Melbourne Patron

I'm not much of a camper. I really enjoy things like running water, a mattress, and food I haven't had to prepare myself on a tiny portable stove. Having said that, I also really enjoy things like views, the city, communal spaces, and the novelty of something unusual. What if you could get all of those things together? Turns out Jerome Borazio, of St. Jerome's Laneway Bar fame, has achieved that. The hospitality entrepreneur stood on the rooftop of Melbourne Central and thought, 'luxury camping' (...as you do). The result is St. Jerome's - The Hotel  (Level 3, 271 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne), a five-star camping experience (Borazio is apparently not a fan of the term 'glamping') on the astroturf-laden rooftop of the shopping centre. Borazio adds the accommodation venue to his already impressive list of bars ( 1000  £  Bend , Sister Bella , Ponyfish Island , The Workers Club , The Kelvin Club ), pizza restaurant ( Slice Girls ), wedding ve...

Some might call it inner-city wank, but to me, the Gertrude Street Projection Festival , held annually for a week or two in winter, is what Melbourne is all about. Now in its seventh year, I have been to the Festival almost every year since landing in "Melbs" 5.534 years ago (yes, I actually just figured out that amount of time to three decimal points), and although it is often a bloody freezing foray down Gertrude Street, it is always enjoyable. Fitzroy and Collingwood are about as cool as you can get in Melbourne, suburb-wise (and yes, I'm biased): homes to hipsters-y students, young professionals, and alternative families (massive generalisations of course, but then, I am actually generalising here), 'typical' Melbourne fashions plus up-and-coming designers, food trends, bicycles, music venues, pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars galore, galleries and loads of street art, iconic tram lines, and some of the oldest (and therefore, grungiest) buildings to ...