LIFE IN THE INNER NORTH

 In the 1990s, I owned a house in Brunswick just off Lygon St so it was interesting to move back to the area. Lots of the old warehouses and factories had been replaced with 3 or 4 storey apartment buildings. And with the influx of people has come an influx of bars and a new range of restaurants.

The Italian and Thai restaurants that I used to frequent were still there but now there Japanese, Lebanese and even Polish places. Each week we walked to a new culinary experience. 

Intersection of Lygon & Glenlyon Sts

The bars were also a revelation. Seven of them within one block of the intersection of Glenlyon Rd and Lygon St. Which to choose? Sometimes the cocktail list was simply too odd. Sometimes the crowd looked too young. But we did try our luck and the best experience was at Atticus Finch. Not only was there an interesting array of sherry based cocktails and a welcoming knowledgeable barman/owner, they let you get takeaway from nearby restaurants and even provide plates and cultery. This enabled us to have tasty meal from the Bar Idda, a Sicilian restaurant across the road. 




The other main difference between living in the suburban north compared to the inner north was the engagement with people on the street. In Pascoe Vale South, there was always eye contact and a greeting when you passed a stranger in the park or on the way to the tram. So much so that the French exchange student we had a number of years ago expressed amazement at how many people I knew and was utterly shocked to discover that I knew none of the people I'd just greeted as we walked to her new school. In the Inner North, people look down not up and greetings are not exchanged. Having said that, sometimes cars would stop in the middle of a busy road to let the grey haired lady (me) standing in the middle finish crossing the road so I shouldn't really complain.

The other benefit of being in Brunswick was more trams, more often, so we rarely bothered driving into town or to the theatre. 


Whatever happens in Perth, we won't be living in the inner city surrounded by bars and restaurants so it was a great last hurrah to experience that type of urban life before we left Melbourne.

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