to a variety of extremely clever design elements to the building, such as: the energy producing wind turbines on its roof; the brightly coloured moving plates on the exterior of the building that catch and shield sunlight to reduce energy use; it's numerous uses for recycled water (from toilets, etc), which include providing a cooling system for the entire building. And these are to name just a few. Whilst the building is not open for visitors (at least at this stage), it's still worthy of a walk by to appreciate its bizarre exterior and fascinating environmentally sensitive design (which is detailed in several large banners that are positioned by the windows).

I've recently moved to the inner north & just walked passed The Prague & saw that they do stuff…read morewith skipping ropes & they have live riot grrrl rock bands! Signed up for 1 class per week just over a month ago to check it out before joining a gym . It's awesome! Really fun energetic classes, down to earth & complete with a woman's touch (hot flannels, oranges, free classes & gear & complimentary goal setting with a trainer!) I love group fitness training but I find most gym classes stuck in a time warp & I'd rather starve myself then get up at 5am for bootcamp!?!. You gotta love grrrl rock & have a playful spirit. Oh & there's a really cool supportive womens community vibe. I'm signing on for an Unlimited pass next term... & how many places can you work out & have a beer on tap afterwards?! ;-)

Yeah, this bar doesn't really stand out all that much, but that is probably because it happens to…read morebe located near a whole heap of other bars, which seems to be the case with numerous parts of Northcote. Yeah, this bar really didn't stand out all that much in my mind, though it wasn't too bad, certainly nowhere near as bad as some of the other places that I've been to. The beer selection is good, and the service wasn't too bad either. When I was here though it did seem to be rather popular, but as I suggested, it really isn't one of my favourites.

From the owner: 61 on High is a place to eat well, drink better and enjoy doing both with those closest to you…read more Nestled into the heart of Northcote's creative and dynamic High St, the split level venue has been carefully shaped to create a comfortable space to put your feet up or kick off those heels. 61 on High caters for after work drinks, cheeky catch-ups, date nights and everything in between. A menu that takes inspiration from those who've long made the area their home - with a focus on authentic Mediterranean and Latin American dishes. Carefully selected wine list accounting for all tastes, local and imported beer, cocktails and spirits and coffee keeping up with Melbourne's famously discernible taste.