CRIME STATS: City assaults drop, domestic violence up
CITY violence has dropped in Melbourne over the past year but family violence is on the rise, new police figures show.

Read more on Leader Community Newspapers

There are loads and loads of things to love about the city in Australia, Melbourne. This classy city in south-east curve of the mainland Australia inspires deep zeal in those blessed enough to reside here.
Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria is relatively a modern place which is not even 200 years of age and by no chance sits still. This beautiful place is a lot about the lifestyle. The new ultramodern designs add a lot to the charming mix of the architecture and make sure that the skyline is persistently changing. It is not a surprise that this superb city is ranked among the best cities to live in.

Melbourne people known as Melburnians embrace 3 things in exacting:

1. Sports: here the game of football is next to a religion. People go crazy during a football match.

2. Festivals: It seems that the people in this city always look for a chance to celebrate. The calendar is full of special dates and occasions.

3. Fashion: Now this is one of the major things which Melburnians are good at. They always look in the style with a dash of originality.

Melbourne has a notoriously changeably climate. There is even a joke on the weather of this city. It is said that this place can see 4 seasons in a single day. But, honestly, it is just an example of how this city has it all!

Not only these, Melbourne a great place with loads of attractions. People from all over the world come here to see the wonders of this city. Some of the major tourist attractions are art galleries, museums, zoo, parks and a lot more.

Shopping in this fantastic place is also great. It has everything from the locally made stuffs to the best international brands. You will surely get spoilt for the choice in the city’s shopping precincts.

A city is well known from its nightlife. Melbourne has a superb nightlife which is great for every age group. A lot of tourist gets attracted to this city because of its awesome nightlife. There are trendy clubs, bars with live and rock music, theaters and a lot more.

Melbourne’s culture is well reflected in the restaurants, bistros and cafes of this city. It has some of the best place to dine.

Melbourne is a city with vibrant energy with astounding choice of funky boutiques, restaurants, classy bars, luscious parks, and galleries, each with some special character.

For the budget traveler who loves to eat, Melbourne is a favorite hot spot. Eating here is economical, affordable and enjoyable given the fact that Melbourne has so many cuisines and culinary delights to offer. Service might be biased towards those customers who are paying about 10% of the bill as tip, although tipping is not compulsory. It is advised to tip the waiter in advance at high end restaurants if you desire perfect service, otherwise you might have to contend with some pretty ordinary and cold service.

No matter what reason you have for coming into Melbourne, you are bound to be swept away with its historic and fruitful past and the beauty of Victorian era architecture combined with the warmth of demographically split people mesmerizes one and all, no matter what ethnic or cultural group you belong to.

Fire guts city council chambers
FIRE has destroyed the Liverpool City Council chambers in Sydney’s southwest.

Read more on Herald Sun

Man kicked while unconscious in city gang attack
A MAN has serious facial injuries after a gang attack in the city on Sunday morning.

Read more on Leader Community Newspapers

Dublin wins title as city of literature
DUBLIN HAD been designated a Unesco City of Literature – a title which is for perpetuity – Lord Mayor Gerry Breen announced yesterday.

Read more on The Irish Times

City has lowest grocery prices
MELBOURNE shoppers have paid more in the past year for roast beef, sugar, margarine, chicken and frozen peas.

Read more on Herald Sun

Summer Fun in the City flash mob dance Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne, Australia. Wednesday 6 January 2010, 11am. Keep dancing with Summer Fun in the City: www.thatsmelbourne.com.au

Melbourne to be our biggest city
SYDNEY will lose its crown and relevance, as severe housing shortage drives migrants south.

Read more on News.com.au

Melbourne is a popular city that offers good shopping, bars and excellent cuisine. In the Central Business District you can spend hours just sitting at one of the stylish pavement cafes watching the crowds go by. Melbourne’s location near to Port Phillip Bay makes it ideal for a holiday and there are numerous luxury and comfortable Melbourne hotels providing accommodation to the large numbers of tourists who visit annually.

The city center’s main attractions can be found in the areas of the Docklands, Eureka Tower, Queen Victoria Market and Southgate. Federation Square is where everyone arranges to meet up and locals and visitors gather here for its cultural experiences, places to eat and , and shopping. Albert Park, Carlton, Richmond, and South Yarra are other places of interest, and St. Kilda is one of the most picturesque points of the Bay just a short distance from the city with sandy beaches.

If you are looking for somewhere to eat then head to Fitzroy, home to Melbourne’s bohemians, the streets here are full of alternative shops and artistic events, it’s also a focal point for the September Melbourne Fringe Festival, a celebration of the independent arts scene. Or do a little shopping at Smith Street in Collingwood and Chapel Street at Prahran, a stylish and fashionable destination with over 300 unique and diverse stores full of style and personality.

Melbourne is a city that likes to laugh and this is reflected in the number of comedy clubs and events that are organized in various venues. The annual Melbourne International Comedy Festival is one of the more popular events that attract thousands to its exciting line-up, and is up there alongside the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival. It takes over the city every autumn with its adventuress timetable of stand-up comedy, cabaret, theatre, street performance, film, television, radio and visual arts.

Barry Humphries and Peter Cook are responsible for setting up the festival and it has been going since its launch in 1987. Each year there are more than 400,000 who come to see its local and international comedians and it is now Australia’s largest cultural event. Tickets are reasonably priced making it available for travelers, tourists and locals to enjoy the 3 week event.

Not the only comedy venue in Melbourne, there are other clubs that have open-mic nights where anybody who so wishes can get up and try to tickle a few ribs. One such venue is Dog’s Bar, where every Thursday night they organize a comedy night with open-mic. The event originally started off in a small private room back in 2004 after it was seen how popular the Melbourne Festival was, and has been going ever since. Now a regular weekly event it advertises an intimate audience experience and everyone gets a chance to stand up and see if they can make the audience laugh, irrelevant of whom they are.

The Last Laugh Comedy Club was established in 1975 and is based at the Athenaeum Theatre. The club has seen all kinds of comedians pass through its doors, and been host to some of Australia’s, and the worlds, funniest comedians. The line up is changed constantly and some of the big names you might be familiar with include Alexei Sayle, Ben Elton, David Strassman, Wendy Harmer, Rita Rudner and Richard Stubbs.

The Comic’s Lounge in Sydney has live comedy 6 nights a week with big names from TV and radio making an appearance. If you prefer stand-up, improvisation, sketch or theatre they can accommodate everyones taste.

Melbourne receives a great number of tourists every year that are accommodated for with a range of luxury, middle and budget hotels. Check out Melbourne hotels online for a choice of accommodation to find one that suits your budget and needs. If you’re looking for places to stay in Melbourne that offer family accommodation or require full cooking facilities, you should be able to find what you’re looking for with an apartment in Melbourne.

Thief’s bedside raids in city hospitals
POLICE are closing in on a “gutless” serial thief captured on CCTV stealing from patients’ bedsides at Melbourne hospitals.

Read more on Herald Sun

Image taken on 2008-05-16 17:23:13 by Space Cadet Marko.

The second largest city in Australia, Melbourne is a major city for commerce and is home to some of the most popular sporting events and festivals in the country. It is widely considered as the cultural and sporting capital of Australia and has many sporting events, cultural events, performing arts and architectural events that take place during the year.

Melbourne has shared the top spot in a survey of “most liveable cities” three times (2002, 2004, and 2005); this was based on cultural aspects, climate, cost of living, and social conditions such as crime rates and health care. These factors all make for a great holiday and there are some great deals on flights to Melbourne available which should be taken advantage of sooner rather than later.

Visiting Melbourne is a great experience and there are many festivals taking place that you should try and get to if you are in the city at the time. The Melbourne Comedy Festival and takes place between 1-26 April and is one of the three largest comedy festivals in the world; it features some of the best comic acts in the world and will have you in stitches. The Melbourne film Festival takes place from 25 July to 10 August and is definitely worth a visit if you are a film fan and like a film that offers something a bit different to the norm.

Melbourne has 4 airports and flights are constantly arriving and departing which allows customers to find the best deals for them. Melbourne International Airport is the city’s main airport where all major airlines fly to and from, and Tullamarine is where the low cost airlines fly into.

Choosing your flights will depend on the weather you are looking for; the weather is quite unpredictable and can easily change from very cold to very hot on the same day. The picturesque parks offer the best place to see this amazing change in climate. Whatever you decide to do and see make sure you find the best deals on flights available.

As the second largest city in Australia, Melbourne has a considerable amount to offer all tourists to the city. Located in the south-eastern part of mainland Australia, Melbourne enjoys some great weather for sightseeing with the temperatures reaching on average 27 degrees during the summer and a moderate 15 during the winter months.

Melbourne is known throughout Australia as the cultural and sports capital as the city has hosted the Olympics and Commonwealth games. Street art is also famous in the city as well as some excellent live music venues.

It has won the award for “Most Liveable City” three times (2002, 2004 and 2005) with its cultural offerings, cost of living and health care amongst the main reasons for the prestigious honour. A number of events take place in this wonderful city, the Melbourne International Arts Festival is very popular amongst visitors.

The festival offers many events including dance, theatre, opera and music and is worth a visit if you are in the city between the 9 and 25 October. For those looking to indulge in some Australian culture, there are a few fantastic theatres that are home to some of the worlds most famous plays.

The Regent and Princess theatre is the most popular and many people flock in their thousands each month. Melbourne also has a great nightlife; if you are looking to kick back and relax then you can dine at one of the many restaurants in the heart of the city and enjoy the amazing food and traditional wines. Alternatively, if you want to let your hair down and dance the night away then there are plenty of bars and nightclubs to enjoy.

With a wide range of activities available in Melbourne, there is something for tourists of all ages. With airlines flying regularly to Melbourne, finding a flight to suit your requirements should not pose a problem either. Enjoy your stay in this great city and remember to experience all Melbourne has to offer. Finding flights to Melbourne is easy with the number of low cost airlines available. When you book flights online, you will be able to find the best flights deals around.

Image taken on 2008-03-05 20:17:24 by alistair_35.

Image taken on 2006-12-29 10:39:59 by Andrew Hux.