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St Kilda
A progressive and colourful suburb that attracts the arty, intellectual crowd. Great architecture, cafes, markets and Luna Park.
St Kilda 3182
St Kilda has plenty to offer and is probably the most colourful suburb in Melbourne. It's glory has come, gone, and come back again. Meaning, these days it's the place arty intelligent types, professionals, live music fans, students, backpackers, families, gays/lesbians, and tourists like to hang out and live in. It's trendy in a gentrified alternative way, with a bit of edge and a bit of rough still left. The cool types have moved in, but the down and out remain. (More information below...)
> ST KILDA ON THE MELBOURNE SOUTH EAST MAP
> ST KILDA MAP
> TRANSPORT, GETTING HERE
> DISTANCES FROM ST KILDA TO...
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Rent $$$:
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2 bdrm apartment: $280 - $830 per week
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Acland Street - for its cake shops
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Location:
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Beach, Bay, 5-10km from city centre
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Victorian and Edwardian houses, art deco flats, 1970's flats
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Would Suit:
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Singles, Professionals, Families, Gay/lesbian, Students, Travellers
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Can be very hard
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Vibe:
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let's eat, drink, talk, debate, protest and look cool
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anything retro, thongs, Birkenstocks
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At the beginning of the 20th Century, St Kilda was a posh place people went to for summer holidays or for their honeymoon. By the 1970's, it had become synonymous with drugs, prostitution, live music, homelesslessness, and young alternative types. It once used to have dozens of large, prestigious homes that were turned into boarding places during seedier times. But many of those grand homes have since been bought up by developers and revamped or rebuilt into ultra expensive apartments. This gentrification has been welcomed by some, but not wholly supported by others. Homelessness still remains an issue.
During the 1980's St Kilda was a hot spot for independent Australian music. The Hunters and Collectors, Tex Perkins, Paul Kelly and the Birthday Party all played at the live music venues in St Kilda.
By the 1990's, the black clad and community minded intelligentsia began moving in. And now, it's a popular with everyone, families included. St Kilda has a large Jewish and backpacker presence/population.
There's always something happening in St Kilda: festivals, the gay and lesbian parade, live music, organic markets, craft and artisan markets, fun and frivolity at Luna Park, swimming at the St Kilda Sea Baths, walks along the bay, a dip in the beach, coffees to drink, cakes to try, wine to sip, food to eat, shops to explore, and protests to take part in to stop redevelopment. The big cafe/shopping hangouts are Fitzroy and Acland streets.
St Kilda is a big suburb, with tree lined streets, plenty of art deco, Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Oh yes, and there are countless of those not so attractive apartments built in the 1970's.
It also has its own Australian Rules Footbal team - The Saints.
You'd be hard pressed to come here and not like the place. It has something to offer to anyone who moves in or visits.
Parking: can be a shocker but you can easily live here without a car and get here with public transport.. The vibe: cafe culture, politics, art, cool pretentious. Shoe equivalent: anything retro, thongs, Birkenstocks. Location: inner city. Distance from city centre: 6km. Direction: South.
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